Windows 7 Corrupting Downloaded Files

[Myke]

Hi. I'm currently using RC1 with all the updates, and when I download files from anywhere often they are corrupted. When I transfer my work from uni to home I use .rar files or .zip files, often they wont extract saying the volumes are corrupted. Though if I download them on my vista machine they are fine

Anyone any idea what could be causing this?

 

[zigzag3143]

Hi. I'm currently using RC1 with all the updates, and when I download files from anywhere often they are corrupted. When I transfer my work from uni to home I use .rar files or .zip files, often they wont extract saying the volumes are corrupted. Though if I download them on my vista machine they are fine

Anyone any idea what could be causing this?

Myke

Tons of things could be causing it. Connectivity, memory, bad copy of winrar, and most of all a download manager.

Could we get some info on your system, and what you do when you download.

Ken

 

[Myke]

Thanks for your reply, I've tried this on different browsers to rule that out IE/Firefox/Chrome and I've tested it using other programs (downloading the files from email clients - Outlook and Windows Live Mail app) but it still happens. I've also tried different software (just trial versions) of WinRAR and WinACE to test it. My laptop is a DELL inspiron connected to the net wirelessly. When I had vista installed on this hard drive, same laptop I had no problems.

 

[matt_0978]

u might have a virus :shock: install Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware run a quick scanif it finds stuff let it sort them out then do a full scan.

 

[zigzag3143]

Thanks for your reply, I've tried this on different browsers to rule that out IE/Firefox/Chrome and I've tested it using other programs (downloading the files from email clients - Outlook and Windows Live Mail app) but it still happens. I've also tried different software (just trial versions) of WinRAR and WinACE to test it. My laptop is a DELL inspiron connected to the net wirelessly. When I had vista installed on this hard drive, same laptop I had no problems.

Myke
Ok so its not a browser prob.

You are saying that even downloading email gets corrupted? Im using a E1405 right now. could we get specs abt your computer? how much ram, 32 bit or 64? and a specific example of an instance where you dl something and it was corrupted?

Ken

 

[Myke]

No the e-mails fine usually, the only instance where it's hapenned that I've noticed is when I download RAR/ZIP files (and ocasionally .doc files) the text in the .doc files gets scewed and turns into ASCII characters. If I'm at uni I will upload a file normally through the internet or FTP to my own website and e-mail it home. I'll go on my Windows Vista machine, download extract it and it will be fine. I'll go on my Windows 7 machine extract it and it will say CRC check failed (in winrar). Sometimes if I delete the file I just downloaded and redownload it, it will extract fine - other times it won't. It's like it's missing the last few bytes when downloading it, or not copying it from the temp folder properly.

The specs are:
Windows 7 Ultimate
Dell Inspiron 1520
4GB ram
32 bit
80GB HDD

Thanks

 

[zigzag3143]

No the e-mails fine usually, the only instance where it's hapenned that I've noticed is when I download RAR/ZIP files (and ocasionally .doc files) the text in the .doc files gets scewed and turns into ASCII characters. If I'm at uni I will upload a file normally through the internet or FTP to my own website and e-mail it home. I'll go on my Windows Vista machine, download extract it and it will be fine. I'll go on my Windows 7 machine extract it and it will say CRC check failed (in winrar). Sometimes if I delete the file I just downloaded and redownload it, it will extract fine - other times it won't. It's like it's missing the last few bytes when downloading it, or not copying it from the temp folder properly.

The specs are:
Windows 7 Ultimate
Dell Inspiron 1520
4GB ram
32 bit
80GB HDD

OK so winrar/winzip. this is a dumb question but i have to ask. are you closing the browser or navigating away before it says 'done'? If the file is ok in vista, do you then copy it to a dvd to run in win 7? there is something funky abt this

Ken

 

[Myke]

No not at all, it only occurs on the Windows 7 machine and it's not all the time but just sometimes. (maybe theres a variable causing it that I'm missing) - It's usually just work backup files that I'm sending home to work on. So when I've downloaded it, I just store it on my external hard drive or something. If I download it on Windows Vista (the RAR file) and then put it on a USB pen and put it in my 7 Machine to extract - it will extract fine. It's the actual download process thats corrupting it

 

[zigzag3143]

Myke

do all the files go thru the usb stick?
K

 

[Myke]

I'm unsure what you mean. I don't use the USB stick all the time when downloading if thats what you mean. A walkthrough of this would be

I use WinRAR at University to RAR the files I need
I e-mail it home or store it on my web server
I get home - and go on my Windows 7 computer
I download the file to my desktop
I try to extract it - The extract fails (CRC Check failed)

If I do this on my Vista machine, it extracts fine. (No CRC Check fail error)

 

[zigzag3143]

thanks myke

Are all the files ok in vista, but not in win 7?

 

[Myke]

Yeah they work great in Vista but not 7. It's definately something to do with the downloading process on 7 - I thought maybe temporary files or something? Since it effects every way of downloading something.

 

[Antman]

CRC errors in compressed files are related to I/O efficiency. The file is likely in good order until it is extracted. When the file is written to the corrupting host, is your CPU running high or hot? Is your RAM OCed?

Eliminate any application that may be scanning the file prior/during extract.

Unrar with a different utility.

 

[Myke]

CRC errors in compressed files are related to I/O efficiency. The file is likely in good order until it is extracted. When the file is written to the corrupting host, is your CPU running high or hot? Is your RAM OCed?

Eliminate any application that may be scanning the file prior/during extract.

Unrar with a different utility.

I've tried both WinACE and WinRAR, I don't know any others. I don't have a firewall or antivirus or anything running at the same time. My CPU is running normally. I don't know how to tell if my ram is OC'd.

Thanks

 

[Antman]

Boot in safe mode and try - just a thought. If this works, well...

Otherwise, run Disk Cleanup.
Run chkdisk.
Throw in a defrag for good measure.

Run the memory diagnostic.

The CRC error is coming from an error in I/O - of this, I am certain. I do not how to easily isolate the disk as the source of the error. It could be in the RAM or the CPU.

Note to self - ALWAYS REMEMBER DRIVERS AS CAUSE OF MANY PROBLEMS WITH NEW OS!

I could be completely wrong. And I am not saying that all compression related CRC errors are I/O - just that this particular case presents that way.

An interesting problem, indeed. I will be away from the PC a good bit of the day.

 

[Myke]

Boot in safe mode and try what? I don't understand what you mean. I defrag once a week and chkdsk came back fine this morning when I ran it. I'll try the memory diagnostic though. But I had Vista on here and it worked fine when I downloaded/extracted, it's only since I put 7 on.

 

[zigzag3143]

Myke

I think antman is suggesting you try unraring a file in safe mode. Since he is offline try it.
K

 

[Myke]

Ok we have great progress! The checks all came back clean but the extract went fine in safe mode! Don't know if it was just a fluke but it seemed to work perfectly. Thanks!

Any ideas on how I can do this without safe mode?

 

[Antman]

Ok we have great progress! The checks all came back clean but the extract went fine in safe mode! Don't know if it was just a fluke but it seemed to work perfectly. Thanks!

Any ideas on how I can do this without safe mode?

If the test is NOT a fluke, you have isolated a driver problem. First suspect, chipset.

If the test IS a fluke, well...

Duplicate the positive result to determine flukiness. Or, better yet, assume chipset driver.

 

[Myke]

Okay I tried it again and it worked fine, what can I do to fix it now?