I want to add a second Windows GUI computer as a Harvester. I’ve been reading the many posts and comments and webpages and I’m confused! What is the simplest approach to adding a Windows GUI harvester? This is for an old PC so it’s only for a few plots per day, but each one counts. Thank you!
Easy, don’t use the GUI. chia start harvester
Follow the directions here for configuring the harvester to point back to you main harvester, don’t run a second full_node
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@luckidog Thank you. I have seen those instructions, but was hoping there was a simply way to use the Windows GUI for a Harvester. The only thing I’ve discovered so far is to block incoming connections on Port 8444 using the Advanced Windows Firewall. It works, but that method is a zillion times less efficient - I am sure - than the CLI method you link to!
If there is some not-horribly-inefficient way to use the Windows GUI for a Harvester, I am still curious.
I’m pretty sure if you run the GUI it will start a full node, with all services and you really don’t want that.
I’m running one full node and 2 harvesters at home and 2 more in the cloud, all CLI (But not Windows 
) Good Luck!
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The GUI is very much lacking, and needs to load and just have toggles for full node, harvester and farmer. When you install or update it windows firewall asks for permission to allow start_farmer and start_fullnode to be allowed through. I just didn’t permit start full node on a plotting machine which keeps it from wasting time syncing.
I haven’t tried allowing just start_farmer but this might be the answer. I have to say CLI is actually not that bad at all. It makes a lot of sense and since different functions can be managed in different powershell windows plus its fairly easy to see what is going on.
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To run a harvester you wouldn’t need to have the firewall allow either of the inbound ports. The only connection will be the harvester process connecting back to the farmer on the full node. You don’t need to run a farmer to run a harvester.
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