Downloading Multi-Volume Archive

[HoppaLong]

Several years ago I downloaded large files that were split into multiple volumes.

Maybe I was lucky, but I never had any problems.

I don't use file sharing sites very often, so it doesn't make sense for me to pay

and become a premium member of any one site.

I forgot about the most important rule when downloading multiple volumes.

ALWAYS download the first archive that extracts and combines all the other

volumes. Use WinRAR or WinZIP and attempt to extract the archive BEFORE

downloading the other volumes. If the "number one" archive is ok a message

box will appear asking for the location of the next volume in the series.

Because I haven't downloaded multi-volumes in many years, I made a foolish

mistake. I downloaded all the secondary volumes (z01, z02, etc.) before the

zip file that starts the extraction.

Here is the message from WinZIP:

bad CRC b36108d9 (should be b6d4bcac)

I also tried WinRAR and Universal Extractor. They all failed.

Before I delete all the volumes I downloaded, is there anything I can do to salvage

this mess?

Edited March 14, 2015 by HoppaLong

[bphlpt]

You could try to download the first file again, in case it was just a bad download, or you could try to find the file collection somewhere else, in case just this posting had an error, and you can see if there are any comments posted with the file collection from others who have had the same issue or can confirm the the files should be extracting correctly.

 

Cheers and Regaards

[HoppaLong]

Thank you bphlpt.

Yes, I did download the zip file again. If it's the same file at the same site you're
wasting your time. I tried it anyway.

This archive was super large. I guess that's why it was split into multiple volumes.

I wish the subject of this archive was popular. It's an open source file about advanced
electronics. I won't find it on other file sharing sites. I am a member of several
electronics forums. Maybe someone at these forums has a copy.

I wish I had remembered the "golden rule" about a multi-volume archive. Download
and test the first or "key" archive before you waste your time downloading all the
other volumes.

[jaclaz]

Depending on how EXACTLY a .zip archive has been created (and on the kind of contents) sometimes it is possible to "fix" the archive or at least extract partially the data.

There is no way to know if any of the above is possible without the actual archive.

 

jaclaz

[ZortMcGort11]

How big are the individual volumes? 1.4 Megabytes?

If the volumes are bigger than can fit on a floppy disk, then using Pkunzip and Pkzipfix (as indicated in your other thread) probably won't help very much.