Download Special doesn't work

[Beezlebubba]

Hello, I tried searching for the topic and couldn't find a prior post so here goes:

When I download the headers automatically upon launching Newsbin, and someone is still posting to a newsgroup, that particular file is marked as incomplete. A few hours later, I update the header downloads and more the rest of the parts of the file is downloaded. HOWEVER, the part at the first load and before the next load doesn't get downloaded. The file stays incomplete.

I attempted to do a Download Special / Download 10,000,000 older posts. Nothing changes. No updates. No backfills.

I go to nzbclub . com and I can get the nzb for the complete file from there. But it's annoying to need to open browser to get get Newsbin to download complete file.

[Quade]

Just re-add the download and the new records will be added to the partial download. The problem probably isn't the headers you're downloading but that the file in the download list needs to be updated with the latest header downloads.

It's something I might be able to automate but right now you need to re-add manually. It'll update the set in the download list and continue the download.

[Beezlebubba]

Re-Add as in delete the group and re-add the group? That defeats the whole purpose of an update. Cause I'm trying to avoid the time needed to Redownload the entire group.

[Quade]

I thought you'd already added the partial file to the download list. I was talking about incomplete files in the download list already.

When I download the headers automatically upon launching Newsbin, and someone is still posting to a newsgroup, that particular file is marked as incomplete. A few hours later, I update the header downloads and more the rest of the parts of the file is downloaded. HOWEVER, the part at the first load and before the next load doesn't get downloaded. The file stays incomplete.

Just for grins, hit the + icon and see if it changes to complete. It might just be a display problem.

"Download Special" never downloads headers over headers you already have. So it doesn't do what you think it does. If you want to overlap a header download, right click the group, "Post Storage/Use Download Age" then set a short download age. 1 or 2 days. Then download headers. This will re-download the last 2 days worth.

What I suspect though is that the file really is complete. If it's not complete it might be a server problem. NZB's either don't have to come from your server or might come from multiple servers. For example when I download headers I do it over multiple servers so I should have 200% coverage. If either server has a hiccup though, the other server fills in the blank.

Another option to is to set an "Overlap" of 1000 or so in the server options so Newsbin will slightly overlap header downloads between each update.

[Calahan]

Hello,

"Download Special" never downloads headers over headers you already have. So it doesn't do what you think it does.

Well, why doesn't it do what "everyone?" thinks it does?
I thought it was a bug when it didn't work.

If you want to overlap a header download, right click the group, "Post Storage/Use Download Age" then set a short download age. 1 or 2 days. Then download headers. This will re-download the last 2 days worth.

Well I had the same "incomplete files" problem. (I normally download headers from 2 servers too to get all headers.)
So I downloaded latest headers and sometimes one or more files were incomplete. Then I waited some time and did a download latest headers again.
Later headers appeared in the group, but the incomplete file(s) never got complete. I tried the download special number of headers feature, but it didn't work.
So I downloaded all headers again and the files were complete.

Now I tried to reset the group using "Post Storage/Use Download Age" but instead of setting the download age to 2 days, I used the download special and loaded the last 100.000 headers and the files got complete. Now I will try the overlap setting with 1000 headers and will look if it helps.

But I still don't understand the reason why the download special number of headers can't or must not? overleap already downloaded headers.
I "only" have to reset the group with "Post Storage/Use Download Age" then I can use the download special number of headers.
So why the extra step?

Thanks for clarifying.

All the best,
Calahan

[Quade]

Well, why doesn't it do what "everyone?" thinks it does?
I thought it was a bug when it didn't work.

If you already have all the headers, why should it download the same headers over again?

I tried the download special number of headers feature, but it didn't work.
So I downloaded all headers again and the files were complete.

What version are you using?

If you want to re-download over your existing headers without deleting all the old ones first, right click the group "Post Storage/Use Download Age" then set a download age that goes back in time as far as you want. Then download headers normally. This will do what you thought "Download Special" was supposed to do.

In your case, in you server advanced options, you might want to set a larger overlap. Maybe 1000 headers.

I'd also hit the plus icon to see if they're really still incomplete. One of the fixes in 6.71 addresses the display not getting notified properly when the headers download.

[Calahan]

If you already have all the headers, why should it download the same headers over again?

Because of incomplete files or if I deleted some posts by accident (with shift-del).
Maybe other have other reasons.

But I think, the question should be, why not allow to download the same headers over again with "Download Special".
If it can't make problems, then user as me (or other) don't think it's a bug, when it doesn't work as supposed
You could program to do the "Post Storage/Use Download Age" for the group first when someone is using the "Download Special" function.
No more user are asking then why the Download Special function doesn't work

What version are you using?

Using 6.71RC1 now, but the last time I had the incomplete files problem was with 6.71b4.

If you want to re-download over your existing headers without deleting all the old ones first, right click the group "Post Storage/Use Download Age" then set a download age that goes back in time as far as you want. Then download headers normally. This will do what you thought "Download Special" was supposed to do.

Instead of setting the download age in the settings dialog, I will use the "Download Special". It's faster and I don't have to change the download age back to the normal high value.

In your case, in you server advanced options, you might want to set a larger overlap. Maybe 1000 headers.

I wrote that. (But thanks for mentioning )

Well I will look for the incomplete files problem the next header updates.

All the best,
Calahan

[Quade]

I will use the "Download Special". It's faster and I don't have to change the download age back to the normal high value.

Certainly "Download all" will get those headers too. Most people aren't looking to download gigs worth of headers every time they have an incomplete file. You could set the "Download age" to something and just leave it.

A header is probably 300-400 bytes each so, it's pretty easy to figure out how much data you're running through. "Download All" on a large group requires 100's of gigs of header downloads.

You could program to do the "Post Storage/Use Download Age" for the group first when someone is using the "Download Special" function.
No more user are asking then why the Download Special function doesn't work

Download special does have a real purpose though It's for people who want to download the current part of the group then work backwards in time. It just doesn't do what you think it should do.

I can think about it. I wrote myself a note.