PC Problems: Downloads are too fast; files are corrupt

Purno · **Posted:** Sun Feb 12, 2012 1:18 pm

Since a few weeks I have the problem that almost any big file I download (100 MB or more) downloads way too fast. Both in Opera and Firefox claim to reach download speeds of 3000 kB/s and above, while I'm pretty sure that's way too fast for my internet connect and what I bought from my ISP (I don't know the exact speed, but 500 kB/s is more what it should be).
Problem is that almost any file I download is also corrupted and won't run (installers, mainly). I'm having no clue how to fix it. Some files gave me a NSIS error, but others just give a basic error the file cannot be read. It almost looks like I got some kind of download speed booster installed, but whatever I got installed, I didn't install it intentionally.

Any wizzkids around here who got a clue on how I can fix my problem?

47 407 · **Posted:** Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:28 pm

Redownload it and see if you have the same problem. I have had this on several occasions and have found it to work once I have redownloaded the item.

Transportman · **Joined:** Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:34 pm **Posts:** 1017

Some programs install download speed boosters during the installation. The installer asks, and by default the box is checked. You might want to check your list with installed programs and browser plugins. Maybe there is an entry that shouldn't be there.

Purno · **Posted:** Sun Feb 12, 2012 4:15 pm

73129 wrote:

Redownload it and see if you have the same problem. I have had this on several occasions and have found it to work once I have redownloaded the item.

Tried it, problem happens on several different files which I retried several times each.

Transportman wrote:

Some programs install download speed boosters during the installation. The installer asks, and by default the box is checked. You might want to check your list with installed programs and browser plugins. Maybe there is an entry that shouldn't be there.

That's what I was thinking too. Browser Plugins I doubt, since it happens in several browsers. As for installed programs, checked the list, lots of things there I don't know what those are (but they're not all bad, I know lots of them are probably drivers or other good tools). I simply do not know what names to check for.

KasperVld · **Posted:** Sun Feb 12, 2012 4:56 pm

Google any you don't know

Transportman · **Joined:** Tue Feb 22, 2011 6:34 pm **Posts:** 1017

Maybe your virus scanner that scans the files the moment you start downloading? Or the firewall that doesn't like the amount of traffic you generate when you download a big file.
Do you also have it when you download files with other programs than your browser (FTP or mail for example)?
And what if you run a speedtest on your connection? Does that also corrupt your download? Most speedtests download a file to test download speed.
Is it also with smaller files (so 10 MB, 50 MB)?

Maybe run your virus scanner on your entire system, can't hurt much, maybe some stupid virus is breaking things. And try restarting your modem/router if you haven't done that yet. The old router I had at home, sometimes seemed to lose its connection when the NAT table got full and emptying it would "fix" things until it got full again.

Purno · **Posted:** Sun Feb 12, 2012 5:36 pm

KasperVld wrote:

Google any you don't know

I did, but even those sites use terms and words which are like Chinese to me.

Transportman wrote:

Maybe your virus scanner that scans the files the moment you start downloading?

avast has been scanning incoming files for years, yet this problem only occured recently.

Quote:

Or the firewall that doesn't like the amount of traffic you generate when you download a big file.

Nothing changed on my firewall recently.

Quote:

Do you also have it when you download files with other programs than your browser (FTP or mail for example)?

I don't use FTP or applications for mail. Torrents work fine though, which I use as a work-around ATM.

Quote:

And what if you run a speedtest on your connection? Does that also corrupt your download? Most speedtests download a file to test download speed.
Is it also with smaller files (so 10 MB, 50 MB)?

http://www.speedtest.nl/TestSuite/TestC ... peID=,8,12, results in 3800kB/s in a second, I guess that's a small file then
http://www.speedtest.net/ says 38 Mbps in roughly 10 seconds, a bigger file I guess

Quote:

Maybe run your virus scanner on your entire system, can't hurt much, maybe some stupid virus is breaking things. And try restarting your modem/router if you haven't done that yet. The old router I had at home, sometimes seemed to lose its connection when the NAT table got full and emptying it would "fix" things until it got full again.

I'll try. Maybe useful to add that other computers in the same network don't have these issues.

John · **Posted:** Sun Feb 12, 2012 7:27 pm

Purno wrote:

That's what I was thinking too. Browser Plugins I doubt, since it happens in several browsers. As for installed programs, checked the list, lots of things there I don't know what those are (but they're not all bad, I know lots of them are probably drivers or other good tools). I simply do not know what names to check for.

You could also look in task manager to see if anything odd is running - the list might be smaller than your installed programs list.

For the initial sweep through the installed files lists and task manager look for odd names which might suggest a download manager (so the words download and abbreviations there of).

If you download in a browser, is the file appearing in the download view of that browser?

Purno · **Posted:** Mon Feb 13, 2012 6:56 am

John wrote:

You could also look in task manager to see if anything odd is running - the list might be smaller than your installed programs list.

Already did, and googled anything which sounded unfamiliar (and didn't have a familiair company name in it's description, I skipped all Microsoft ones).

Quote:

For the initial sweep through the installed files lists and task manager look for odd names which might suggest a download manager (so the words download and abbreviations there of).

Nothing hints to a download manager, not in the installed programs, neither in the list of running processes.

Quote:

If you download in a browser, is the file appearing in the download view of that browser?

Yes, both in Opera and Firefox.

Hyronymus · **Posted:** Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:49 am

Purno wrote:

John wrote:

You could also look in task manager to see if anything odd is running - the list might be smaller than your installed programs list.

Already did, and googled anything which sounded unfamiliar (and didn't have a familiair company name in it's description, I skipped all Microsoft ones).

Quote:

For the initial sweep through the installed files lists and task manager look for odd names which might suggest a download manager (so the words download and abbreviations there of).

Nothing hints to a download manager, not in the installed programs, neither in the list of running processes.

Quote:

If you download in a browser, is the file appearing in the download view of that browser?

Yes, both in Opera and Firefox.

Check your PM.

ThorRune · **Posted:** Tue Feb 14, 2012 4:39 pm

If it intentionally hides it could be pretending to be something else so you would overlook it, or think it to be harmless when you google it.

My best suggestion would be to run malware programs, like SpyBot S&D.

Purno · **Posted:** Tue Feb 14, 2012 4:54 pm

avast doesn't recognize malware?

Hyronymus · **Posted:** Tue Feb 14, 2012 4:59 pm

Purno wrote:

avast doesn't recognize malware?

Some but not all. Spybot S&D is a good suggestion and you can rune autorun.exe from (nowadays) MicroSoft to see what your PC starts up with too.

Daan Timmer · **Posted:** Tue Feb 14, 2012 7:15 pm

would it be an option for you to upload one of those 'big' corrupted files to somewhere? Perhaps there is some information residing in the file. :-)

If you don't have a host or anything let me know I can create a FTP login for my person website if needed

StopRightThere · **Posted:** Tue Feb 14, 2012 10:19 pm

Check your network driver and try installing another from the manufacturer's website. A common chipset is Realtek.

SkeedR · **Posted:** Wed Feb 15, 2012 12:00 am

Have you tried running Opera or Firefox with add-ons/plugins disabled at all?

Railwaymodeler · **Posted:** Wed Feb 15, 2012 6:52 am

Running Windows 7, perchance?

I've seen a few systems come through my shop with it, and it shows download speeds that are absurdly high.

I think it is something goofy with Windows incorrectly reading download speeds and sizes. I think it may be fixable through Windows Update service. Is your system fully up to date with that?

Purno · **Posted:** Wed Feb 15, 2012 7:29 am

Railwaymodeler wrote:

Running Windows 7, perchance?

Yes, indeed.

Quote:

I think it is something goofy with Windows incorrectly reading download speeds and sizes. I think it may be fixable through Windows Update service. Is your system fully up to date with that?

Would explain why both Opera and Firefox have these issues. AFAIK I automatically check for updates, but I'll do a scan for updates this evening when I get home.

Do you know if this is a 'new' problem? It used to work fine, so perhaps some silly windows update screwed things up?

Railwaymodeler · **Posted:** Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:18 am

I first saw it a couple months ago. One of the machines had no updates applied apart from what it shipped from the factory with, so I doubt it is an older update breaking the downloads.

My guess, is that for some reason, Windows is mis-calculating the size of the download, which could affect the speed reported. Would also explain why EXE files downloaded do not run properly.

Purno · **Posted:** Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:52 am

I hope you're right. It does match with what I originally expected (miscalculation in file size). When I get back home this evening I'll run the updates and let you know if that fixes it. Thanks for the help!

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PC Problems: Downloads are too fast; files are corrupt

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