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

Post a reply to this message

"Sir Charles W. Shults III" wrote:
>
> MD5 (povwin~1.exe) = 83df1ea8f78b51767876bc77c47c2463

Try another browser or location. 
http://luxlab.com/tmp/rc1.exe  b5ec5c7c4575ed93d77ea8fd21fd77f6


_____________
Kari Kivisalo

Post a reply to this message

I assume you're not having problems downloading other things than POV. But
your connection is so fast like nothing I've tried. Maybe it's too fast for
the POV servers? Sounds strange perhaps, but there are many strange things
with computers. Anyway I do suggest you try a download-manager, I use
Flash-Get myself and this reduces my problems (file transfers from
overloaded servers often break for me). You can also set a speed-limit on
the downloads (in case this is the problem).

Regards,
Hugo

Post a reply to this message

In article <3cbdd6c2$1@news.povray.org> , "Hugo" <hua### [at] post3teledk> wrote:

> I assume you're not having problems downloading other things than POV. But
> your connection is so fast like nothing I've tried. Maybe it's too fast for
> the POV servers?

There is no concept such as too fast as far as TCP connections are concerned.
It is not even theoretically possible to create a connection "too fast" for
any TCP transfer due to the flow control in the protocol itself.  "Too fast"
connections are nothing more than an internet urban legend.

Everything you see when getting "bad downloads" from any server is always a
connection failure at some point (assuming your system isn't otherwise
damaged, i.e. a bad harddisk of course).  Unfortunately connection failures
are not handled well by any browser also the network APIs provide all the
information necessary to detect a broken connection but browsers just ignore
them most of the time...

    Thorsten

____________________________________________________
Thorsten Froehlich, Duisburg, Germany
e-mail: tho### [at] trfde

Visit POV-Ray on the web: http://mac.povray.org

Post a reply to this message

Thanks for the link, but I get a "page cannot be displayed" error.

Cheers!

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

Post a reply to this message

"Sir Charles W. Shults III" wrote:
> 
> Thanks for the link, but I get a "page cannot be displayed" error.

Then you definitely have a problem with the browser.
IE5 and NS6.2 work fine here.


_____________
Kari Kivisalo

Post a reply to this message

I just installed IE6 and I still get exactly the same thing- that page is
not available.  I also got the same message from the computer in my workshop
over a dial up line, and my wife's computer, and my kid's computer.  Can anyone
else confirm this for me?

Cheers!

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

Post a reply to this message

I was able to dl and install successfully the current files just now

"Sir Charles W. Shults III" wrote:

>     What causes this?  I just downloaded the thing for a second time today, and
> it did it again.  I'm talking about RC-1, of course.
>
> Cheers!
>
> Chip Shults
> My robotics, space and CGI web page - http://home.cfl.rr.com/aichip
>
> light_source{0#macro k(_)sphere{13*z+i*_.5pigment{agate}finish{phong.3}}#end
> 1}#macro _(s,i,g)#if(s)k(1)k(-1)_(s-1i+g,g)#end#end _(3x+3*y<2,-2>)_(2x,y)_(
> 2x-y,x)_(4x*3,-y)_(4<3,1>x)_(2x*6,-y)

Post a reply to this message

I found that if I open and run the file from the site, rather than
downloading it, it works.  What does this mean?  There must be a simple,
logical, and coherent reason for this.

Cheers!

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

Post a reply to this message

Sir Charles W. Shults III wrote in message <3cbdfaee$1@news.povray.org>...
>    I just installed IE6 and I still get exactly the same thing- that page
is
>not available.  I also got the same message from the computer in my
workshop
>over a dial up line, and my wife's computer, and my kid's computer.  Can
anyone
>else confirm this for me?


I can access the file just fine.  I haven't tried downloading it, since I've
got a 56k modem connection.

--
Mark

The Universe is expanding.
The budget for its exploration is shrinking.

Post a reply to this message