Opened 12 years ago
Last modified 12 years ago
#1247 new Defect
Non-Admin Execution can erroneously result in VirtualStore contents
| Reported by: | JacobKlein | Owned by: | romw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority: | Undetermined | Milestone: | Undetermined |
| Component: | Client - Setup | Version: | 7.0.64 |
| Keywords: | VirtualStore Admin Privelege Windows Account | Cc: | Jacob_W_Klein@… |
Description
Somehow, my BOINC installation resulted in a VirtualStore directory being created. A later installation, which fixed BOINC to reference the proper ProgramData BOINC directory, still did not quite work correctly, because of the existence of the VirtualStore data.
We should try to:
- Find how the VirtualStore directory got created, and prevent it if possible
- Cleanup any existing BOINC VirtualStore directories, if possible, since their mere existence can cause problems.
The issue I had was that the GPUGrid.net project would use some files from C:\ProgramData\BOINC\slots\0 ... and some files from VirtualStore\ProgramData\BOINC\slots\0 ... and the end effect was that tasks would complete immediately, be marked successful, and I would be granted credit. Not good.
The following email exchange documents the finding of the issue, with some developer feedback.
From: jacob_w_klein@…
To: romw@…
CC: davea@…
Subject: RE: GPUGrid.net problem - Completing immediately, status successful, and granting credit
Date: Mon, 13 May 2013 20:33:04 -0400
Rom,
Is your fix capable of making BOINC work correctly in the presence of an existing "VirtualStore\ProgramData\BOINC" directory?
My initial testing with your private drop indicates that it doesn't fix that issue.
I know you said, before, "but the damage was done", but... are there any plans to fix that issue?
Note: I am now able to readily and easily recreate the directory structure that causes problems, but I have not yet researched the actual trigger, and haven't yet tested your fix against that trigger. I plan to do that later this week.
Regards,
Jacob
---- Subject: RE: GPUGrid.net problem - Completing immediately, status successful, and granting credit
Date: Mon, 13 May 2013 12:46:10 -0400
From: romw@…
To: jacob_w_klein@…; davea@…
Jacob,
Thanks again for the bug report.
After going back over the thread, I suspect the actual trigger in your case was that you removed your current account from all the BOINC groups and from the administrators group. When BOINC launched, all files it opens for output were redirected to the VirtualStore. The next time you installed BOINC, the installer fixed the environment but the damage was done.
From that point on Windows was mixing and matching files between the two directory structures.
From: Jacob Klein [mailto:jacob_w_klein@msn.com]
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2013 12:16 PM
To: David Anderson (BOINC)
Cc: Rom Walton
Subject: RE: GPUGrid.net problem - Completing immediately, status successful, and granting credit
Thanks!
Finding the trigger for this issue, is a big win for me!
The forum moderator at GPUGrid, skgiven, and MrS and Beyond (Ed), all gave several suggestions, but they generally were guessing (try disabling Firewall) and speculation (maybe CPU overloaded, maybe app_config). Lately, skgiven had been suggesting that I just reinstall the OS. I was almost at that point, because I had almost run out of things to try.
I'm just so glad that my methodical approach paid off, and I remembered to use Process Monitor, before resorting to an OS reinstall.
The GPUGrid admins had said that I was the only one that currently had this problem (based presumably on a database search). While that may be true... from what I understand about the problem, I would think other users (and other projects!) would also be susceptible.
I still don't fully understand the cause, or which scenarios could cause it.