Grabit problem.
 

My preferred newsgroup program, Grabit, has suddenly gone bonkers. Reinstallation hasn't helped.

Some groups update and show their contents in the "Articles" tab area, but several others show "Loading Group" at about 20% and then lock solid in the "Articles" tab area.

Removing those stuck groups, then reselecting them doesn't help either.

The program itself hasn't updated for ages, and I haven't changed any of its settings.

Any ideas? :dunce:

This is what it looks like when locked up in a group:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/taf.parsons/grabit.jpg

Re: Grabit problem.
 

use http://www.altbinz.net/ instead

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Probably loading too many headers. Grabit doesn't like too many headers.
I have mine set at 200,000

Re: Grabit problem.
 

I've always had it set to the minimum 100,000.

VM's traffic control has slowed it to under 60kbps at the moment....

Re: Grabit problem.
 

change your port to get around the control's

Re: Grabit problem.
 

:dunce::confused:

Re: Grabit problem.
 

I changed the port I use to 443 get around the auto traffic management
go to grabit server properties and change it.

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Same happened for me, unless retention rates have increased, seems a bit weird

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Hmmm... got it set up but am I right in thinking it won't download headers unless you give it an NZB unlike Grabit?

---------- Post added at 11:31 ---------- Previous post was at 11:28 ----------

I'm using 1.7.2. Beta 6

Re: Grabit problem.
 

there are tabs for searching groups, above the main window

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Only thing I'm wondering is what's changed? Was working fine until a few days ago and it doesn't look like the amount of data being downloaded for a group update seems any larger than it was....it must be on the VM side? Has anyone tried it with another provider?

Re: Grabit problem.
 

I was thinking along the same lines, but don't like to point the finger at VM without exhausting other possibilities first.

I shall try Grabit on another PC and see what I get.

Re: Grabit problem.
 

I've been having exactly the same problems with Grabit since Friday, was working perfectly until then.

I'm running Grabit 1.7.2 Beta3 on a desktop with Win VISTA Business and Grabit 1.7.2 Beta6 on my laptop with Win 7 HP, both machines are exhibiting same problems with some groups not opening after full or incremental update.

Re: Grabit problem.
 

I have now checked on 3 other PCs which have never had Grabit installed before and the result is the same, so I am now suspecting a VM problem or change causing it.

I have posted this problem to the VM Support Groups:

http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/...s/td-p/1123629

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Could it not be at the news server end?

I'm with Demon and getting the same problem with their EU server but I can update problem groups from the US server and Grabit loads the headers.

Re: Grabit problem.
 

VM are often loathe to accept that any problems exist on their newsgroup servers.

Perhaps my post to the Support Group will get a reaction...?

Re: Grabit problem.
 

So are Demon too - unless you use News Rover they don't seem to want to know.

I can understand why VM are reluctant since the servers are not theirs as far as I know - it's outsourced. Personally I don't understand why the have news servers at all.

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Don't think there's much to be done. VM won't do anything as it's definitely outsourced, all the Telewest servers were shut down years ago. Only answer is to hope it sorts itself out or go with another provider, unless it's some sort of giant conspiracy to bork Usenet :erm: Although strange it's across multiple providers.....

---------- Post added at 19:08 ---------- Previous post was at 18:57 ----------

Bit of digging shows it's outsourced to Highwinds, a Dutch company, probably the same one as Demon outsourced to, can only ask VM to speak to Highwinds and investigate any changes...:rolleyes:

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Can't believe this has got to a second page without this being suggested :
Download the Newsleecher trial (http://www.newsleecher.com/) or another binary Usenet client and verify the problem is at Highwinds end. Grabit always been buggy and it wouldn't surprise me if Newsleecher works fine.

Re: Grabit problem.
 

I've tried the Newsleecher trial as suggested with a couple of groups that won't open using Grabit and they are fine on Newsleecher.

Still a mystery why Grabit has stopped working properly a few days ago on some groups despite there having been no Grabit program updates recently!

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Grabit has started to work on some groups, intermittently, but it's a start.

So that makes me feel it's not Grabit at fault.

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Going to download it and try.

****Edit*****

Sorry tried it and find it slow to use so cannot test your problem

Re: Grabit problem.
 

You find Grabit slow to use? Even if it was slow that doesn't mean you are unable to test, just that you are unwilling to spend that much time.

It's still working for me on Demon's US groups but I still have issues on the few groups I look at on the EU servers.

I accept it's buggy but its ease of use compared to anything I've used (except Agent) has caused me to stick with it thus far. If one uses .NZB all the time it doesn't much matter I think but I like to browse the groups.

So, I've probably not tried all of the Windows newsreaders but I hated News Rover. Are there any other recommendations? I don't mind paying for such an application.

Re: Grabit problem.
 

I am comparing it with sabnzb which i find works and does everything i want

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Tried it this morning and all is well!

So it MUST have been a VM problem (outsourced or not).

Re: Grabit problem.
 

It's still a problem for me on a.b.ebooks, a.b.ebook, a.b.sounds.lossless on both the VM server and the Demon EU server (suggesting that they are perhaps one and the same?).

sabnzb? Oh well, I'll certainly give it a try thanks

---------- Post added at 18:21 ---------- Previous post was at 18:07 ----------

sabnzb only seems to be useful with nzb files - there doesn't seem to be way of browsing the newsgroups?

I'm reasonably confident that even Grabit would have downloaded from these problematic groups with an .nzb - it's loading the message headers where the problem lies.

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Yup... I proved that same thing to myself.

I just tried those 3 that you are having problems with, and they are still locking up here too after an incremental update. They're not groups I normally look at, so time to delete now.

Re: Grabit problem.
 

I don't think there anything really to be done. Could try the Beta of the new Grabit (buggy as hell I'd reckon) or see if VM can put any pressure on Highwinds (which I'd doubt as there's nothing to fix apart from the change in the way headers are handled or published). Anyone any ideas? :erm:

Re: Grabit problem.
 

I've just tried the latest Agent - works in a similar way to Grabit though more complicated in my view. It also locks up on downloading headers from certain groups. I suppose we just have to wait until those headers expire and are purged - that may not take so long on VM with their short retention but I may have to wait >1 year for Demon :-)

---------- Post added at 20:41 ---------- Previous post was at 20:31 ----------

You could try a paid-for news service - at least then you can try to get service direct from them. Having said that I've not found Demon responsive as I don't (can't!) use News Rover - their preferred client. The good thing about Demon is that you can connect via SSL on port 80 so it doesn't look like NNTP traffic to VM. You can also flick to their servers in the US when problems like this occur in EU - it was useful recently when the EU connections went really slow for weeks.

I'm tempted to try Giganews and their client Mimo.

Re: Grabit problem.
 

I'm still having problems with Grabit, anyone resolved it yet?

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Not even an official response on the Support pages either... that possibly means they KNOW there's a problem but can't/won't fix it.

Re: Grabit problem.
 

I'm still getting this problem on about half the newsgroups I use

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Still got same problems here too on several groups I use, and my NewsLeecher free trial ends today! :sulk:

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Grabit seems to be working properly for me again! That's the second time in the last 2 weeks that troublesome groups have started to work again only to stop working at the next update!!

Anyone else still having issues with Grabit and VM Newsgroups?

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Some have cleared, but not all for me.

Re: Grabit problem.
 

All of mine have been OK, though some take a long time to update, despite having few posts. I often get one or two threads that seem to "stick" until I close Grabit and restart the DL.

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Mine have all cleared this morning; normal service has been resumed!

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Sorry to resurrect this thread after so long, but this problem has returned on one of the newsgroups I use. Anyone else having similar issues with VM Newsgroups & Grabit?

Re: Grabit problem.
 

It can't be VM that's the problem, as I'm using 'newsgroup direct' and a lot of my groups are freezing after an incremental update.
if you click quickly between 2 groups it will eventually load. but the headers look corrupt with no date or zero size.

why hasn't grabit been updated for ages?

Re: Grabit problem.
 

use binsearch

Re: Grabit problem.
 

It returned for me today. I had to resort to deleting some groups then adding them again.

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Yep mine too, started playing up again yesterday. Some of the groups I use started working after doing a full update, but not all! Very frustrating :mad:

Re: Grabit problem.
 

I already do :)

Just tried NewsLeecher. it's very confusing, and I'm very clever.
I've always used Grabit and I don't like change.

Re: Grabit problem.
 

Or wombles!