MS server problem with the number of messages downloaded?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bill in Co.
  • Start date Start date
B

Bill in Co.

Recently on this particular group I've noticed a problem with the "number of
messages downloaded" always being way off. It recently indicates several
messages not downloaded, when, in fact, there are none (no recent ones) to
be downloaded. Anybody else noticed this apparent MS server bug on this
particular newsgroup?
 
My guess is the sheer number of spammer posts being deleted is causing
your "available vs real" count mismatch.
 
Why is it when something happens that someone doesn't have an answer for,
it's automatically a 'bug'?
(Kind of a rhetorical question)
 
SC Tom

Why is it always odd or strange when it is merely something not understood?


--


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Bill

Reset the newsgroup and start again. These newsgroup used to be handled by
more than one server which could get out of synch. I am not sure whether the
situation regarding the servers still applies.

In Outlook Express select Tools, Options, Maintenance, Clean Up Now, browse
to required newsgroup and click on Reset.


--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
I've used Catch Up, etc and it doesn't solve it. I have not reset all the
newgroups to redownload ALL the headers and redo the entire process for all
newsgroups as that takes a bit of time on dialup.

Just right now it's saying there are 15 "not downloaded". Often it says 22.
This is a recent anomoly (just happened within this week or so on this one
newsgroup).

It's really weird that it only happens on this one newsgroup (in the few
that I'm subscribed to). I've seen this happen once before on another MS
newsgroup (the Win98 one as I recall) and eventually it got fixed. And
someone else noted the problem too when I mentioned it then.
 
Bill

Strange! Mine said 15 not downloaded. Having reset it now says 22 not
downloaded. It could be referring to cancelled or removed messages, which
were numbered before they were removed. You could examine the sequence of
numbers for missing numbers but given the servers holds over 1,400 messages
this would a very tedious test to undertake.

--


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
I don't know what causes it, but it only happens on this newsgroup (of the
few I'm subscribed to), but I think the problem is at Microsoft's end.
 
I've seen it on the perform_maintain group also, but not with the frequency
or the numbers that appear here.

SC Tom
 
Bill

I have just had another look at the issue you raised.

I have now managed to get from 15 to 0 not downloaded. To achieve this
result I carried out the following actions.

1. Deselected Group Messages by Conversation.

2. Whilst Online selected Tools, Get next 50 headers.

3. Selected Tools, Mark for Offline, Download All Messages later.

4. Selected Tools, Synchronise Newsgroup.

The status bar reverted to 0 not downloaded.

Whilst I cannot be certain why this issue arose here is some speculation on
my part. Each newsgroup folder here holds all downloaded bodies for a
certain period. Currently I have no messages dated before 1 February 2009 in
the current folder . To remove messages I use the Move to Folder command
from within the Find Message window, using this technique to archive
messages. This means that although there are no longer older messages in the
folder the record in folders.dbx still thinks the older messages on the
server have been downloaded. My synchronisation setting is New Messages
only.

My arrangement normally means the Not downloaded status bar says 0 not
downloaded. However, if I set up a new newsgroup or reset a newsgroup I can
have any number of messages not downloaded as I will have deliberately
limited messages downloaded to only those after a certain date. Now for your
"oddity". All messages are numbered by the server -you can see the number in
the message header. Messages are normally downloaded in sequence but
sometimes the system goes awry. I have checked sequential numbers when a
message does not appear and you can see numbers missing from the sequence.
Resetting the newsgroup and downloading a fresh supply of messages has
always resolved that problem. With this oddity the record in folder.dbx is
saying the last message downloaded was number xxxxx but for some reason,
perhaps a server glitch, some earlier messages were not downloaded and the
counter is picking up the discrepancy. The Get next xxx headers obtains
messages not previously downloaded which have a sequential number below and
before the last messages downloaded.

In your case you are using CatchUp. I have never used CatchUp but this must
perform a similar function to the Move to Folder command I am using.

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Well, I haven't tried this yet Gerry (sounds like a bit of work, but maybe
it's worth a shot if it doesn't clear up on its own, like the other past
incident did). But I think CatchUp should have accomplished the same
thing.
 
With OE: synchronisation settings > set to 'headers only' , that did the
trick with me...

--
 
Bill

Not really. The solution takes 2/3 minutes, if that. The problem resolves
itself when the messages not downloaded are no longer on the server. This
could be months or days depending on how long messages are held on the
server.

--


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
The Marker

The problem with headers only is you get all messages on the server not
previously downloaded unless you have set a limit. Where these run to
thousands you then have a mess to tidy up.

--


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Still 0 not downloaded here Bill!


--


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
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