GIMPS Installation Instructions

ATTENTION: A BUG IN VERSION 17 OF THE GIMPS SOFTWARE WAS FOUND. READ THE MESSAGE AT THE ABOVE LINK. VERSION 18.1 (fixed) IS HERE.

To run the GIMPS software, you must have at least a Pentium class system with a good amount of memory (16 MB should be enough). Even though the software carries out intense calculations, it will not impede the performance of your system so you can go about your everyday computer tasks without loss of speed. We encourage you to run the software for most of the day and you can even keep your computer on all night if you so desire. There are two versions of the software, one for Windows 95/98 and another for Windows NT. Both versions have been pre-configured to automatically place you on the CE 2003 GIMPS team.

Windows 95/98

1. Download PRIME95.ZIP (version 18.1) and extract it to any directory.
2. Make sure you are connected to the Internet.
3. Run PRIME95.EXE. This should add an icon to your systray (next to the clock). Double click this icon to ensure the program has contacted the server.
4. Add a shortcut to PRIME95.EXE to your start menu, in the "Startup" folder, so it will begin each time you boot your machine.

Windows NT

1. Download PRIMENT.ZIP (version 18.1) and extract it to any directory.
2. Make sure you are connected to the Internet.
3. Log in under the "Administrator" account.
4. Open a command prompt window, and change to the directory where you extracted PRIMENT.ZIP.
5. Type: ntprime -install.
6. Open the Control Panel, and click on "Services".
7. Find "Prime Service" in the list and highlight it. Ensure it is set to "Automatic", then click the "Start" button in the dialog box to start the service.

Important notes:
There are several things you may wish to configure. In Windows 95, double click the tray icon to edit your settings. In Windows NT, run NTSETUP.EXE from the directory where you extracted PRIMENT.ZIP.

• Modem users, you will need to choose Test -> PrimeNet -> Use a dial-up connection to the Internet.
• If you do not leave your computer on all the time, choose Options -> CPU, and fill in the "Hours per day this program will run" field. This is not essential, but it will make running time estimates more accurate.
• You may identify yourself in the group by giving your computer an ID name. Click Test -> User Information, and fill in the "Optional Computer ID" field. You can use your first name, or anything else you wish. Do not change any other information in this dialog box.
• To check the status of your tests, click Test -> Status.
• To check the team status, visit the team status page
• For more information about GIMPS and PrimeNet, visit www.mersenne.org/prime.html or www.entropia.com/ips.

Quitting the GIMPS Team
For one reason or another, you may want to quit the GIMPS team. Here’s how:

Under Windows 95/98

1. Make sure that you are connected to the Internet.
2. Bring up the Prime95 window and click on Test -> Stop.
3. Click on Advanced -> Quit GIMPS. Prime95 will contact the server and have your tests reassigned.
4. If you wish, you may remove the Prime95 software from your computer by simply deleting it. Remember to remove the Prime95 shortcut from your Startup folder in your Start Menu.

Under Windows NT

1. Make sure that you are connected to the Internet.
2. Open PrimeNT from the directory where you installed it.
3. Click on Advanced -> Quit GIMPS. PrimeNT will contact the server and have your tests reassigned.
4. Open a command prompt and change to the PrimeNT directory.
5. Type: ntprime -remove. This will remove the Prime Service from your machine. You may want to check the Services Control Panel to verify this.
6. If you wish, you may remove the PrimeNT software from your computer by simply deleting it.