"Invalid checksum" error on binaries from Usenet. Help!

[bbernardini]

I've been downloading some APE files from Usenet, and while some work, I'm getting "invalid checksum" errors on others, both when I try to decompress them, and when I check them with the accompanying PAR files. I'm at a loss at this point, as I've tried every conceivable platform and combination of software. Does anybody have any suggestions?

[RoyGBiv]

1. Corrupt?

Are you sure they weren't corrupt from the source? I've rarely run across a case of a PAR file not correcting a corrupt download unless the file from which it was made was corrupt from the beginning. The exception is if the PAR files are corrupt on the server but were fine at creation.

Does anyone else in the group from which you got these have the same issue, or do you know? If it is only you, it might be corrupt files on your server alone. Do you have access to a different server?

The problem with suggestions for this is that there are literally dozens of things that could have happened.

[bbernardini]

2. Not quite sure about that...

Others have said that they had no problems. I've tried a few different servers, without much luck. I'll keep trying some others, though.

[bbernardini]

3. I think you might be right...

I've tried 5 different servers, and I get an "invalid checksum" every time. The guy keeps putting up stuff so fast and furious that I don't think he ever sees any of the messages people are sending to him.

[Jersey Devil]

4. Have you tried fixing them with Winrar?

Winrar has a utility that can sometimes repair a file that is corrupted. Look for the first aid box with the the red cross on it at the top of the screen, highlight the file and then click on the first aid box. If you don't have Winrar, what are you decompressing the files with?