About hash checks

[MaliceTheRebel]

I don't believe there is a "hash check and start" option available on the client. Sometimes when you click start, THEN it starts to hash check and THEN after it is done, will the torrent proceed to begin downloading. However, if it is downloading, but you think it needs to do a hash check because you see something amiss, if you stop the torrent and then hash check it, it will not download afterward.

Maybe i'm confusing you a bit so here is an example.

Let's say i have a torrent that is 34.6% downloaded, then someone hits the cable out of an external hard drive where the torrent was downloading to. (Now you'd see a red X). You plug back in your hardrive, it has the same drive letter as before so the download location is the same, but you clicked the torrent to start and now instead of startiing from 36.4% it starts to download from 0%. Obviously a hash check is needed at this point, so you stop the download and then you manually hash check the task. However, it is a very big file, 15 gigs and you want the torrent to start as soon as it finishes the manual hash checking but it won't do that because when it is done it will enter the stopped state.

I hope that example helps, adding a "manually hash check and continue downloading" option would be greatly appreciated, especially for people who want to download overnight while they sleep and have big tasks.

If it is possible to do this already however, please let me know =)

[kluelos]

It's already done. This:

and now instead of startiing from 36.4% it starts to download from 0%

is not true.

The "% downloaded" column changes function during a hash-check, although the label does not change. But now the column indicates "% checked". It will go from 0 to 100 percent checked, of what you have downloaded so far. Then its function reverts to "% downloaded" and the download task proceeds from where it was. In your case it would pick up from the 36.4%, provided all of that passed the hash check.

BitComet will perform an automatic hash check whenever it is in uncertain about the state of the download. It is always best to leave these alone, they don't take all that long most of the time, and they assure that your download isn't crap.

If you want to do a manual hash check, you can do that at any time. Just stop the task, right-click on it and select the appropriate option from the menu. Manual checking is normally used just to assure that everything is in the right place and that BitComet "sees" the existing downloaded torrent when, for example, you're moving files around.

[MaliceTheRebel]

yea but if you click on a task that has that red X next to it and you click start, mine doesnt hash check, it begins the download from 0% (at least thats what is shown). Only after i manually hash check a task with a red X or error does it show the % that it was at when the crash/error occured. BUT after that manual hash check is done, it enters the stopped state and not the state where it is downloading. My suggestion was to add a feature whereby after you manually hash check a task, it will also begin downloading right after. Would be helpful for huge tasks like >10 gig tasks, specially if you want to download overnight.

[kluelos]

The red X indicates that there is some other major problem.

Classically, it used to mean that BitComet cannot write to the disk for some reason. Later versions expanded this to indicate many other problems. You can mouseover the X to find out more information.

If you have a red X, then you have a problem that you have to solve first, before any normal functions will work properly. A red X issue means that the task is stopped. If you attempt to restart it, it will simply stop again. You must first fix whatever is wrong before BitComet will continue.

[The UnUsual Suspect]

Please note the "READ THIS before posting" links located throughout the forum. If you had read this, then we would know what version of BitComet your using (for example), and could offer you accurate advice. Since you didnot, we cannot, so all I can do is assume your using an older version and request that you update.

Several versions ago BitComet was enhanced so that a task will not revert to 0% if the file location is temporarily unavailable.

Also, if your requesting that download automatically begin after a manual rehash, this would be a bad idea in many circumstances. You could end up downloadling a duplication of the files if you allow the download to start regardless of the outcome of the hash check. I could see how the option would be handy in some cases, but if you had a large torrent, say 100gb and you wanted it to rehash and start on it's own, you could remove the torrent then re-add it. It would then behave like a new torrent and seeing that some of the files may already exist, it will hash check them then begin the download.

Otherwise the rehash is a diagnostic tool and in most cases it's best to complete, then let the user look at the results and make a decision how they wish to continue.

As for new options, we certainly pass on the request for a "rehash and download/redownload" option, but I think a far better option would be one that doesn't require stopping the download and will let you have all existing pieces rehashed while new ones continue to download.

We should also consider that the more options, functions and choices in the client, the more confusing it can become to the user.

[MaliceTheRebel]

sorry, i took for granted that i had already posted what version i was using in another topic, since the staff that was helping me was also answering my questions here. It's 1.23 and it still reverted to 0. I used the zipped version and everything afterward started to work normally. And.. all of the settings on both are exactly the same, i triple checked to make sure they were identical in terms of all the options so i don't know what went wrong with the installed version.

[cassie]

sorry, i took for granted that i had already posted what version i was using in another topic, since the staff that was helping me was also answering my questions here.

It's a common mistake... but you have to keep in mind that the Staff reads through each and every post made in all of the forums, on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, we can't keep track of what version of BitComet, Operating System, setup, etc., each and every poster has... sooo... we have to remind everyone to remind us of what their specs are. :)