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Post by elindalo on May 12, 2008 18:07:39 GMT 1
Has anyone any tips for downloading Sopcast (needed for the L**ds game tonight)? I've tried dozens of times and always failed. Although I'm an idiot with this technical stuff, even I have been surpised about how hard it seems to be.
Any idiots' guide type advice would be welcome.
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Post by bro600 on May 12, 2008 18:25:27 GMT 1
Troubleshooting Download Problems
1. I clicked on download but nothing happens. I see only a popup with some text and banners.
Among the text you are seeing in the download popup, there is the mirror list (the list of locations where the file you are trying to download is available). Normally, the download should start automatically after 3 seconds using the first online mirror, and the browser (Internet Explorer, Opera, ...) should prompt you to open or save the file. If the download did not start automatically, just left click on one of the mirrors, and choose "Save" when prompted.
2. I'm using a download manager and it asks for a password when using Softpedia.com mirror (download.softpedia.com).
You are probably using DAP (Download Accelerator Plus) or some other download manager that does not send some information needed to start the download from our mirror. The solution is to use another mirror or switch to a download manager that manages properly the referer.
3. I am still asked for a password while downloading files, even if I'm using other download managers or none at all.
Some firewall programs block the information that download managers send in order to make the download possible (this information is called "referer" and is basically the URL of the page from where you are starting the download). Zone Alarm firewall is known to block the referer but other similar products may behave in the same way. The solution is to change, if possible, the settings of the firewall program in order to allow the passing of the referer to the download server. It that is not possible, temporarily disabling the firewall will do the job.
4. While trying to download I get a page that says something about "Offsite linking". I'm not using a download manager.
You are either using a firewall program that blocks the referer, or you are downloading by Right Click + Save As... Simply left click on the link, and close firewalls that block the referer (or change settings).
5. I receive "timeout" errors or the download stops before it is complete. Why?
Usually this is because the connection between the server and your computer has been lost. This is caused by a network congestion. You should try again at non-peak hours, or use a download manager to avoid redownloading the whole file. Here is a list of download managers you can choose from. Alternatively, this may be caused by a temporary connectivity problem between your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and the website hosting the file. Try again later.
6. I downloaded the file. What should I do with it?
If the file you just transferred has an .exe extension (the last three letters of the filename), then just double-click it to launch the installation process (follow the on-screen instructions). Otherwise, in most of the cases it is a .zip file (a compressed file which contains one or more files). You will to uncompress the archive to access the installation program. To do so, you need to have installed an archiver (program that handles compressed files) unless you are using Windows2000 or WindowsXP which have builtin .zip support. To get an archiver program, go here.
7. I receive errors saying that the zip file is corrupted. What should I do?
Most likely, in the download process, an error has occured, and that lead to the corruption of the file. The solution is to re-download the file, and if you are not yet using a download manager, it is high time to do so. Here is a list of download managers you can choose from.
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Post by elindalo on May 12, 2008 19:04:24 GMT 1
A bit to work on there then. Thanks Bro.
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Post by elindalo on May 13, 2008 16:38:56 GMT 1
As so often, the most remarkable thing happened. I sat down to try again with all the troubleshooting notes by my side but this time I started through a site I hadn't used before. It got to the same downloading pages though and, for no known reason, it all downloaded like a dream.
One click and I was straight through to the L**ds game and spent a very happy 96 minutes in front of the screen. Pity about the 97th minute but nevertheless a good evening's IT experience.
;D
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