4 replies to this topic

[vijay.gupta]

I just have a query: when I download any file from internet (suppose, it is 500 MB), then if internet connection disconnects at 499 MB, then the whole file is removed. When every data on internet is transferred in the form of packets, then even if the internet connection is gone at 499 MB, then some part of the file should remain on local computer but it is completely removed if it is not downloaded completely. Can someone please let me know the rationale behind this?

[Doug]

Data is coded (type, size, format, etc.) with a notation at the beginning of the data, and at the end. Your browser or file management software "looks" for beginning and end coding, in order to determine that there is something "actually there." If there is no "end point" then ordinary search via My computer doesn't "see" a file. It is "possible" that Data Recovery software could identify and recover "segments" of an incomplete download, and "maybe" repair the segment by giving it a beginning and end coding. <-- I do not have any solid basis for suggesting this possible claim, nor do I imagine that you would actually end up with anything useful.

[vijay.gupta]

Thanks doug. I got that but if this is the case, how any download manager program is able to retain the portion of the downloaded file in case of incomplete download?

[Doug]

I don't know the answer to your question about Download Managers..... any more than I know the exact scripting used to mark the beginning and ending of various files. But I suspect that Download Managers use some type of "container" scripting that has "begin download" and a faux end-point that tags "download progress to date", until the download acquires the entire file as identified by encountering the end-of-file scripting.

[vijay.gupta]

Thanks doug for the reply!!