Why do I have to fix them ?

Files downloded represent one element of the final file. For instance, a 700mo file will be available under several files of 15mo. This cutting depends on the person who posted datas.

There can be problems of transfert, in the way Posting->News Server or in the way News Server->Your computer. These problems cause inversions and lack of bytes in files, or get a different name of file, or some files are missing among the 40 files to download...

You notice that on newsgroup server, .PAR2 files are available, with the same name of what you want to download :

Theses files are fixing datas, they contain datas that will allow you to fix missing bytes for instance, in a reasonable number.

Fos instance, if a file is missing among 19 downloaded files, you'll perhaps be lucky that PAR2 datas will help you to rebuild it. But if you miss 2 files, data recovering chances are smaller and smaller. That's why it's necessary to download PAR2 files too. If just one byte is corrupted in your data files, and if you didn't download PAR2 files, you won't be able to extract and use your datas !

Fixing Tools

More and more, Grabbers include fixing module that, after the end of the download, checks all archives corresponding to a same file and fix automatically corrupted datas.

But it's still necessary to have QuickPar tools installed, and available here : Download

Once installed, PAR2 files are associated to this program. Then you juste have to open a PAR2 file so as it checks all concerned archives.

When you open a PAR2 file, here is what you get :

The first red box represents the complete size of the archives, and the size your extracted file will have. Here : about 740 Mo when archives will be gathered. (see next chapter Extraction).

In the second red box, we notice that some files are damaged and that will perhaps be repaired thanks to PAR2 files.
Complete files (good files) will appear in green color, missing files will appear in red color.

Nothing complicated in this tool. Feel free to ask questions in the forum, or directly by contacting the webmaster.

Special cases

There are two types of archives for huge files ; .RAR files and .001, .002, .003, ... files

To fix .RAR file, follow instructions above.

However, .001, .002, ... files, work quite differently. You just have to open a PAR2 file to launch checks and once checks have been performed, files will be automatically extracted and all .001, .002, .. files will be automatically deleted.