failed downloads - server problem?

[chaard]

  I'm having significant problems trying to download some files, especially larger ones. Many downloads just won't won't finish on my Windoze machine. If I use the DownThemAll d/l manager, it reports timeouts. If I use the browser d/l manager, I'll see the d/l stall; I'll pause and try to restart, but it then reports that the source files can't be found. Whenever I pause a d/l, restarting it fails. I don't have these problems on d/l's from other sites, and my network meter shows a steady flow of other data streams, so I can't blame my local ISP. I've rebooted my machine, without improvement. Help!

[John C]

If I remember correctly, the software we use acts against download managers.  The early days of GAC saw people using download managers to try to download the entire site, sometimes with bugs that tried to grab the entire site repeatedly.

[Yoc]

We haven't heard from anyone else about troubles C.
Please give it another try, without any managers.  Perhaps a different web browser might be tried as well?

[chaard]

What happens is that some portion of the file transfers, anywhere from 1% to 95% -- and then it stops, and won't restart. This happens with files from 5mb to 120mb, and the only correlation with size seems to be that slower d/l's are more likely to fail. Sometimes a d/l chugs along at 40kbs, and sooner-or-later fails. Another attempt on the same file might see 300kbs, and it succeeds. This is what leads me to believe it's a server issue.

AFAIK all browsers have built-in d/l managers. I'm not using a site-scooper, just 1-file-at-a-time d/l attempts. AFAIK the only way around those is with an ftp client. OK, I'll try other browsers. But as I said, I don't see this issue with other sites.

[chaard]

OK, I've fired-up a couple other browsers and tried more downloads and I can report some results. My usual browser is Mozilla Seamonkey (nice and lean, and less-hacked than Firefox) with DownThemAll (DTA)and FlashGot (FG) handling downloads. (All were updated yesterday.) The others are a recent Google Chrome, and Microsoft Internet Explorer 9.0 (MSIE); neither has any add-ons. So, how do these compare?

* Seamonkey/DTA/FG succeeds with short files and some long files, but often fails with timeout errors.
* Chrome and MSIE both succeed with some files, sometimes after failing with the same files, with interruption or network errors.
* With any of these warez, if the d/l is paused, it won't resume, but must restart from scratch.
* Meanwhile, d/l streams from other sites keep flowing with no problems.

It seems like the DCM server software just won't resume from interruptions. I've tried getting Out Our Way 1936 Dailies Jan-Jun (120mb) numerous times with all browsers mentioned. The d/l will fail when anywhere from 2% to 90% complete. I've probably d/l'd a couple gigabytes of that without a success. This is a waste of bandwidth. But what can I do, except keep retrying until it maybe succeds, or giving up in frustration?

[Yoc]

Hi again C,
Our software does not allow files to resume so no point in trying, sorry.
So far nobody else has reported any problems.  There might be a problem we don't know about.
How about trying again in a day or two?

Anyone else have trouble out there?

[larrytalbot]

I've had no problems downloading files here via Windows Internet Explorer.

[John C]

And as I said, it actively defeats download managers, so using something like DownloadThemAll is going to fail.  If you download the link with just the browser, don't pause, and wait for completion before starting the next download, you shouldn't see any significant problems.

[chaard]

My latest attempts have been with Internet Explorer 9 with no add-on d/l managers, just what's built into the browser. I still constantly get DOWNLOAD TERMINATED error messages after anywhere from 3%-90% has transferred. So I guess I just have to continually restart the d/l until it eventually works.

[Yoc]

I wish we could help C but checking our end I don't see what could be wrong.

[JVJ (RIP)]

Two things, Chaard:
1. are you having the same problem if you simply attempt to download a single file using the [Download] button on the site?
2. have you checked your available space on your C: drive lately?

FWIW. (|:{>

[chaard]

Two things, Chaard:
1. are you having the same problem if you simply attempt to download a single file using the [Download] button on the site?

That's the only way I try to download here. When I use Mozilla Seamonkey with DownThemAll, DTA only kicks in after I hit the button. If I use Chrome or MSIE, the browsers' built-in d/l managers take over. They all fail here.

2. have you checked your available space on your C: drive lately?

FWIW. (|:{>

I check it constantly, to make sure I have capacity for other download streams. Right now my C: has about 24 gigs free. That should be sufficient for a 120mb file, right? #8-)

I should mention that I'm not exactly a rookie here. I soldered-together my first digital computer 33 years ago, an old HeathKit H8 it was, and I've been online ever since. (I don't count earlier non-digital systems that lacked modems, nor the corporate intranets, back when I was paid to write financial systems in COBOL.) This doesn't mean that I don't screw up. That happens constantly. But the problems I have here at DCM just don't happen at other sites.

[narfstar]

I just tried downloading in chrome and firefox and did not have any problems

[JVJ (RIP)]

I should mention that I'm not exactly a rookie here. I soldered-together my first digital computer 33 years ago, an old HeathKit H8 it was, and I've been online ever since. (I don't count earlier non-digital systems that lacked modems, nor the corporate intranets, back when I was paid to write financial systems in COBOL.) This doesn't mean that I don't screw up. That happens constantly. But the problems I have here at DCM just don't happen at other sites.

One never knows, Chaard,
And it never hurts to ask.

I was in the process of soldering components on pc boards in the HP computer club when HP announced the HP 150 in 1983 and that was the end of the club and the beginning of my personal computer experience. That was only 30 years ago, so you've got me beat. But I have a terminal in my office at Advalloy in 1970, so I was an early adopter and user of the technology. We made leadframes for ICs, so that was pretty cutting edge, too. I didn't hang around long and am glad I didn't, but saw the potential.

Wish I could help with your download problems. Maybe the site just doesn't like you.

Peace, Jim (|:{>

[Yoc]

Hi C,
Please don't think we dislike you!  We just can't figure out what is going wrong.
Have you tried the same files from CB+?  It might be worth trying to see if it happens there as well.
We both use the same core software for sharing though each have customized their version in different ways.  We also share quite a few of the same scans with some variances.
 
http://comicbookplus.com/