OT: WLM Newsreader Rant (deleted *.nws files)

Fri Jan 13, 2012 6:41 pm   

I just found another reason to switch from WLM to a "real" newsreader. Here
is a post I just made to the WindowsLiveHelp.com forum:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"When I accessed my WLM newsgroups today, I saw that the list of headers was
missing most of the older messages. This happened for several newsgroups and
for two different servers. I was able to retrieve them by downloadfing
additional headers. I found the folder where these headers (*.nws) are
stored: C:\Users\Paul2010\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live
Mail\news.teranews.com, and I saw that the folders for the newsgroups I had
tried to read had most of the files removed, and only those from 1/4/2010 or
newer were there. Other folders for NGs I had not accessed had files dating
back to 2010.

I also found a folder called
"C:\Users\Paul2010\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Backup\new",
and there were three files there, "Mail.pat", "Mail.MSMessageStore", and
"edb0050A.log", dated 1/12/2010 7:03PM, which may correspond to the time
there was an automatic Windows update.

I can probably restore these headers from a backup, or I can just reload
them from the server, but I want to know why this has happened and if there
is a setting I can change to restore the previous state of operation. I
could not find a setting for deleting messages automatically although I
recall seeing something similar, at least for mail messages.

This is very disturbing that an update to an application can cause it to
delete files without notification or permission from me, the user. I realize
that very few people use Usenet anymore, but there are some that do. Also I
have noted that the new 2011 version of WLM has added some "features" that
cripple its usefulness for newsgroups, and perhaps something else has been
added that further "breaks" it to the point of uselessness. Or maybe there
was just a glitch somewhere. I like to use WLM for both email and news, but
I may need to use a different client. I guess I can't complain too much
about a "free" product, but I will."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I know that some people here use WLM and I wonder if you have also
experienced this. I also have XNews and perhaps I'll just get used to its
quirks and abandon this stupid micro$oft product. I can't demand my money
back, since it's "free"!

Paul

Fri Jan 13, 2012 7:07 pm   

On Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:41:02 -0500, "P E Schoen" <paul_at_pstech-inc.com>
wrote:


Why use _any_ Micro$hit product?

Get Agent v6: http://www.forteinc.com/agent/

$29... very much worth the cost.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Fri Jan 13, 2012 8:04 pm   

Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-Icon_at_On-My-Web-Site.com> wrote
in news:3is0h7570ol7pcmqfmrg7tjbbfagalbmfs_at_4ax.com:


OK, well now I am using XNews, and I found that for
sci.electronics.basics, I can retrieve only 240 headers using my
Teranews account, while I can get 992 from the AIOE Public Server.

I think what is happening is that there is a server problem with Teranews
and they have lost their earlier articles. The newsreader seems to be
configured so that it deletes articles once they are no longer on the
server. I had thought that the articles in the files on my computer were
secure storage, even if the server had deleted them. But apparently I
would need to transfer them to a storage folder for archival purposes.

I knew that the AIOE server only retains articles for 30-60 days or so,
but Teranews has always retained them back at least a year and probably
as far back as 3 years or more. Still, I did not realize that the files
on my computer were being deleted depending on the server's storage. In
XNews, one of the options was to store headers for a number of days, or
until gone from the server.

But it seems odd that these files would be deleted from my computer based
on a remote server. IIRC in previous editions of Outlook Express, where
they used a single huge file to store email and news, it simply poppeed a
message stating "no longer available on server" if I had not already
downloaded the message. It would make SOME sense to delete the individual
files if they were only headers, but once the message has been downloaded
the reasonable thing to do, IMHO, is to keep the file. And in any case I
don't like it when some stupid software makes decisions for me and does
something as extreme as deleting a file without notifying me. Rather rude
of the app, I think.

Paul

Fri Jan 13, 2012 8:15 pm   

On 01/13/2012 02:04 PM, P E Schoen wrote:

Supernews has posts back to 2003.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics

160 North State Road #203
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510
845-480-2058

hobbs at electrooptical dot net
http://electrooptical.net

Sat Jan 14, 2012 12:19 am   

On Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:04:14 GMT, P E Schoen <paul_at_muttleydog.com> wrote:


I delete most articles as I go through them, many without
downloading the bodies, I can always search the Google archive
if I need something, for example I'm about to go looking
for a script I put up some time ago that creates an iso
image -- saves me doing trial and error from scratch for a
new script. (I don't have access to my main computers for
now).

Grant.

Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:53 am   

omg wrote in message news:mne1h7tb4hrihaahog653gra7po13621k5_at_4ax.com...


I tend to keep everything possible, so I like having an archive of past
emails and news articles. Using WLM, at least I have the sent items for
anything I have posted or replied to, and if I have quoted extensively, I
can recreate most of the conversation, especially parts that are especially
interesting. I know I can find almost everything in the Google archives, but
sometimes that can be tedious.

Paul

Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:56 pm   

On a sunny day (Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:41:02 -0500) it happened "P E Schoen"
<paul_at_pstech-inc.com> wrote in <R0_Pq.366$lH7.306_at_newsfe08.iad>:


http://panteltje.com/panteltje/newsflex/index.html

Mon Jan 16, 2012 12:31 pm   

On Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:41:02 -0500 "P E Schoen" <paul_at_pstech-inc.com>
wrote in Message id: <R0_Pq.366$lH7.306_at_newsfe08.iad>:


May not be related to your problem, but a new release of Avast is causing
problems with some newsreaders. See a thread beginning with
<Jo5Qq.5$eX.4_at_newsfe02.ams2> in S.E.R.

Or for Google Gropers:
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.electronics.repair/browse_frm/thread/237f38bd71168a50/b80b3eaf7640adae?hl=en&q=%3CJo5Qq.5%24eX.4%40newsfe02.ams2%3E#b80b3eaf7640adae

Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:13 am   

P E Schoen wrote:


I see 16,487 messages on news:sci.electronics.basics on the Giganews
servers. The free and cheap servers have a very short retention time,
to keep from paying for the extra storage. You need a real news server
if you want more than a very short news spool. Giganews text newsgroups
are fairly complete from the middle of 2003.


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.

Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:24 am   

Michael A. Terrell used his keyboard to write :

I agree.
I see 16644 now 16:22 19 January in OZ.
Guess the different number is new msgs.

--
John G

Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:32 am   

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
news:5cidnR4GysESO4rSnZ2dnUVZ_rudnZ2d_at_earthlink.com...


I have switched to Eternal-September and I am happy with them so far. They
have something like 6 months retention guaranteed but on some less popular
NGs they have posts back a year or more. The reply I got from Teranews
blamed everything but their servers, and the problem is still not fixed.
They were not totally free, but only a $5 setup charge, so no big deal. And
E-S also has much less spam. If one could eliminate all spam as well as
useless posts such as the bickering that happens here, news servers would
not need all that much space for retention.

Paul

Fri Jan 27, 2012 12:20 pm   

P E Schoen wrote:



Teranews is a testbed used by a new server farm to test software, and
is 'very' unreliable.

--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.