[X-SW] Resuming of HTTP Downloads after a failure

[Robert Ameeti]

At 1:37 PM -0800, 2/28/07, Philip J Robar wrote:

>On Feb 28, 2007, at 1:14 PM, Robert Ameeti wrote:
>
>>At 12:50 PM -0800, 2/28/07, Philip J Robar wrote:
>>
>>>On Feb 28, 2007, at 12:20 PM, Robert Ameeti wrote:
>>>
>>>>At 12:10 PM -0800, 2/28/07, Philip J Robar wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On Feb 28, 2007, at 9:54 AM, Robert Ameeti wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>When a download fails, some software can resume the download 
>>>>>>where it left off thus effecting a quicker download for 
>>>>>>problematically large files.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Is this a function of the browser or does it require assistance 
>>>>>>from the server?
>>>>>
>>>>>It's built into Safari and Firefox (and presumably Opera).
>>>>
>>>>Neither Safari nor Opera are continuing on incomplete downloads 
>>>>for me. Perhaps it requires a compatible component on the server.
>>>
>>>I just stopped and restarted downloads in both browsers using the 
>>>controls in their download windows. What do you mean by 
>>>"incomplete"?
>>
>>When a server is overloaded, a download will often fail midstream. 
>>I am thinking that some of these incomplete downloads can be 
>>resumed where they stopped.
>
>If you don't have the browser configured to automatically remove 
>entries from the download list you should find the failed download 
>there. There are controls, whose functionality seems obvious to me, 
>that will pause, cancel, and restart downloads in both Safari and 
>Firefox. I also was able to restart an unfinished download in Safari 
>by double clicking on the unfinished download in the finder. An 
>unfinished download is indicated by a white icon with the Safari 
>emblem on it. Below the emblem will be a blue progress bar that has 
>not moved all the way to the right and has the name of the file you 
>were trying to download.

Ok. Got it. An unfinished or stopped download is apparently entirely 
different from a failed download due to a server overload.

When attempting to download the new Parallels file at 
<http://www.parallels.com/en/download/desktop/>, it has been 
repeatedly failing due to a server overload. If I purposefully press 
the Stop Downloading button in Safari's Downloads window, I can then 
Resume the downloading of that same file. But if the download fails 
due to the server overload, the partial file that exists can not be 
resumed. This is a tough deal since many of the dozens of attempts 
have gotten more than 80 or 90% complete. Fortunately it did work for 
me late last night. :-)

-- 

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Robert Ameeti

The only way to entertain some folks is to listen to them.
            -- Kin Hubbard
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