Zugg Software :: View topic

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2002 8:17 pm

OK, someone knowledgeable about AOL please help me here. I'm getting more and more reports from AOL users that when they download and try to run zMUD they get a "CRC error" from the installer. Basically, this means that the file was downloaded in text mode instead of binary mode.

The download links point to files the end in .EXE. Why doesn't AOL recognize this as a binary download? Why has the problem gotten worse recently? Is there something in the new version of AOL that screws up binary downloads?

If anyone has a set of instructions that we can use as a canned reply to AOL users who have this trouble, I'd love to hear about it. Right now we are telling people to right-click on the download link and select Save Link As, but this is IE specific and I have no idea what browser AOL people are using these days.

I sure wish AOL would stop "protecting" people from the Internet and screwing it up like this. We get a lot more support email from AOL users that we should because of it.

Newbie Joined: 08 Jan 2002 Posts: 2 Location: USA

there is an easy solution to this...

1. Pick up the phone
2. Call AOL customer service
3. Tell them you are cancleing you subscription
4. Pick up yellow pages
5. turn to ISP's
6. order and actuall Internet Service Provider and not a "content provider" like AOL

hehehe...lucky for zmud users on AOL I'm not worrking support for Zmud!

:)

Dragora Ironarm, Sword of the Black Wind. (Knights of the Rings)

Twilight's Dawning
tamarisk.ab.ca 4321

Novice Joined: 29 May 2001 Posts: 48 Location: USA

Not sure about what platform your ftp site is on but with Unix you can set the transfer protocol on the server so that when a connection is made you can decide if it is to be binary or ascii. (man pages ftpd)

Possibly there is a similar protocol that can be enabled on the server that your running?

GURU Joined: 24 Sep 2000 Posts: 1237 Location: USA

The server settings shouldn't matter too much, as it's HTTP, not Zugg's Transfer Protocol. Heh. He should copyright that name. It's a standard setup that works for most everybody else. AOL should support it as a defacto standard. Not that it matters to AOL what standards are - they've already messed with HTTP 1.1 to their user's disservice.

If you're on AOL and you see this thread, and you're having issues with downloads, let's get a public log of what does and does not work going, using this thread.

Try these things:
If you're using a download manager (Getright, ReGet, etc), and having problems, try downloading without one. You can usually hold down Ctrl while clicking the manual download link to download via the browser.

If you're not using a download manager and having problems, try one ( www.getright.com ).

As far as I know, Zuggsoft (or Tucows, depending on what you're downloading) sends the file via HTTP, and that might be an issue for AOL's browser or settings. These download manager programs might get around the issue.

If AOL users can demonstrate that they don't have better luck with and without the download managers, perhaps an FTP solution can be found, and maybe the alternative protocol will skirt AOL's HTTP issues.

Post helpful replies here. Please help us fix the problem.

zMUD 6 Online Help: All the power you'll ever need.

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2002 3:05 pm

AOL (I'm afraid I cant rememebr which version - would have been pretty recent) can happily use IE once its connected at least here in the UK. I understand there are differences in different countries but in the UK, you could advise them to connect to AOL, launch IE and download as you suggested. I did this for my brother in law over the weekend. I have no idea what other things AOL may be doing but I can verify this works for everything I downloaded (both exe and zip)

GBH

Novice Joined: 29 May 2001 Posts: 48 Location: USA

Darker, agreed, the default in the browser *should* be binary, however, from the dialogue I am pretty sure it isn't so there should be an option to set the transfer type upon ftp initialization.

Possibly have another download site that is an actual archaic ftp site where the user can follow some base ftp directions that would work from a command prompt (doubtful) or using a free ftp client from tucows or something.

There are many companies that change a setting here or there to keep things proprietary. There are only a few things that anyone can do about it, complain, contact the company and request a change, or take the steps to change it on your own if possible.

I doubt AOL is going to listen. Complaining won't solve the problem. So that leaves the option of checking to see if something can be done about it from the other end.

The alternate browser idea sounds simple.

Newbie Joined: 08 Jan 2002 Posts: 8 Location: USA

Simple suggestion, use IE. When I used to use AOL (VERY happy I cancelled!), if I ever got one of those "AOL is too uptight to make things easier for you" errors, I'd open good ol' IE or Opera, and things would work, but that's your solution.

Beginner Joined: 24 Aug 2001 Posts: 25 Location: USA

AOL works fine to GET to the 'Net, but after that, I ALWAYS suggest to everyone I know to minimize AOL, and use IE 5+ or Netscape 4+.

Both IE and Netscape support the "right click and save as" functionality, and you get around a lot of other AOL web-surfing issues. Not to mention that you can more easily transport your bookmarks from IE or Netscape than within AOL.

Just my $0.02.

Brady

Newbie Joined: 10 Jan 2002 Posts: 6

quote:

OK, someone knowledgeable about AOL please help me here. I'm getting more and more reports from AOL users that when they download and try to run zMUD they get a "CRC error" from the installer. Basically, this means that the file was downloaded in text mode instead of binary mode.

The download links point to files the end in .EXE. Why doesn't AOL recognize this as a binary download? Why has the problem gotten worse recently? Is there something in the new version of AOL that screws up binary downloads?

If anyone has a set of instructions that we can use as a canned reply to AOL users who have this trouble, I'd love to hear about it. Right now we are telling people to right-click on the download link and select Save Link As, but this is IE specific and I have no idea what browser AOL people are using these days.

I sure wish AOL would stop "protecting" people from the Internet and screwing it up like this. We get a lot more support email from AOL users that we should because of it.

i think it is because aol is worthless, they don't care about there costumers or other internet based programs because most people that use internet are happy with what they get from aol

Apprentice Joined: 18 Sep 2001 Posts: 175 Location: USA

AOL sucks its true.. I called to cancel my AOL account since I have roadrunner, then they tell me that they are gonna give me 3 months of Bring Your Own Access for free.. I say no.. they say yes.. I say no.. So they gave me the 3 months against my request.. frikin salespeople!!!! For all you AOLers.. find a different ISP.. AOL is the most expensive, yet biggest peice of crap ISP out there.. "I like to chat with people" You can chat thru AIM... AOL's monthly fee is more than half of my monthly roadrunner bill.. and its much much slower.. all yer paying for is little smiley faces and porn ads sent to you via IM every 15 minutes. As Far as the downloading goes, I've had that problem a couple of times with the file not d/ling right.. I have learned to use IE or Netscape outside of the AOL window, and that solves problems.

For tomarrow is another day, and other days come but 6 times a week.

Beginner Joined: 13 Dec 2001 Posts: 10 Location: USA

Don't know if this is relevant, but when AOL downloads large or multiple email attatchments, it automatically zips them when it's sent, and unzips them when their received. They might be doing the same thing when downloading from webpages...

Novice Joined: 13 Jan 2002 Posts: 36 Location: USA

It seems I may just be repeating what a few others have mentioned.
I've helped a few friends with their AOL troubles and it seems that if they minimize AOL and open Straight IE(5+ in my experience), that will solve their trouble. Also, using getright seemed to solve the trouble on their system as well, for the most part. But I'd recommend to them to find the download with the straight version of IE to do downloads. As this seemed to solve the problem every time. (Unless the server was too busy, or their connection had errors..)

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Kyote

Happiness isn't a destination. It's a way of life!!! In other words... Don't live until you can be happy... Be happy while you live!!!!

Novice Joined: 15 Jul 2001 Posts: 31 Location: USA

I used to have this problem believe it or not using EarthLinks' "canned" browser. The solution I did was stop using that browser (of course the main reason I stopped is because their browser has your account information that it nicely leaves in footprints all over the damn place, and it took me 4 months before Earthlink admited it and fnally told me why it was there.. but I digress...)

Doesn't AOL use Netscape?

Its fairly obvious that if AOL Users launch IE that it will work, so theres a workable solution. I don't know about Zugg, but I'd rather also find out whats causing it to begin with so AOL Users didn't have to make extra (mis)steps.
Guess I'll pull out one of my 20 free 1k hrs AOL cd and mess around with it.

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2002 12:44 am

Yep, I agree with WarChild. I'd like to learn from existing AOL users about what might be causing this problem. For a lot of the people who get the download error, telling them to install and run IE isn't going to help much...these are not very knowledgeable users here, I need to give them step by step (click here, do this) instructions.

Novice Joined: 13 Jan 2002 Posts: 36 Location: USA

Zugg, AOL uses IE but a 'canned' version thats been altered to work flawlessly(LMAO) with their software...
I myself no longer use AOL so I can't be sure if it still helps but have someone that does use AOL to try minimizing AOL and double click on the pre-installed version of IE on their desktop. Surf to the download site and click the appropriate link. That will solve their trouble. This makes it easy for them because it's something already installed on their system. They don't even need to upgrade it. Although getting the critical updates would definitely help them out....but I too digress.. Thats a different problem for them to deal with when the time comes.

---------------------
Kyote

Happiness isn't a destination. It's a way of life!!! In other words... Don't live until you can be happy... Be happy while you live!!!!

Apprentice Joined: 18 Sep 2001 Posts: 175 Location: USA

I just went on AOL and d/led 6.16 from the mirror. I didnt recieve any error messages when trying to open the program. AOL uses IE, not Netscape. I am running AOL ver 6.0 not 7.0 or before 6.. might wanna ask the version they are using as well. Other than that, I dont know what could be causing this, unless all their downloads go through the download manager and that is what is causing the problem.

Beginner Joined: 15 Jan 2002 Posts: 27 Location: USA

aol likes to handle files differently if they come from a site that doesn't have a aol keyoword sister site... try providing a zipped version it may fix i as most aoler's can get these with ease