How to set up BOINC 5 with a separate Data directory?

From BOINC Wiki

So you want to use your bigger D: drive to run BOINC from, but don't want to uninstall BOINC and reinstall it to the new drive. That's possible, if you use the <data_dir> tag in cc_config.xml, you'll be BOINC 6 compatible then as well.

How to do that? You need BOINC 5.10.20 at minimum. So if you have a lower version, update to the latest available.

Exit BOINC, making sure it's not running. (BOINC Manager->File->Exit; or in case you're running as a service, Start->Run, type net stop boinc, press OK)

Navigate to your BOINC directory, default at C:\Program Files\BOINC

First check if you already have a file called cc_config.xml; if you do not, make one with Notepad, make sure you save it as an All Files option, so it doesn't get the .txt extension.

Open cc_config.xml with Notepad. Here's what should be in it: 

  <cc_config>
     <log_flags>
         <unparsed_xml>1</unparsed_xml>
     </log_flags>
     <options>
         <data_dir>D:\BOINC Data\</data_dir>
     </options>
  </cc_config>


Save cc_config.xml to your BOINC directory.

OK, now we'll make sure that BOINC can find the data on that path. Make a directory on D: called \BOINC Data\ Copy the following directories (and everything in them) from your BOINC directory to D:\BOINC Data: \BOINC\projects\, \BOINC\slots\

(\skins\ and \locale\ can stay in the BOINC directory)

Next copy all these files from your BOINC directory to your BOINC Data directory:

  • All account_*.xml files.
  • All job_log_*.txt files.
  • All master_*.xml files.
  • All sched_*.xml files.
  • All statistics_*.xml files.
  • ca-bundle.crt (*)
  • client_state.xml and client_state_prev.xml
  • global_prefs.xml and (if applicable) global_prefs_override.xml
  • And if you want to, stderrdae.txt and stdoutdae.txt

(we copy, in case it doesn't work for some reason; you can always delete the originals after a week of flawless operations.)

(*) From BOINC 6.2.21 onwards the ca-bundle.crt file needs to be back in the normal BOINC directory, not in the BOINC Data directory. But if all is as it should be, the BOINC installer will put this file in the correct directory.

Make sure that the BOINC Data directory and subdirectories have full read/write permission for your user group. To do so, right click on the \BOINC Data\ directory in the tree, Properties, Security.

OK, that should be it. Restart BOINC: Open BOINC Manager, or in case you're running as a service, Start->Run, type net start boinc and press OK.

Check in BOINC Manager that the path to the data dir is shown correctly. Day-month-year Time Data directory: D:\BOINC Data\

Much of the above can also be used when you migrate manually to BOINC 6, which uses the separate Data directory exceptionally.

There is a difference then though. For BOINC 6, you will need to place the gui_rpc_auth.cfg and cc_config.xml files in the Data directory - then edit the cc_config.xml file and take out the <data_dir> line and save that file - else these files will not be used by BOINC.


Original writer Original FAQ Date
Jorden 292 19-May-2008
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