Getting Started: Instructions for Manual Method

# INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE MANUAL METHOD

- Use the Web (http://mersenne.org/ips/manualtests.html) to create a UserId for yourself and to get a set of exponents to work on. Alternatively, you can get some work from http://www.mersenne.org/range2.htm. Copy these exponents to a file called worktodo.ini
- Connect to the Internet.
- Run prime95.exe. You will see 3 dialog boxes:

1. In the first dialog box, enter your name and email address. Click OK.
2. In the second dialog box, fill in roughly how many hours a day you leave your computer running. Please be sure to read instructions on how to configure memory settings before you continue any further. Click OK.
3. In the third dialog box uncheck "Use PrimeNet to get work and report results" and click OK.

- Disable screen savers or use the "blank screen" screen saver. If this is not practical, consider raising prime95's priority to 4 or 5.
- Once a month or when done with your exponents, use the web page again to send the file "results.txt" to the PrimeNet server. It is important to do this so the exponents you are testing are not reassigned to someone else.

The "Start at Bootup" menu choice (on by default) will run prime95 every time you boot your computer.