Using Usenet Explorer v.1.9.9 (registered).
My standard procedure to download new headers is to double-click the newsgroup ("NG") name in the *Workspace* to open it, then right-click "Get new headers" in the context menu. In the *Task manager*, the NG then appears, a connection is made and progress of downloading is observed. This has always worked in the past for all NGs.
However, in my last attempt to download new headers, the procedure did not work for 2 NGs, but did work for all others. For the 2 that did not download new headers, the NG did not appear in the *Task manager* and no connection was made.
I confirmed that these 2 NGs did have new headers by using Xnews.
I deleted one of the 2 NGs, re-subscribed, and downloaded all headers including new ones that the "Get new headers" command had failed to download. After re-subscribing, the standard procedure to download new headers worked again as it had in the past.
Why are the new headers not downloaded? What is the solution?
One of the NGs is still in its non-working state so any suggested solution can be tried.
Thank you.
Cannot download new headers
check whether this newsgroup still has servers, when you expand newsgroup (click the + sign) you should see some servers, if not you can invoke newsgroup context menu->advanced->attach all servers.
if it is not the problem, try to invoke from the newsgroup context menu -> advanced -> reset header ranges, if it works then, it would mean the server has changed article numbering (in the past newsfeeds were used to switch servers). it won't give an error since headers will appear to UE as up to date and if your connection is fast you may not even see the task in the task manager since it may appear and disappear very fast.
if it is newsgroup with no servers (the first problem i mentioned), try to ensure you don't have anything (antivirus or like) which may interfere with the UE database, at least exclude it from messing with the settings ue database directory (with the rest it may lead to slowdown or data corruption but at least settings won't be lost), it would mean the settings directory was affected by something. it is very unusual since there are many levels of settings protection, even with corrupted settings the program as a rule is able to detect the settings are corrupted and give an option to the user to roll back the settings.
if it is not the problem, try to invoke from the newsgroup context menu -> advanced -> reset header ranges, if it works then, it would mean the server has changed article numbering (in the past newsfeeds were used to switch servers). it won't give an error since headers will appear to UE as up to date and if your connection is fast you may not even see the task in the task manager since it may appear and disappear very fast.
if it is newsgroup with no servers (the first problem i mentioned), try to ensure you don't have anything (antivirus or like) which may interfere with the UE database, at least exclude it from messing with the settings ue database directory (with the rest it may lead to slowdown or data corruption but at least settings won't be lost), it would mean the settings directory was affected by something. it is very unusual since there are many levels of settings protection, even with corrupted settings the program as a rule is able to detect the settings are corrupted and give an option to the user to roll back the settings.
Cannot download new headers - solved
In *Workspace - Newsgroups tab*, expanded the entry for the problem NG by clicking [+] in the tree for it. I use 2 news sources ("Server1" and "Server2"), and believed both servers were attached to all NGs. However, only Server1 was attached to the problem NG. I had recently disabled Server1 and had not re-enabled it.
In *Workspace - Servers tab*, enabled Server1 by right-clicking on Server1, then click "Advanced | Enable server(s)" in context menu.
After Server1 was re-enabled, using the standard procedure for getting new headers caused problem NG to appear in the *Task manager* and attempt connection. However, this closed in about 1 second without downloading new headers.
In *Workspace - Newsgroups tab*, right-click on NG, then click "Advanced | Reset header range(s)" in context menu. (Still had only Server1 attached, so did not expand NG and right-click on Server1, then click "Advanced | Reset header range" in its context menu.)
After resetting the header range, the standard procedure for getting new headers then worked to download new headers.
So my problem had 2 causes: (1) no enabled server attached to NG, and (2) the server changed article numbering.
Thank you for the solutions.
I have 2 related questions:
1. What is the difference between the "Reset headers" and "Reset header range" commands?
2. If UE is configured in "Properties - Articles - Downloading bodies" to use Message-id, why does the server changing article numbering make a difference when trying to download new headers?
Thank you again.
In *Workspace - Servers tab*, enabled Server1 by right-clicking on Server1, then click "Advanced | Enable server(s)" in context menu.
After Server1 was re-enabled, using the standard procedure for getting new headers caused problem NG to appear in the *Task manager* and attempt connection. However, this closed in about 1 second without downloading new headers.
In *Workspace - Newsgroups tab*, right-click on NG, then click "Advanced | Reset header range(s)" in context menu. (Still had only Server1 attached, so did not expand NG and right-click on Server1, then click "Advanced | Reset header range" in its context menu.)
After resetting the header range, the standard procedure for getting new headers then worked to download new headers.
So my problem had 2 causes: (1) no enabled server attached to NG, and (2) the server changed article numbering.
Thank you for the solutions.
I have 2 related questions:
1. What is the difference between the "Reset headers" and "Reset header range" commands?
2. If UE is configured in "Properties - Articles - Downloading bodies" to use Message-id, why does the server changing article numbering make a difference when trying to download new headers?
Thank you again.
if you invoke "reset header range" it won't remove existing headers but only will reset header range, reset headers means removing existing headers+resetting the header range.
header range is needed whatever is the newsgroup type so UE knows what article number to start next so it won't download the same headers again and again. since frequently the number of headers is so large the approach is rather conservative, i think sometimes it can detect server has changed article numbering but sometimes it is not so clear.
as a rule servers don't change article numbers, but sometimes resellers or ISP may change their server provider or for small usenet providers e.g. if database crashes may rebuild all the pool and article numbers might change, i don't know what is the reason try to ask them.
header range is needed whatever is the newsgroup type so UE knows what article number to start next so it won't download the same headers again and again. since frequently the number of headers is so large the approach is rather conservative, i think sometimes it can detect server has changed article numbering but sometimes it is not so clear.
as a rule servers don't change article numbers, but sometimes resellers or ISP may change their server provider or for small usenet providers e.g. if database crashes may rebuild all the pool and article numbers might change, i don't know what is the reason try to ask them.