downloaded files - bad CRC - memory problem?

I have been unable to execute downloaded files for 3 weeks. I keep trying and trying and everytime I get one message or another telling me the file is corrupt, or I have a bad CRC, or the CRC doesn’t match. I used to have no problem.

To be more specific, I can download an exe file, but when I try to execute it, I get an error message. Or if I download a zip file, I can extract all files except the exe ones, which give me bad CRC errors or corrupt file errors. Or I can download an installer, but when I try to install something, I inevitably get an error telling me that something is corrupt.

I’ve tried both IE and Firefox and tried to download from numerous sources. I can’t download a new version of winamp. Or disk usage utilities. Or games. Or Service Pack II.

Norton Anti-Virus shows nothing. Ad-aware shows nothing. I’ve defragmented several times. I have a 55 GB drive that is using 40 GB (70%). Norton Windoctor shows nothing. Norton’s System Doctor shows no problems. Norton’s Disk Doctor shows nothing. Dell helped me do a repair on Windows and that didn’t help. I tried disabling Norton Anti-Virus, which helped a little bit – I then was able to download one or two small executables that worked. I’ve defragmented more several times.

On the net, I found hints that suggested it could be my XP firewall, so I turned that off. I found another hint that it might have to do with the XP restore utility, so I turned that off.

Still no success.

The error message that I get most often, using Firefox 1.0, is this one, where it shows the size as being off:

bad CRC 9da0ad58 (should be 7cd30c1e)
Warning: the size of the extracted file (678441) does not match the uncompressed size (678400) recorded in the zip file

Sometimes I get other messages.
Example: Downloaded an executable file with IE and Firefox, got this message on both browsers: The setup files are corrupted; please obtain a new copy of the program.

On another technical forum, someone suggested blowing dust off of my RAM. I have no idea how to do this, but, if this is what is needed, Dell might send someone out. Another person suggested running memtest86 – the instructions for running this are a little bit sparse and I’m not completely sure how to do this.

Can someone help?

Thank you.

littletree

 

Thanks for the answer.

Actually "dusting" my RAM IS hard to me - as it involves taking the cover off of my tower and knowing where my RAM is - two things that I don't know how to do - although I have a friend who will lend a hand.

Why do you think that it is a virus?

That was my original suspicion, but, as you say, I haven't found it. I could inquire in the virus forums; they can be very helpful. But I have run my Norton anti-virus in safe mode, as well as a McAfee program called Stinger. And I actually have two other recurring symptoms - IE keeps giving me "Runtime errors," but they disappear if I click Ok enough times. And both IE and Firefox sometimes show a Web page's HTML code when I first go to a page. If I refresh the page comes up correctly. Perhaps I ought to ask in the virus forums; they can be helpful.

And you said to "just reformat," as though reformat was an easy thing to do - something else that I've never done. Reformatting means wiping the hard disk clean, right? So I have to back up everything that I own first, right?

littletree

 

Start with the basics. Clear out your Temporary Internet Files, %temp% (go to start, run and type that) and your C:\window\temp directoy.

 

Thanks for the response.

No, it doesn't work in safe mode.

I was on the phone yesterday with Microsoft report. We ensured that there was nothing left of an aborted SP2 install. We did a "clean" boot with no services or startup programs running. We ran chkdsk /r, a through disk check - no problems. We did a Windows repair install. None of this has helped so far. Today, another Microsoft tech suggested that I make a new user account. We tried from there, no change. We checked that certain services were running. I wasn't running something called "Remote Registry" that he wanted running. Don't know if this is important.

I searched in Windows Explorer to see when this started. On Jan 18, I installed a new Java Run-time environment and this started just after that. Could the problem be related?

Aha! - just now, my Norton Anti-virus found something that it could not repair called Installer Applet class - Trojan.ByteVerify Another clue. Funny it didn't find this before. But this sounds very promising. I'll go look this up.

Anyone know anything about this one or how to repair it?

Thanks!

littletree

 

What a fine case of mimiking. Someone came up with the idea you had RAM problems, and so others follow up with similar (but in their own minds better) ideas along the same lines.

But, of course, none of them will have followed the steps required to troubleshoot the problem.

Which is what we are here for Listen to Adryn. He knows what he's talking about.

The AppletInstaller class sounds either like a bit of spyware, or maybe a bit of old java runtime floating around. I wouldn't worry about that.

Sorry, but if I used that logic, I would only ever be reformatting peoples machines. If the AV software you're using doesn't let you patch it up, you need to reformat? No, you can look online for removal instructions or tools to help you do it, and then you can concentrate on a better AV

Sorry if any of that sounded abrasive, I didn't mean it to be.

And also, sorry I've not really helped solve your problem, but I hope I've pointed you in the right direction a bit

 

it was the network card

After Hours of work - I had a flash - what about the network card.

As I happened to have a second network card in this computer (leftover from the days before my hub), I just connected to it and I'm cured!!

Thank you all for being here!! I appreciate anyone who answered or who even read this - I think that it all helps!

 

I read with much interest....

I have the same problem with compressed files, bad crc, corrupt etc. However i only seem to have a problem with files that use or have used one particular CD drive ?
winZip and winRar both fail to extract these .exe's.
One self extract file error identified a bad crc, but suggested the cause was a file transfer error.

Anyone help?

 

there's no need for that ... everyone is going to have their suggestions and opinions .. I've been corrected on this forum a few times and I take it as a learning experience and not to flip out on those who disagree or have a better suggestion

 

Quite

 

I dont know if this will help, But i found with the Windows Service Pack 2 , I downloaded the full pack(big download-took forever!) from Microsoft ,installed & updated it on my machine at home , and thought I have to update my wife's Xp also, so i wrote the file to cdr and try to install on her computer and got the crc error like your talking about, but I downloaded it again from Microsoft on her computer and it upgraded fine, to take it a step further ,I wrote the file from her computer to a cdr and used it to update my laptop at work , did the same crc error thing, But updated the laptop from Microsoft and it worked fine. Maybe I am wrong here but it seemed the update would work only on the computer it was download to from Microsoft, It makes me wonder how the slipstream disks work.

XtremeX