Yes, you can run it without being logged on.

First, the free method:

The agent will crunch, but the send/receive functions generally will not work until someone logs on. There probably won't be a problem with that, since the agent doesn't need constant access to the internet.

To run the agent before log on do the following:

1. Create a new task in your task scheduler. When creating it, browse to the "C:\Program Files\WorldCommunityGrid" folder and select UD.exe. Click OPEN.

2. Select the "When My Computer Starts" radio button and click NEXT.

3. Enter the windows password associated with the log on. It helps if the user doing this has administrator privileges. Click NEXT.

4. Click the "Open advanced properties for this task when I click finish" box and make sure it's checked. Click FINISH.

5. In the next window, click the SETTINGS tab and uncheck the "Stop task if it runs for" box. Click OK.

6. Delete the World Community Grid Agent shortcut in your startup folder.

The agent will start when the computer boots up. If you log on with another user name, the icon in the task manager will not be visible, though. You can check to make sure that the agent is running by looking at your Task Manager and making sure that the WCGrid_Rosetta process is running.

Another method is to use Firedaemon to run the agent as a service. I can provide info on that if ayone wants, but it's a 30 day trial and then you have to buy it. (For those hard-core crunchers out there).

I hope this helps.

Hi everyone -

I followed the instructions given by Gromit, and have two things to add. One is that I think the task scheduling may not take effect until you re-boot your computer. So I'd add "reboot your computer" as step #7 to the instructions.

Second is a problem I've encountered now - and that is that the grid agent icon that use to be in the lower right of my task bar tray has disappeared now that I've gone through the task scheduling process. I am the only user of my PC and I have administrative authority. I tried to get the icon back in my tray by retreiving the grid agent icon from the trash and putting it back into my startup folder, and re-booting my computer. This didn't restore it.

I miss the icon in my task bar lower right tray, because clicking on it would take me to a box/page that displayed the accumulating CPU usage on my PC. I have searched and searched all over the worldcommunitygrid.org site and I haven't been able to find this same box/window.

Can anyone help with this? It doesn't seem to be quite like Gromit said, because the icon is missing from the task manager for ME, the only user! Gromit - can you help me? I am running windows 2000 by the way.


Thanks - Pen

Gromit,

I'd be very interested in knowing how to configure the agent to run as a service via Firedaemon. Please explain.

Computers don't do anything when they're in standby, otherwise, why would you put them in standby?