BOINC Screen Saver does not turn the display off at the right time, per Windows Power Management setting to turn off the display

[JacobKlein]

I have Windows 7 x64.

I believe there is a miscalculation somewhere in the BOINC Screensaver, which may be preventing the display from being turned off at the right time, per the Windows Power Management setting.

When I have the Blank Screensaver set to wait 1 minute before starting (via the Windows 7 screensaver settings), and then I have Windows Power Management set to turn off the display after 2 minutes, the Blank Screensaver will start after 1 minute, and then a minute later, the monitor will go into amber power save mode. Thus it takes 2 minutes of no activity to turn off the display.

When I have the BOINC Screensaver set to wait 1 minute before starting (via the Windows 7 screensaver settings), and then I have Windows Power Management set to turn off the display after 2 minutes, the BOINC Screensaver will start after 1 minute, but then it will run for 2 minutes before the monitor will go into amber power save mode. Thus it takes 3 minutes of no activity to turn off the display.

It should have only taken 2 minutes of no activity to turn off the display.

[JacobKlein]

Further testing shows that, if the ScreenSaver is set to start after 1 minute, and settings are to change projects every minute, and Windows Power Management is set to turn off the display after 2 minutes... then the display never turns off!

So, I think there must be a timeout timer that's being incorrectly reset, any time a graphics app change occurs within the ScreenSaver.

Feel free to email with questions.

[JacobKlein]

Emails discussing the issue again, during testing of 7.0.62:

---

From: boinc_alpha boinc_alpha-bounces@… On
> Behalf Of Jacob Klein
> Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2013 3:41 AM
> To: BOINC Alpha
> Subject: [boinc_alpha] BOINC Screen Saver - Still does not turn the
> display off at the right time, per Windows Power Management setting to
> turn off the display
>
> I'm re-reporting this bug (Ticket #1082 , opened 2 years ago) to the
> list...
> and reporting it as a Major Bug in the 7.0.60 test results, despite the
> issue also happening with prior versions.
>
> http://boinc.berkeley.edu/trac/ticket/1082
>
> I call it major because the user has an expectation that the monitor
> will turn off (to save energy and save computation cycles)... when in
> reality, it does not work properly.
>
> The original bug report said:
> If the ScreenSaver is set to start after 1 minute, and settings are to
> change projects every minute, and Windows Power Management is set to
> turn off the display after 2 minutes... then the display never turns
> off!
>
> I just tested that again, on 7.0.62, in Windows 8 x64, and for 5
> minutes, the BOINC Screen Saver was still running. The monitor should
> have turned off after 2.
> Can you guys please (finally) fix this? You're wasting electricity and
> computation cycles, and ignoring the user's setting!
>
> Staring at the screen for minute after minute, stopwatch in hand,
> waiting for things to happen, like a good tester... then not getting the
> results...
> It's very frustrating. I hope you can fix it.
>
> Thanks,
> Jacob

---

> Subject: RE: [boinc_alpha] BOINC Screen Saver - Still does not turn the display off at the right time, per Windows Power Management setting to turn off the display
> Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:26:29 -0400
> From: romw@…
> To: jacob_w_klein@…; boinc_alpha@…
>
> What value do you have the 'blank screensaver' set too?
>
> Is it before the monitor's power settings say it should go to sleep?
>
> ----- Rom

---

From: Jacob Klein jacob_w_klein@…
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2013 11:52 AM
To: Rom Walton; BOINC Alpha
Subject: RE: [boinc_alpha] BOINC Screen Saver - Still does not turn the display off at the right time, per Windows Power Management setting to turn off the display

I don't use the "blank screensaver" setting within the BOINC Screensaver.

However, here is some more info that may help you to solve the problem:
(Note: Be sure you have several active tasks that show graphics)

Blank screensaver after: Never
Run BOINC screensaver for: 1
Run project screensavers for: 15
Switch between project screensavers every: 5
Windows Power Options -> Turn off the display: 2 minutes
RESULT: The display WILL eventually turn off.

Blank screensaver after: Never
Run BOINC screensaver for: 1
Run project screensavers for: 15
Switch between project screensavers every: 1
Windows Power Options -> Turn off the display: 2 minutes
RESULT: The display WILL NOT turn off!

It seems that, when a new task's graphics gets loaded, it resets the timer that's used to turn the display off.
That's what it looks like to me, at least.

Does this help?

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Subject: RE: [boinc_alpha] BOINC Screen Saver - Still does not turn the display off at the right time, per Windows Power Management setting to turn off the display
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:17:39 -0400
From: romw@…
To: jacob_w_klein@…; boinc_alpha@…

Blanking the screensaver will probably do the same thing.

IIRC, just the act of starting a new process that uses OpenGL resets the Windows timer for the display. It isn’t something we can work around.

I suppose the long term fix would be to get Windows to tell us when the monitor is supposed to shutdown and use that value as the ‘blank’ time when the blank time is greater.

---

From: Jacob Klein [mailto:jacob_w_klein@msn.com]
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2013 12:42 PM
To: Rom Walton; BOINC Alpha
Subject: RE: [boinc_alpha] BOINC Screen Saver - Still does not turn the display off at the right time, per Windows Power Management setting to turn off the display

Blanking the screen is not the same as the display turning off.

The user has set "Turn off the display" in Windows Power Options, and has a reasonable expectation that it will be honored.
The long term fix would be to find a way to not reset the timer, thus honoring the Windows setting that was set by the user.

I understand if there's nothing you can do for now.
It's just an issue that was frustrating when I reported it (over 2 years ago), and is still frustrating today (as I retest it).
I hope it can be given some shred of priority at some point.

Jacob

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Subject: RE: [boinc_alpha] BOINC Screen Saver - Still does not turn the display off at the right time, per Windows Power Management setting to turn off the display
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:48:47 -0400
From: romw@…
To: jacob_w_klein@…; boinc_alpha@…

Blanking the screensaver prevents it from launching graphics applications… Thereby preventing the timer from being reset…

---

From: jacob_w_klein@…
To: romw@…; boinc_alpha@…
Subject: RE: [boinc_alpha] BOINC Screen Saver - Still does not turn the display off at the right time, per Windows Power Management setting to turn off the display
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:41:53 -0400

So... let's start with a scenario, which I think would be a common scenario:
- User sets screensaver to start after 1 minute of user inactivity
- User wants to show project graphics, switching every minute or two
- User also wants the display to turn off eventually, maybe after 15 minutes

With your proposed changes:
- (Measured from screensaver start) How long would project graphics show?
- (Measured from screensaver start) When would the display go blank?
- (Measured from beginning of user inactivity) When would the display turn off?

[JacobKlein]

From: jacob_w_klein@…
> To: boinc_alpha@…
> Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2013 17:17:06 -0500
> Subject: [boinc_alpha] Windows 8.1 - BOINC Screen Saver does not transition to turning off the display
>
> I don't usually test the Screen Saver, but I did today.
> It turns out, the previous Screen Saver bugs have only gotten worse under Windows 8.1.
>
> Basically, despite having "Turn off the display" set, if the BOINC Screen Saver had been running, I cannot get the display to turn off after any length of time.
> So, the monitor stays on (light green), the BOINC Screen Saver stops showing stuff (presumably because it thinks it doesn't need to anymore), and....
> I'm left with a fully powered black screen.
>
> When I tested using the "3D Text" Screen Saver, that Screen Saver worked how I expected.
>
> I don't consider this a showstopper.
> But it does mean that Ticket #1082 has gotten even worse under Windows 8.1, and monitors now cannot sleep.
> Rom: I'd love to troubleshoot this with you to get it working like I'd expect.
>
> Regards,
> Jacob