Hmm I'm not sure if an apple script could do this. If you know how to use apple script it might be handy. In any case, it might be an idea to backup the downloads.dat & .bak files every day or few hours. I do keep backups for when I run different versions of LW. Since changing backward in versions can corrupt the downld prefs. Keep that in mind!

I know what you mean with the much earlier versions of LW the downld prefs did seem to corrupt very easily. A total PIA b/c I was also on dial up.

Yes it's possble the issue is with LW 4.2.x I also recall there was such an issue with an earlier version. I also recall LW 4.2 had problems. Whether it was the same I can't remember. I think the earliest 4.9 version had this issue in the extreme. LW 4.8.1 was much better than LW 4.2 so if you update & have problems, let us know & I can send you a copy of an earlier version. But it'd also be good to try to solve the issues of any new version 1st. BTW which OS version are you running?

i should think a.s. could do it but i don't know it at all. i know cocoa/objective-c to a certain extent and backing up the downloads.dat/bak files at regular intervals would be very easy, at least in a rudimentary way. it would need a bit of extra cleverness though i think to try and make sure having made a good backup, then the downloads.dat file gets mangled not to backup the mangled version (over the good backup) -- check it hasn't reduced in size significantly since the last back up for example, although it reduces in size in correct use i think as it finishes downloads but if it goes from say 600k to 4k in one jump that's probably a good sign there's a problem with it. so to do it completely correctly/thoroughly might be a little bit more tricky but even a most basic a version would have saved me in the last two dissaster situations i think.

i used to do that but also used to also forget to do that, and haven't had the necessity with the current version i'm using until this new problem that is.

it was terrible.

ok thanks. i haven't made up my mind weather to make the bu utility thing (i probably will because i don't think it'll take long) and/or upgrade (not sure, as lw is so temperomental and this version has been not too bad so apart from this new recent problem i'm loathed to fix something that isn't broken, because that can easily break it (!) if you see what i mean, although this version is now broken for me it would seem.)

maybe i'll try a complete reinstall of this version after having deleted everything related to lw first (as well as making my bu utility thing) and see how that goes. if it happens again, upgrade.

10.2.8 with whatever the latest version of java is possible with that (i think -- at least apple isn't making a newer version available through software update to me).