| AVSIM Library - Frequently Asked Questions |
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Important Advice AVSIM is not responsible for corrupted or virus infected downloads. Your use of this system is entirely at your own risk. If you do find a virus infected or corrupted file, please immediately contact the Library Managers by emailing [email protected]. About This FAQ This FAQ was put together to assist those in need of help. We gathered all the most frequently reported problems, after they were answered and solved, and compiled them into one document. Any new problems or additions should be e-mailed to [email protected] so we can update this page. ATTENTION - Download managers are NOT supported by AVSIM's File Library system Contents
Why do I have to register? Is AVSIM going to charge for access to the Library? The "no registration" system required that we write to the disk every time anyone downloaded a file. These writes were proving costly to system speed. Registration allows us to use a different, "writeless", method to prevent direct links to files on the AVSIM server, while ensuring that download acceleration and resumption continues to work. We continue to appreciate that not all of our users are on broadband, and understand the necessity of providing resumable downloads. The current system allows us to ensure fair access for all, in providing enforceable connection limits regardless of source IP address. In short, registration has helped us resolve several technical issues which had been limiting the Library's efficiency. AVSIM Online has absolutely no intention of introducing any form of payment for access to the Library, nor to introduce a "two tier" system as used on some other sites. Why do you ask for my name and email address when I register? The name you enter is displayed at the top of the screen when you are logged in. We currently take a record of your email address, and, as noted on the registration page, we reserve the right to periodically (not more than twice a year) send validation emails to that address to ensure that the email address is valid. Furthermore, we will soon be introducing a new way of contacting the Library Managers, in order to reduce the amount of spam email they receive from having their email address posted copiously on this site! Your name and email address will be used as your contact details when this new contact method is introduced; i.e., if you enter a fake email address and you send a query to the Library Managers, you will not receive a response. Other than these validation emails, you will receive absolutely no other unsolicited email from entering your email address, as is AVSIM's policy on retention of such data. How do I update my e-mail address with my library registration? Please draft an e-mail to [email protected] with your old e-mail address along with your new e-mail address. This way we can find your record and update it. I found the Library, now what? How do I register? Many users have asked us this very question in the past. Now there is an official, step-by step answer:
I forgot my password! How do I reset my password? Here's how:
I'm sure my password is right, so why can't I log in? (Updated for Windows 7) Our first question: Are you really sure? Perhaps you should try resetting your password anyway to make absolutely sure. However, sometimes you can't login because you are not allowing cookies from us. In order to fix this:
If you are using an Internet Security product, or other products which affect the handling of cookies, you may need to configure them to trust avsim.net or library.avsim.net. This may also be the case if you are using a broswer other than Internet Explorer (For example, Google Chrome). If this still doesn't help, please do bear in mind that in the past, users have said that after calling their ISP, they found there was actually a problem on the ISP's side that was rectified by a simple call. Although it may sound crazy, please also check to make sure you are connected to the Internet! If you are using your own private computer, or a computer on which you have a personal profile, there is no good reason to log off! Remaining logged in to the AVSIM Library will not prevent other users from accessing the service. Logging off will also stop any jobs which your download manager may have queued, if you use such a piece of software. On the contrary, if you are using a public computer, you must log off! If you do not, other users may be able to access AVSIM using your account. The log-off link is on the top of every Library page, highlighted and underlined in blue. There are two ways of searching -- Quick Search (which is available on every normal Library page), and Extended Search. Both of these searches share a common method of how to input your search terms. Below are a few examples of how to search, based on the Quick Search method:
Searches are case-insensitive. Quick Search has also now been made more intelligent. By default, it will search the Name, Description and Author for whatever criteria you enter, as described above. However, if your criteria mentions .zip then Quick Search will assume you are specifying a filename or specification. This means that:
Basically, file searches function in the same way that DOS would handle them. There doesn't appear to be any way to download? Look for a blue "Download" button on the right of each listed file in normal mode, or the "Get" button on the left in scan mode. If this isn't appearing, you may be running software which disables advertisements ("ad-blockers"). Some of the default settings in Norton Internet Security fall into this category. You need to disable such software in order to use the Library effectively. I did a search and didn't get any results. First of all, try using the Extended Search feature to make a more accurate search. If Extended Search doesn't yield anything, it is of course possible that we don't have what you're looking for in our Library. ZipDive is our system which allows you to look inside zip files, and view certain types of text and image files directly, without needing to download the entire archive. ZipDive will never offer to show HTML files. This is because HTML cannot be guaranteed as safe (it might contain client-side scripting). We have tried to color-code each group of categories according to their area of interest. You will find, for example, that all FS2002 files have the same color throughout the Library System, which should allow you to scan any mixed listings quickly to find files of interest to you. Why doesn't my ZIP software / Internet Explorer ask me where I want to save my download? The setting which controls this behavior is easily changed by accident! In order to fix this:
Why is my newly-downloaded ZIP file empty or corrupted? You are most probably using Internet Explorer, and clicking "Open" to immediately open the download, rather than clicking "Save" as we advise. This is a bug in Internet Explorer -- you can find more information on this here. How many connections do you allow per IP? How many files can I download at once? Currently, AVSIM allows 4 connections per IP address and 800 users to simultaneously download at one time (for a total of 3,200 simultaneous connections). We vary these numbers from time to time to allow for increased loads on the server when popular and large files are released. What happens when all the available connections are in use? Simple. You can't download. Depending upon how you are trying to download (via browser or via a download accelerator), the system may tell you that the page is not available. It may tell you that you have to log in with a User ID and password, or it may give you a "page not found" error. If you get a prompt for a UID/PW, you can be sure that it is because the maximum number of connections are already in use. Do not attempt to put in your Library login information -- it will not work! Your AVSIM Library UID/PW only allows you to use the file library web functions -- it does not provide direct FTP access. If the library has the maximum number of connections allowed via our policy, then the only thing you can do is wait your turn. This happens rarely these days with our new server, but don't be surprised when this happens during periods when popular files have been released. For how long do download links remain valid under the new system? Download links will remain valid until you logout (by clicking the Logout button near the top of the screen) from the AVSIM Library. Your login status is managed by a cookie, so should you login to the Library and not click the Logout button, you will remain logged-in when you next return, and any download links will remain valid. You need to resume any downloads from the same computer from which they were started! Why does the server keep "resetting my connection"? Some users have reported that the download would abort and a message saying "The connection has been reset" popped up. This is a classic symptom of firewall problems -- your firewall is not letting FTP traffic through. Recently, reports of this have been increased due to the default settings of the Windows Firewall as distributed with Windows XP Service Pack 2. To fix this problem rapidly (although this is not the "best" solution):
A better solution would be to configure the Windows Firewall to handle FTP. However, that is beyond the scope of this guide. I click on "Download" but only the ad page shows up. Why is there no box? Some users have reported that they would click on "Download" and only the ad page would show up. While AVSIM could not replicate this problem, the users reported:
Please note, any questions regarding your firewall must be directed to the manufacturer, not AVSIM. Why do I get a "Page Cannot Be Displayed" error? Some system and firewall misconfigurations may cause you to receive a "Page Cannot Be Displayed" error when you begin a download. You should check your firewall settings, and enable any settings documented to allow FTP downloads to function, or, better, tell your firewall to trust library.avsim.net. Telling your browser to use Passive FTP can often help. If you are using Internet Explorer, then:
Why do I get a "503 Authentication Error"? The symptoms which cause this are very similar to those if there are no connections available for downloading files. Other common causes include using a download manager which does not implement authenticated FTP connections, and misconfigured proxy settings. Please see this forum topic for more information. I click Download Now and it keeps bringing me back to the login screen? Check that you are accepting cookies. If that doesn't help, you may want to check that advertisement blocking software is not interfering with the download. I deleted the cookie! What do I do? In most cases you should just be able to go to the Library and log straight back in! If that doesn't work, check that you are accepting cookies. I clicked the "Download" button and nothing happened! This is often caused by firewall software preventing your FTP download from starting. Follow the instructions here for guidance on enabling Passive FTP, and/or telling your firewall to trust our server. "Internet Security" software, or advertisement blocking software, have also been known to interfere with downloads. Ensure that they are either turned off, or configured to trust avsim.net or library.avsim.net. The AVSIM Staff cannot replicate this fault. However, it may be caused by an add-on to IE7. Users who have reported this fault have found that right-clicking on the "Internet Explorer" icon and selecting "Start without add-ons" has fixed their problem. I uploaded a file -- why isn't it in the Library (yet)? AVSIM Library Managers must approve all uploaded files before they are made available for download. If you uploaded a file:
You can upload a file by clicking here. Note that you will need a Library account in order to upload. If none of the above helped, here is some more general advice:
I have a question you haven't answered! Please mail the Library Managers at [email protected] with any queries or suggestions. |
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