Problems Downloading!! and I'm not a noob!!!

[crystalrose]

Ok, so I've been a member on this site for a while now, but I only return every month or three to check for new files and read postings. I come back this time and find the premium member requirements. Thats cool, people who support the site get more fetures, quite understandable. My problem is that now, whenever I try to download a new free file, I click on the file name in the general files page to get to the secondary download page (ie. hypno girls picture link with link below it to download the file), and the secondary download page won't display. All I get is a blank page with a single icon in the upper left hand corner denoting that a picture is inbedded in the page but it is not being displayed. When I right-click, the menu options are all unuseable (grayed out). sometimes I get a message in the lower message display bar teling me that a file is downloading, but I can not find the file anywhere on my computer after the download is supposed to have been completed. I would appreciate any help possible.
Thanx
Coldfire

[dharden]

If that wasn't a temporary glitch, it sounds like something on your system isn't playing nice with that part of the site.

Could you please give some details about your setup? What OS and browser are you using? Are you using an adblocker or proxy? Are you using a download manager? Are you using a firewall? Have you scanned for viruses and malware?

[sandy82]

coldfire, dharden is really the expert on all the fine points. Various programs, platforms, etc. I defer to dharden on all the technical points.

If you're using garden-variety equipment and programs, try the following:

http://www.warpmymind.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=6724&highlight=#6724

If you haven't been here in several months, you aren't familiar with the extra buttons next to each File entry. You have to click the right one, or you'll have trouble. Make sure to read the beginning of the instructions closely. They deal with the changes since your last visit.

I just followed the instructions at #6724 (clickable above) and picked a file at random. It downloaded perfectly.

Difficult questions...wait for dharden. But it can't hurt to try the easy instructions first--as long as you're using standard programs.

Would anyone like the first 15 seconds of a file called "Baby Time"? :wink:

[crystalrose]

Ok, first: Sandy82, thank you very much for the link to your previous posting. I'm sure it has helped alot of other people. However, as I said in my original subject line I am not a noob, I already sifted through all the forum help files and yours was one of the ones I tried repeatedly before I posted my original message. I do know that it is the exact sequence of events that I used previous to my problem, not including the warnings about the insidious premium member buttons. So thank you again for trying to help me, and many more thanks for taking the time to write a guide for all the first timers.

Second:Dharden: Ok, round 2 day 2,
System info:Win2k Pro Version5.0.2195 Service Pack 4 Build 2195
IE Version6.0.2800.1106
LavaSoft Ad-Aware SE Personal Ver 1.06- but its the free version so I have to run it manually thus it shouldnt interfere with my downloads because the active scan function is disabled in free version
Wireless LAN: Netgear WG311v2 802.11g adapter
No DL manager enabled
Tried again today with same result
Tried soft reboot and then a hard reboot, plus closing out of any unnecessary programs that auto load on startup. same problem. the reboots would have completely ended any p2p programs that might have had some lingering effects (and i have had problems with those before)
All other sites that I DL from using IE are working no problem, so it's only this site and my setup

I ended up trying FireFox 1.06 and it worked, but I have many other problems w/ FF like not being able to DL from my mail accounts and read certain pages, and other things like that, so even though I generally like it more than IE I sadly use IE almost exclusively now. I'll run diagnostics to see if there's anything up there, but I'd appreciate your help in the IE matter even though I do have a solution through FF. Thanx

PS Sandy82 your method works perfectly in FireFox thank you again.

[cardigan]

Are you sure you don't have a pop-up stopper installed? Lots of toolbars - like Google toolbar - have built-in pop-up stopper. In Google - if you press down CTRL while clicking on a link that will open a new window, the pop-up stopper is disabled - while CTRL is being depressed.

Just a wild guess, but I know that this website uses pop-ups when you download.

Cardigan

[crystalrose]

No toolbars active or installed

[dharden]

Coldfire, I'm not certain of this, but it may be that something is keeping the secondary download page from loading completely. That could explain why you sometimes get a message that a file is being downloaded. The secondary download page contains a bit of JavaScript which opens a new window, and starts transferring the file.

When it comes to finding the file after the download is completed, this may help. Being a 98lite user, I can't test this with IE. However, WiMP used the "Temporary Internet Files" folder(s) when I told it to open a URL, so I'm working from that.

Anyway, it appears that a file (e.g. foo.mp3) might be stored in "Temporary Internet Files" as foo[1].mp3. At least in 98 SE, using Find to search for fo*.mp3 will find it, and it can be dragged to anther folder. Also, it may be possible to use the Disk Cleanup utility to recover the file. Select "Temporary Internet Files", then click "View Files". Find the file you want to recover, right-click on it, and select "Copy". You should then be able to use Windows Explorer to paste the file into whatever folder you want to put it in. I don't know how well any of this will work in other versions of Windows, but it may be worth a try.

There's a Computer Help Thread in the Idle Chatter forum. If you post there, you may find someone who can help you figure out what's bollixing the secondary download page.