 Like all BOINC projects , Rosetta @ home runs in the background of the user 's computer using idle computer power , either at or before logging into an account on the host operating system . Rosetta @ home frees resources from the CPU as they are required by other applications so that normal computer usage is unaffected . To minimize power consumption or heat production from a computer running at sustained capacity , the maximum percentage of CPU resources that Rosetta @ home is allowed to use can be specified through a user 's account preferences . The times of day during which Rosetta @ home is allowed to do work can also be adjusted , along with many other preferences , through a user 's account settings . 
