VIEWING YOUR DOWNLOADS.

A. File Types and Viewers:
B. Screen Savers
C. Other Tools

A. File Types and Viewers:

The most common file type found in the picture newsgroups will be .JPG and on an occasion .GIF. But others, such as the older .JPEG type are still found. And newer files might be PROGRESSIVE JPG's. These newer files are not viewable on older software, so make sure you have the most recent versions of your newsreading and picture-viewing software.
Q: What are .CSV files? I can't find a viewer.
A: They are Comma Separated Value files and contain information on the posted series. They are used by collectors to ensure that the scans are received as posted and not corrupted. The file can be opened in a text editor like notepad.
Q. What is in a CSV file?
A. The standard format is filename, filesize, CRC, description and/or path. "CRC" is used for file checking programs. A sample line from a CSV would look like the following:
nh_bvf_'00cal_01.jpg, 150693, 73F66132, Tales for the Fallen Magician
Q. What can you do with these CSV files?
A. There are programs for Windows which will look at a CSV file, look at your collection, and tell you:
  • which pictures you are missing,
  • if all filenames are correct and
  • if the images have not been modified.
Using a program like PicChecker You can see what part of a series you have and don't have.

Q: How does yEnc works?
A: yEnc is simply a method to encode the binaries when posting to a newsgroup - it was poorly implemented and released to the usenet community before it was ready, but we are stuck with it nonetheless, it's use is more widespread every day. Most posts are UUencoded, and your software would have no trouble at all with those ones.
If you are using Outlook Express to read the newsgroup - that particular software does not decode yEnc, so you will have to acquire a decoder and learn how to do it yourself. You can find a free decoder, along with instructions on how to use it with Outlook Express, here.
The other choice you have is to change the software you are using to access the newsgroups; there are many programs that will decode yEnc on their own, Microsoft's Outlook Express just isn't one of them. If you would like to investigate this option further, here is a place to see which newsreaders support yEnc.
{Lodewijk Otto}

Here's what we know about some picture-viewers to help you choose:

A.1. Windows:

A.2. Macintosh:

A.3. Multiple platforms:

B. Screen Savers

In theory, a screen saver preserves your monitor screen by changing the image periodically while the computer is unused, so that an image is not "burned" into the screen. The screen savers of interest here are those that are capable of displaying pictures.

B.1 Windows:

B.2. Macintosh:

Back to Table of Contents?

C. Other Tools

C.1. Windows:

C.2. Macintosh: