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Message of the Day (MOTD) Archives

2016

November 16, 2016, 1:00pm

If Newsbin acts funny, look for software conflicts...

We've found that 90% of the time when Newsbin has odd symptoms, it is due to a software conflict with some security software. The biggest culprits are Kaspersky, Norton, and Avast. Corrupted Downloads? Header Downloads Failing? Slow download speeds? Speed going to zero? Connection errors? These are all symptoms of a software conflict. Some of these packages start blocking Newsbin after an update, or even after upgrading Newsbin.

If things start acting weird, you can rule out your security software by temporarily disabling it, rebooting your machine, then try Newsbin again. If the problem goes away, you know you need to look into configuring your security software to ignore Newsbin. Make sure you perform a reboot of your machine as the security software will stay in effect until a reboot.

We are always available to help you troubleshoot any issues through our Support Form.

October 31, 2016, 1:00pm

Version 6.73 Beta 2 Available

We are addressing more minor issues that have been uncovered in the 6.72 release, mostly around NZB processing and issues with more advanced download path configurations. Go to the Beta Page and click the "Changes in this Version" tab for more information. The download link is there as well.

Any issues with the beta, or questions in general, feel free to contact us through our Support Form.

October 24, 2016, 8:30am

Nineteen years ago, Newsbin was born...

On October 24, 1997, we launched newsbin.com and made Newsbin available as shareware. Marking this day, we are announcing a way for current registered users to start receiving our Usenet Search Service Free!

NOTE: This deal expired on November 1, 2016. We still offer free Search with Alt.Binaries new $10 accounts.

We are talking the full unlimited Search tier that is normally $5 per month! All you have to do is sign up with Alt.Binaries which provides unlimited downloads for only $8 per month. Then link your key to your Alt.Binaries account to receive free access to our search service.

If you are unfamiliar with our Usenet Search service, click the Search tab in Newsbin, make sure the Search Mode is set to "Internet" and type in a keyword or words matching the content you are looking for. Anyone can search but being able to queue search results for download requires a subscription.

Any questions, feel free to contact us through our Support Form.

October 19, 2016, 12:15pm

Version 6.73 Beta 1 Available

Version 6.72 has proven to be stable with a minimal number problem reports. There have been some issues reported with less commonly used features that we are addressing in verison 6.73. If you are having any odd issues, start with this beta and see if they were resolved and if not, let us know through our Support Form.

You can download this version and read about the changes on the Beta Download Page. Click the "Changes in this Version" tab on the Beta page for the list of changes.

September 16, 2016, 2:40pm

Server Maintenance Complete

The Newsbin Forums are up after a short maintenance period. If you notice anything strange, please contact us through our Technical Support Form but maintenance went smoothly and we do not anticipate any issues.

As a reminder, the current release of Newsbin is Version 6.72. It has been proven to be very reliable and we have received a minimum of technical support issues with this version. It is a free upgrade for all registered users. You can get it from the Newsbin Download Page.

September 16, 2016, 2:30pm

Server Maintenance

The Newsbin Forums will be down for about 15 minutes for maintenance. Any questions, we can be reached through our Technical Support Form.

August 20, 2016, 10:15am

Version 6.72 Final Release

We have addressed some late bugs that turned up in 6.71 and this build of 6.72 has proven to be more stable and reliable. Please upgrade to this release by running the installer on the Newsbin Download Page. As long as you are upgrading from 6.60 or higher, all settings and your registration will be preserved. Upgrading from older versions may not include all your settings or lists but will make an effort.

If you have any questions or issues, feel free to contact us via the Technical Support Form.

August 16, 2016, 11:15am

Version 6.72 Release Candidate Available

A number of issues were uncovered after broad release of Version 6.71. They were relatively simple fixes so we didn't think they warranted a full beta cycle but it was enough to bump up the version number.

Details about the fixes and the download link are on the Beta Page.

Please give this version a try and contact us if you find any issues or have any questions via our Technical Support Form.

August 12, 2016, 10:00pm

News Server Advice

We've been getting reports that one of the news services is having issues and generating more "430 Post Not Found" errors than other servers. We recommend running Newsbin against multiple news servers to obtain the best completion. We have negotiated a special price for Newsbin users with UsenetServer. We also recommend Eweka for our non-US users.

Help setting up an additional news server is available on our help page

August 5, 2016, 9:00am

Tip using Version 6.71

Version 6.71 has an option that tells Newsbin to continue downloading in the background while an unrar is taking place. We've had reports that files might fail downloading if your download speed is faster than your computer can handle if it is also processing an unrar. If this happens, re-downloading the files will succeed after the unrar completes. To avoid this situation, you can disable the option to unrar while downloading under Options -> Settings -> Performance. It is called "Pause Download during UnRAR/Repair". You'll want to turn this on.

As a reminder, the latest production release is Version 6.71 Build 4766. If you aren't running this version, you can download it from the Newsbin Download Page and just re-run the installer to upgrade.

August 2, 2016, 11:00am

Patch released for 6.71

A couple of minor issues have been uncovered since the production release. The fixes were so simple we did not think it warranted a complete beta cycle. The two issues are:

1) SSL wasn't working for one specific provider
2) Downloading small rar files could cause Newsbin to hang.

To make sure you are running the latest version, check the build number that is displayed in the title bar at the top of the Newsbin window. It should be Build 4766. If you do not have this build number, run the installer again and the upgrade will be automatic. Your original settings will be preserved as long as you are upgrading from a recent version. You can download the installer from the Newsbin Download Page.

Please contact us if you find any issues or have any questions via our Technical Support Form.

July 28, 2016, 4:15pm

Newsbin 6.71 Production Release

The official Newsbin 6.71 release is now available. While it mostly addresses bugs discovered in 6.70, it also runs on Windows XP and 2003 again. More details in the announcement in the Newsbin Forums.

This is a free upgrade for registered users. Just run the installer and the upgrade will be automatic. Your original settings will be preserved as long as you are upgrading from a recent version. You can download the installer from the Newsbin Download Page.

Please contact us if you find any issues or have any questions via our Technical Support Form.

July 20, 2016, 3:55pm

Newsbin 6.71 Release Candidate 3

We fixed a number of bugs that were uncovered once we had a broader audience running the Release Candidate. This one has addressed most of the issues but there may be one more release after this one before the final.

You can download the latest Release Candidate from the Beta Page.

Please contact us if you find any issues or have any questions via our Technical Support Form.

July 12, 2016, 10:45am

Newsbin 6.71 Release Candidate

We updated the SSL library and need a broader audience to exercise it. We've found the new code to increase reliability of SSL connections to some servers. This version also fixes some issues with the Password Manager and is more helpful pointing out if your server configuration is messed up or missing.

As long as no show stopper issues are found, this could become the final release. You can download it from the Beta Page.

Please contact us if you find any issues or have any questions via our Technical Support Form.

July 6, 2016, 5:00pm

Kaspersky Update Conflicts

We are receiving many reports of odd errors when downloading with Newsbin. Such as "Header Download Failed: ReadFailure". It coincides with the latest Kaspersky software update which seems to be conflicting with Newsbin. To resolve this, you need to configure Kaspersky to ignore the Newsbin Data Folder as well as Newsbin's Internet connections.

Please contact us if you have any questions via our Technical Support Form.

June 27, 2016, 9:00am

Version 6.71 Beta 4 Available

We fixed a startup issue introduced in Beta 3 with people running custom windows themes. To do this, we started using new compiler tools that allows us to build for Windows XP again. So 6.71B4 works on Windows XP for you XP holdouts. You can download it from the Beta Page.

Please contact us if you have any questions via our Technical Support Form.

June 13, 2016, 8:00am

Version 6.71 Beta 3 Available

We are looking for a wider audience to start using Beta 3 of version 6.71. It is close to production release but we are trying to isolate an odd problem that seems to be happening with less than 1% of people. They report that Newsbin will start but the Newsbin window never shows. If you can reproduce this, let us know. Dropping back to 6.71 Beta 2 seems to resolve it. Download the beta from the Beta Page. Click on the "Changes in this Version" tab to see what is new for Beta 3.

Please contact us if you recreate the problem or if you have any questions via our Technical Support Form.

June 8, 2016, 5:00pm

How to Access the Newsbin Control Panel

We get a fair number of requests for lost login information for the Newsbin Control Panel. This is where you would go to update your email address, sign up for our Internet Search service, renew your Search subscription, or update your payment information. Starting with Newsbin 6.62, there is a shortcut within Newsbin that will log you directly in to the Control Panel as long as Newsbin is registered. To do this, go under the Help menu at the upper right of the Newsbin window and select "Search Control Panel". This will launch your browser and open your account in the Newsbin Control Panel.

This is only for Newsbin related information, it does not manage any access to your Usenet news server. You are receiving that service through a different company.

As always, feel free to contact us with any questions via our Technical Support Form.

May 31, 2016, 1:00pm

Version 6.71 Beta 2 Available

This version fixes an issue running on servers that do not support the NNTP XFeatures command. The bug was introduced in 6.70. Beta 2 also some more small issues that have been uncovered since the 6.70 release. You can download it from the Beta Page

NOTE: Version 6.70+ will not run on Windows XP or 2003. If you are running one of those OS's, you should stick with 6.62.

If you find any issues or have any questions, feel free to contact us via our Support Form or in the Newsbin Forums.

May 23, 2016, 3:45pm

Version 6.71 Beta 1 Available

A number of small issues in 6.70 have been identified and fixed. Check the list of fixed issues on the Beta Page and give 6.71 a try if it addresses an issue you have been having. Or just upgrade for fun. If you are currently running 6.70, it's a safe upgrade.

NOTE: Version 6.70+ will not run on Windows XP or 2003. If you are running one of those OS's, you should stick with 6.62.

If you find any issues or have any questions, feel free to contact us via our Support Form or in the Newsbin Forums.

April 28, 2016, 9:00pm

Version 6.70 Final

Version 6.70 Final is now available for download. It has more reliable RAR/PAR processing as well as a number of small enhancements and bug fixes over 6.62. More information and the download link is on the download page. If you are running anything prior to 6.60 then you should read the note at the bottom of the download page before upgrading.

NOTE: Version 6.70 will not run on Windows XP or 2003. If you are running one of those OS's, you should stick with 6.62.

If you find any issues or have any questions, feel free to contact us via our Support Form or in the Newsbin Forums.

April 2, 2016, 10:00pm

Version 6.70 Beta 10 Available...

This version has some bug fixes, enhancements, and cosmetic changes over Beta 9. You can see the entire list of changes in the release notes available after running the installer or by clicking on the "Changes in this Version" tab on the Newsbin Beta Page. If you are running anything prior to 6.60 then you should read the note below the download button before upgrading.

If you find any issues or have any questions, feel free to contact us via our Support Form or in the Newsbin Forums.

March 23, 2016, 12:30pm

Version 6.70 Beta 9 Available...

We are ready for 6.70 Beta to have more eyes on it. The biggest change from 6.62 is the ability to continue downloading while unraring files. In 6.62, downloads are paused during unrar for performance reasons. Also, 6.70 will no longer run on Windows XP to take advantage of optimizations only available on newer windows operating systems. If you are an XP user, version 6.62 is the end of the road for you until you upgrade your OS.

This version is free for all registered users, just run the installer and it will perform an upgrade to the beta. You will not lose any settings if you are moving from 6.60+. If you are running anything prior to 6.60 then you should read the note below the download button before upgrading.

If you find any issues or have any questions, feel free to contact us via our Support Form or in the Newsbin Forums.

March 19, 2016, 8:30am

Astraweb Issues Resolved

Yesterday there were connection issues to Astraweb servers. Those have since been resolved.

March 18, 2016, 3:00pm

Attention Astraweb Users

We are getting reports of issues connecting to Astraweb servers. If you see a message that looks like "Unable to Convert Server Name to Internet Address: news.astraweb.com" pop up in Newsbin, everyone is getting it. Hopefully Astraweb will have it resolved soon.

If you don't want to wait, it could be a good time to pick up an additional news server to help fill out missing parts. Many offer free trials. We have a few suggestions on our UsenetTools site.

March 15, 2016, 4:00pm

Check your Newsbin Version

We encourage our users to run the latest production release of Newsbin, which currently is Version 6.62. The version is listed in the upper left hand corner of Newsbin. If it is older than 6.56, we recommend upgrading before March 31 or you will lose access to these MOTD messages when we remove support for older SSL versions on our web server. Another incentive to upgrade is that Usenet news servers may eventually perform the same changes which means versions of Newsbin prior to 6.56 won't work anymore if you are using SSL.

We are pretty far along with Version 6.70 Beta development and are currently at Beta 7. It is reliable but still has some known issues that are being fixed. If you are running an older 6.70 Beta, it is worth an upgrade. If you have not tried 6.70 yet, you should probably hold off until B8 is ready.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us through our Support Request Form

February 8, 2016, 3:45pm

How to handle "Header Download Failed: ReadFailure"

We have been receiving reports more often about the above error. It points to a conflict with some Internet Security software that does not properly handle binary data flowing over NNTP. The workaround is to disable "XFeatures" for header downloads. You do this by going under Options -> Servers within Newsbin, then select your server on the left side of the window and click the "Really Advanced" button. From there, click the "Disable XFeatures" option.

If you do not want to lose the XFeature capability, which can increase header download speed by a factor of 10, you will need to configure your security software to ignore Newsbin and any traffic between Newsbin and your news server. The port Newsbin is using will be listed on the Server Options screen. By default it is port 119 for non-SSL and port 563 for SSL.

If you need any help, we are available through our Support Request Form

January 28, 2016, 1:00pm

How to handle a "Bogus Maxspool Error"

One of the news services reset their header counts a few days ago. If you download headers and start receiving a "Bogus Maxspoool Error" message, that is why. The procedure for fixing this in the Newsbin Troubleshooting FAQ

If you need any help, we are available through our Support Request Form

January 13, 2016, 10:30am

Watch for Software Conflicts

One of the most frequent issues that comes up turns out to be a software conflict with Internet Security software. For example, Kaspersky just released an update that corrupts some of Newsbin's data streams unless it is configured to ignore Newsbin. If you are getting a "Read Failure" error or, after some other software update, Newsbin can no longer connect to your Usenet news server, the first thing to check is that your Internet Security software is allowing Newsbin full access to the Internet.

In other news, we have started beta testing Version 6.70 which has a new download engine which allows downloads to continue while an unrar/repair is taking place. Many people with high end machines have asked that we restore this feature and we have listened. If you want to try it, you can download it from the Newsbin Beta Page

As always, we are availble to help with any issues by contacting us through our Support Request Form

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Awards
One bug in all these years? That's pretty amazing and a testament to the great work you're doing. I wish more small software companies were as competent. :D M.Y., Grand Rapids, MI - July 10, 2017