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Binbot FAQ

This is the Binbot FAQ, which contains the most frequently asked questions about Binbot.

Contents

General Questions

What is Binbot?
Binbot is a newsreader specially designed to download files from binary newsgroups. It is easy to use and fast, and is available for Windows and Linux.
Is Binbot free?
Binbot is not free. It is distributed as a shareware. This means you can evaluate Binbot for free for 30 days, but you have to buy it if you wish to continue using it beyond the trial period.
What are the trial version limitations?
The trial version is the same as the licensed version. The only limitation is that it will stop working after 30 days, unless you buy a license key.
Do you have a 30 day money back guarantee?
Yes, we do. If you buy a license key and are not completely satisfied with the software, just contact us within 30 days of your purchase, and we will issue you a full refund.
How can I translate Binbot into a different language?
The Binbot user interface can be translated into almost any language. Please see our Binbot translation guide for a step by step tutorial.

Installation Questions

What operating systems are supported?
Binbot supports both Windows and Linux operating systems. For Windows, the following versions are supported: Windows: Vista (all), XP Professional (SP1+), XP Home (SP1+), 2000 Professional (SP3+), 2000 Server (SP3+), 98 (2nd Edition), ME, Server 2003. For Linux, click here for a complete list of supported versions.
What about Windows NT 4.0?
If you are running Windows NT 4.0 (SP6a), you can still run Binbot, but you will need to download and install the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.5 separately. To proceed:
  1. Download and install the most recent version of the JRE 1.5.
  2. Download the most recent version of Binbot and proceed through the regular installation as described here.
What is the Java Runtime Environment?
The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is a set of software components developed by Sun Microsystems that must be installed on your system for Binbot to work properly. The minimum version required is 1.5. If the JRE is not already installed on your Windows system, the Binbot installer will automatically prompt you to install it. You may also install it directly by visiting http://java.com/getjava.
Why does the Windows installer try to connect to the Internet?
The Java Runtime Environment installer needs to connect to the Internet to download additional installer files based on your installation options and system configuration.

Header downloads

Why am I only getting 10,000 headers out of this newsgroup that contains millions?
By default, Binbot downloads the 10,000 newest headers in a newsgroup. If you wish to download additional headers:
  • Click the"Options" button

  • Select one or more header pages to download.

You may also change the default page size for the current newsgroup:
  • Select the menu Newsgroup > Edit Current.
  • Select the check box "Override default page size" and change the number of headers.

Or you may also change the default page size for all newsgroups:
  • Select the menu Tools > Settings...
  • Change the text in "Default page size" on the "Headers" tab.

What is a header page?
A header page is a group of contiguous headers. Header pages are numbered from the newest to the oldest. Page 1 always contains the newest headers in a newsgroup. Higher page numbers contain older headers. A visual representation of all header pages in the current newsgroup can be seen by clicking on the "Options" button located on the right side of the navigation bar. The icon indicates pages that have already been downloaded. The icon indicates pages that contain new headers that have not yet been downloaded.

Why do I get fewer articles than headers downloaded?
There are three potential reasons for this:
  1. Headers from multipart articles are combined into single articles.
  2. Some articles might have been moved to the list of "Rejected Articles".
  3. There may be gaps on the news server. For example, a page of 10,000 headers might actually only contain a few hundred headers. In some cases, it might not even contain any headers at all.
What are incomplete articles?
Incomplete articles are multipart articles that are missing at least one part. By default, they are displayed in gray instead of black. To view which part numbers are missing, select an incomplete article, go to the menu Article > Properties... and select the tab "Part Info".
How do I find missing parts?
Missing parts may be found in several different locations:
  1. In adjacent header pages. For example, if you are currently looking at headers from page 1, the missing headers might be on page 2.
  2. In a different newsgroup. To find out if an article has been posted to a different newsgroup, go to the menu Article > Properties..., select the "Raw Headers" tab and look for the line starting with "Newsgroups:". This will show you the names of the newsgroups which might contain the missing parts.
  3. On a different server. If you have access to multiple servers, look for the missing headers in that same newsgroup on a different server.
To find the missing parts more quickly, you may enter keywords from the subject line of the incomplete article in the Filter text field in the Header Download Options section. Make sure that the check box "Discard incomplete articles" is not selected. See also the Getting Started Guide - Part 4 for more details.
What is the difference between Discard and Delete?
Discard removes the selected articles from the current list of articles. If you reload headers from the same page, discarded articles will show up in the list again. Delete removes the selected articles permanently. You will never see deleted articles again, even if they were cross-posted to different newsgroups.
Can I recover articles that were deleted by mistake?
The only way to recover deleted articles is to delete your entire download history:
  • Go to the menu Tools > Settings... and select the tab General.
  • Click on the button "Clear History".
  • Click Yes to confirm.
You will then need to reload the header pages containing the previously deleted articles.