how to download specific files, automatically over few days

[bassie]

I just have a registered version 3.7 of Newspro. And I like it very much.

What i want to know is how I can selectively download only the attachments i want.
I know that files are named "cdr-spr-dvd.part01.rar" and "cdr-spr-dvd.part02.rar" until about "cdr-spr-dvd.part99.rar"
They will be posted during about 3 days, in newsgroup "alt.binaries.dvdr "
I want an automatic setup of the download, so i can keep the computer on, and spread the download over a few days.

What is the best thing to do, because i don't really understand the explanations found in this forum. Now i get problems that the program downloads the headers from every newsgroups every 5 minutes. But it only should find the right headers in one newsgroup, and then automatically download these to a specific folder.

[alex]

you need to use watch/auto pane.

create a filter (in the filter editor or with edit menu->message filter dialog, just press 'save' to save it with a name) of the type e.g. subject contains <pattern> 'extract' so it will "extract" exactly messages you want to download.

then in watch/auto pane add the filter for the newsgroup (selec the newsgroup, press 'add' and doubleclick the filter, it will appear in the bottom list).

watch for the newsgroup should be 'on' and watch in 'common settings' area (right bottom) should be 'on' too.

if you already set auto get headers it will download headers and as soon as headers matching the filter will enter the database they will be marked for download.

[bassie]

I made a mistake. I selected "get headers" and "save" in the common field. Then every newsgroup is downloading everythink i guess. I doubt about setting "watch" also in the common part, because then it also would be looking in other groups, i think.
To really start the process, i have to press a button? Or must i click on the newsgroup and select "new headers".

[alex]

yes, just get new headers, watch is independent, when headers arrive matched headers are marked for download and optionally attachments are later saved (it is the meaning of 'save' in the watch/auto pane in properties).

[bassie]

Alex, thank you for your reply.

I will have to practice.
I put the computer on all night and set it at intervals of 30 minutes.
It did not download the files however. It did not find the headers. It looked like at the start of the process it is looking for the data (small green diamond), then it stopped (red diamond) and it looked like it didn't restart (it never became green) automatically.
When i manually did "get new headers" this morning, it actually found the headers (not save them).

I think i still do things wrong, maybe with the filters. But i don't worry, i think i just need experience with the program, and try.
(maybe it is something about the zonealarm firewall i have, these kind of software cause lots of problems usually).

[alex]

check the corresponding selected topics.

try to apply your filter manually (edit menu->apply filter), you should see exactly the headers you would like to download (the watch/auto pane is applied only for incoming headers, not existing newsgroup headers - for existing headers you can apply the filter and mark all headers for download).

as to save ensure that 'save' is enabled for the newsgroup and in the common settings area (like watch) and in watch/auto, the filter list box, in the filter row the save column doesn't contain 'none'.

there is a browse button in the bottom to change that; you can press 'browse' and set a directory or press 'default' to have the directory to be the default newsgroup directory from properties->newsgroups or even copy/paste a directory from other filters.

[bassie]

What i did mistakenly, was when i made a filter, i said "apply to selected" instead of "apply to all". I made this mistake because i thought that with "all", all newsgroups were meant. But it of course is meant to mean "all headers". Indeed like you said, then i see only the wanted headers that are already there. No I will try this with wath/autosave.

Now i use a newsreader from another brand, at the same time to collect every few hours all the headers that are present in the same newsgroup that i use for the auto/watch in newspro. If the other newsreader finds the headers, newspro should do also, and then i know i am doing the right thing.
I will see if this helps. I will report the findings later.

[bassie]

I think i have it running now well.

It took some time but now I think I know how it works.
Also it seems to work with combination with XPAT search.
The program is actually scanning the newsgroup I want to scan, and the other newsgroups stay quiet (took time to figure out).
Also attachments save in the folder I told them to be saved.

This is great, now i think for example that i can use my free (but short retention time of about a day or less) ISP servers better. Also I can plan
to download for example during the night when i don't really need the computer, and at times when cable internet is faster.

Alex, thank you again for your help with this problem.

[Erik]

I have also a little problem here.
In the watch/auto i have "common settings" and "Get headers every" "SAVE" checked.

Newspro gets headers, marked the files and dloaded them, but it refuse to save. I have to save them manually.
What do i do wrong.


ps when manually selecting files it saves ok
i have "autosave" on visible autosave progress.

[alex]

ensure that you defined the save directory in the bottom for every filter (see my post above).

[Erik]

Indeed that must be it, because it was still empty (new newsgroup) now it works.
It was my first experiment with watch/auto it always seemed so diificult
And it is very usefull
Thanks