Huge files in Incomplete folder
 

In my "Incomplete" folder, I keep finding files that take up the space of the video file I'm trying to download, BUT the file never shows completed or 100% downloaded on the download screen. Also usually the file cannot be played or edited. Why are these "T" files taking up that much space when they didn't download completely? Thanks!

Every time you preview a file with LW it creates a "T"empory file in the incomplete folder. The file will be there until LW clears it out, by default I think it's set at seven days. Just check the incomplete folder in your library after previewing files and delete the files manually.

Does previewing before the file is completed mess up the download? I have had files showing like 900 MB on the download screen, the status only shows like 5 percent completed, BUT the file is in incomplete as 900MB. Is that my fault? I like to preview downloads because sometimes you get some pretty wierd stuff.

Previewing them doesn't affect the d/load. It's a good idea to preview files cause as you noted, some get mislabeled.

The file size that's shown in the d/load window, is the size of the complete file. The percentage shown is the percent of the file that has been d/loaded so far. When you restart a d/load of an incomplete file the full percentage won't show until the file actually starts to d/load again. Maybe that's what your seeing(not sure).

No, for example I will start a download of a vid file thats 900MB. It never completes but only gets 5% completed according to download screen, and eventually stalls at 'awaiting sources' for hours. But if I look in Incomplete folder, the entire 900MB is in the folder. Normally the file in the incomplete folder should be only partial amount of the 900MB. I have tried a number of times to actually view/edit these files thinking they had actually completed and the download screen is wrong, but you can only see a few minutes of the files and then it stalls. I appreciate your help on this, thank you.

Are you talking about files you have downloaded via gnutella network or, files you have chosen to download via bittorrents?

With torrents, the incomplete file reserves the space on your HDD.
With Gnutella downloads, it depends what parts are downloaded first. Sometimes the beginning, a chunk in middle & a small part of end are downloaded so it shows the file as being much larger than it really is .. basically doing the same as above ... reserving the download space needed to finish it. This also tends to be an issue with particular types of video. I can't recall which one it is whether it's mpg or avi.

Best idea is to re-search the file using same terms you originally used. Try to find more sources. Then at end of search, right-click search tab & choose find more results.

Restarting 'incomplete' Files
 

is it possible? if so, how? thanks from anyone who can solve this for me.

That may be it ! I am going to watch and see if its the .avi or mpeg that does it, I hadn't thought of that, Thanks!!

warrenf, I restart incomplete files all the time. If its a file still on the download screen, use the 'find sources' button, or resume, depending on its status. If its a file in your incomplete folder, highlight it and click resume, and it will reload it into your download screen. I have had files complete finally after as long as a month...

i noticed the same thing, i downloaded a 7.3gb file, and it was only downloading for a minute, and when i checked the properties on the file, it said it was like 7.2gb, almost as big as the file was supposed to be when complete, but the download didn't even say it was 1% complete. i went back to check it later, and the file was still 7.2gb, it said it had not been accessed and modified since the night before, and yet limewire said it had jumped to 22% complete overnight.

how can it be that the file had not been touched (according to windows Properties on that file) since a minute after download began, it went from 0% complete to 22%, and yet it was at 7.2gb filesize the whole time?

i wonder... is it all part of the evil plan to get us to upload to "limewire pro"? do they deliberately delay the completion of the download in order to increase your frustration at the program so you will upgrade for the 'faster' downloads?

of course, it could be as someone else said, and the file is artificially large to take up space until the download completes, but one would think that the partial file would have been altered in 10 hours, that in going from 0% to 22%, that 22% would have been applied to the incomplete file, thus the file properties would reflect that the file had been altered as recently as when the progress went from 21% to 22%.

or am i missing something?

Two points I can quickly make here.

1. Some files, particularly some video formats reserve download space. (b) You do not necessarily download all parts of a file sequentially, so you might have the beginning, parts in middle & end, and the info data for that file that tells the operating system how large that file is.

2. There is a known fake bug file floating around that is multiple gigs in size. In the example I'm thinking of, the file mysteriously disappeared. http://www.gnutellaforums.com/334401-post1.html oops .. not good example. I saw another example recently. The one i was thinking of turned out to be a file requesting you to download a codec which is a virus. The torrent community know about this issue.

I hope you checked the file with Bitzi before starting to download it to get user feedback on the file. ;)

yeah i know what you mean, i figured there were a myriad of explanations, all of which make equal sense...

the file is not a video file, it's an iso of a certain software suite, however, i'm sure the same precautions apply...

so far my virus program has removed a few 'installers' from software suites i have downloaded, so i am aware that some people 'crack' software as an excuse to spread viruses and such.

i just was confused as to why the file was so big so fast and yet i had to wait so long, and now i have a few ideas as to why...

thank you for your input...

...while we're talking about viruses and such, anyone know anything about a system tray icon, looks like a red box with a thin black border, no popup info when you hover over it, and no response when left-, right- or double-clicked? it showed up in my system tray, but when i explored my system tray, it shows up as <no title> and then just as mysteriously is not there after i rebooted... just curious...