Still no good.  Here is what I have done.
    First, I fully uninstall the previous version before proceeding.  Next, I
cleared the cache files and temporary internet files.  I am using IE 5.0, same
as I have been using with previous, working downloads.  I halted all extraneous
programs- I shut down SETI at home and removed it from memory, I logged off and
removed Yahoo! messenger, Realplayer is out, Norton is turned off, everything is
at a standstill.
    I have a 1.2 GHz AMD Athlon processor, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB hard drive with
32.6 GB free, Win '98 2nd edition.  My frustration is growing here- how can you
download a file that works, and then, from the same connection with nothing else
going on, download a new version that does not work, unless it's the source?
Either the transfer is exact or it is wrong.
    I seem to spend more time without a raytracer than with.  I can't go back to
3.1 because it does not run- "corrupt installation file" error, same as this
latest 3.5 version.  To check that problem with 3.1, I tried downloading and
installing it on two other computers here, both with their own modems and
separate connections- dial-up.  The results are exactly the same- "corrupt
installation file".  Both are entirely different machines with completely
different hardware configurations.  One is even running Win '98, first edition.
As somebody who has made a living troubleshooting things, this points to the
source of the software, not the computers here.
    Now, every time in the past when I have had 3.5 problems, I have made a note
here, and then, within hours or a day, I have downloaded the software again and
gotten a running version.  I did not have MD5 at the time, so I cannot verify
checksums, which would probably have been informative.
    On these last two attempts, I got the same checksum for both downloads, and
both abort with that miserable corrupt file error.  In DOS mode, I have the
following file in my directory:

POVWIN~1.EXE    8,138,555    04-17-02    1:16p    povwin35-beta-RC1.exe

    The checksum, using a fresh copy of MD5 which I just downloaded is:

MD5 (povwin~1.exe) = 83df1ea8f78b51767876bc77c47c2463

    I can't see that downloading at a different time would make a difference-
either the file is right or it is wrong.  Digital information transfer, by its
very nature, must be exact with no room for errors.  All I can see is that the
download will not install, but surely somebody has already downloaded and
installed the new version.  It had to work on their computer, true?  So what the
hell can it be???

Cheers!

Chip Shults
My robotics, space and CGI web page - http://home.cfl.rr.com/aichip

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