Computer Downloading Programs Advice/Help please

Posted by: oldie on 09 September 2004

Hi all,
Having recently been informed by Microsoft that the time to download SP2 would have taken 3hours 33 min's [ all successfully sorted now,thanks to Dawn ] and my server automatically disconnects after 2 hours, [much earler that that in my experance].As the pennys now need to be counted the choice I have at the moment is Broadband or CD'S, so broadband is just not a option. I have been told of a program that might help down load things quicker,Soooooooooo I was just wondering if anyone has had any experiance of the program "download Accelerator Plus", and does it work. It claims to download up to 300% quicker than ordinary dial up, which is faster than some of the broadband options.Now being the sceptical cynical old Bu--er that I am [no need for you to endorse this ,thanks Mick Wink]I find this somewhat hard to beleive As if it was,I'm sure you all would be using it and promoting it's wonderful features here, and I don't remember it being mentioned at all.Your advice and help would again be appreciated
oldie.
Posted on: 09 September 2004 by kan man
Don't worry. The SP will save partial downloads and pick up where it left off next time you connect - assuming you use the auto update feature.
Regards
Steve
Posted on: 09 September 2004 by Mike Hughes
Download accelerators are variable and work by various means. In my experience they generally don't work as advertised although they occasionally improve the situation. They also have a nasty habit of messing up system files in some well known cases so generally, leave well alone.

SP2 will be available on CD anyway soon.

Mike
Posted on: 09 September 2004 by Rasher
Oldie
You have a PT
Posted on: 09 September 2004 by cunningplan
Oldie
If you send me your address via a private topic I'll post you SP2 on CD free of charge. I downloaded it from the Microsoft website so it's legit.

Rgards

Clive

PS This is a one time offer guys I'm not offering anyone else the same service Smile
Posted on: 09 September 2004 by oldie
It's me ,the pain in the Ar-e again,
Again thanks for your advice and offers I have already managed to instal SP2,a old colleague gave me a legal copy to use [ I was/ am still on the licence at the Uni] It was just that SP2 highlighted a problem that hadn't occurred to me before, and IFthese Accelerator programs did what they claim
It would have possible helped in the future, but I must admitt that I was somewhat sceptical about their claims and knew [creep creep] Big Grin that if anyone knew about them the right advice would be given here
Thanks again
oldie
Clive,
thanks for the offer, but I have done the dirty deed.
Rasher
you have a PT reply
Cheers!
Posted on: 09 September 2004 by davidm
These download accelerators do not download any quicker than your connection allows. What they are good for, is download pausing and continuation from where they left off. Some also allow you to schedule a download.

I used to stardownloader available here

Works well and no nasty spyware.

Music should be 'original' and played 'live'. No more overpaid Karaoke singers.
Posted on: 09 September 2004 by BigH47
Is everybody happy with SP2? It seemed a lot of negative words about it a couple of weeks ago and so I held off loading it. I have been keeping up with the critical upgrades though.

Howard

How come AV programs (Norton on my PC) only tell me I have a Trojan in a file,when they are suposed to stop that sort of thing getting in surely?
Posted on: 09 September 2004 by bjorne
Well Norton sucks imo. Get rid of it and get some freeware. I had Norton on my new pc, got infected after few days.... Now I use avg antivirus together with zone alarm firewall and have not experienced any problems.
Posted on: 09 September 2004 by oldie
Howard,
As you will be well aware from my posts on this subject my knowledge and inclination regarding computer is to put it very politely very basic [40 0dd years keeping away from the bl--dy things has now caught up with me] but regarding SP2, I so far have found no problems with it words I may well live to regret I must admit to feeling a bit apprehensive, well to be truthful I sweated like a pig when, on Saturday just after I put the disc in the screen started flickering and flashing and the hard disc was running a marathon,I thought that I was going to go through the 98 to XP thing again[I lost everthing ] but no, it all went very smoothly and I was very relieved when Microsofts banner came up telling me it was successfully installed,not that I beleve it yet,but so far I can recommend it[the uneducated leading the reticent].As far as antivirus programs go, Mcafie did almost the same to me a couple of weeks ago but this time actully let in a type of , I'm told, Netsky that took a IT "EXPERT" almost all evening to get rid of it,it just kept replicating itself whatever he did, so I think it's just one of those things and the advice I received on here was basicly,what ever you do to limit the options they may still get in Now I know why I kept away from the Bl--dy things for 40 odd years
BEST OF LUCK, from the last of the Luddite's.[in the last resort,as with mobile phones a large bucket of water may be the answer].
oldie
Posted on: 10 September 2004 by TomK
There were initially some incompatibility problems i.e. a vague chance that some programs and devices would no longer work but that seems not to be such an issue now. There were problems with Mozilla for example but I downloaded the latest version and it worked fine. I've had no problems at all.

In general though, unless you regard yourself as a pioneer you should always hold back a bit before installing this sort of thing. Far better to let others find the bugs and then install a later, more stable version.
Posted on: 10 September 2004 by davidm
I have been using SP2 for about 3 weeks now, without any incidents Smile

Straightforward and hastle free upgrade. Sounds like I might have been lucky though, by some other posts on the subject.

Music should be 'original' and played 'live'. No more overpaid Karaoke singers.