URGENT - HELP WITH SMART DOWNLOAD

J_fike · Post by **J_fike** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 3:53 am

heinz-oz wrote:
J_fike wrote:Heinz, since there's an obvious problem with "Smart" Download, and you know there is, why is it surprising people ask why it doesn't work properly? Why do you need more information to explain why it doesn't work?
Because for some people it does work. If we know what your system spec's are and what software mix you run we might be able to offer a solution.

Well, Iv'e tried it on three computers; two AMD 1900 winXP 512 MB memory with ATI 9800 graphic adapters and one Dell 600M notebook with 512 MB memory, winXp Sp2 Intel Pentium M 1400 processor.

Why did I get a response from Ulead support telling me to ignore Smart Download and use the manual URL? Why do new customers wonder why smart download doesn't work and ask the question on this forum (and get your canned answer about what sysem they are using)?

Why doesn't Ulead either fix the problem or do away with "Smart Download"?

seventhson · Post by **seventhson** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 4:19 pm

For me (and this has been true in all versions I own) the smart download works for a few items and it dosnt for everything else. I had hoped in the transition from 6 to 10 it would be fixed. It was this part of the product being disfunctional that has led me away from buying future versions. I will not say what I am switching to I am not here to advertise other products.

I have found that the updates can be downloaded off the Ulead website once you log into your member account, it failed if I was not loged in. I believe this will also hold true for all the free goodies.

System Specs:
CPU Type AMD Athlon XP, 2083 MHz (12.5 x 167) 2600+
Motherboard Name Abit AN7 (5 PCI, 1 AGP, 3 DIMM, Audio, LAN, IEEE-1394)
Motherboard Chipset nVIDIA nForce2 Ultra 400
System Memory 1024 MB (PC3200 DDR SDRAM)

Display:
Video Adapter NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT (128 MB)
3D Accelerator nVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT AGP

Storage:
IDE Controller NVIDIA nForce2 ATA Controller (v2.6)
SCSI/RAID Controller Silicon Image SiI 3112 SATARaid Controller
Floppy Drive Floppy disk drive
Disk Drive Maxtor 6 Y120M0 SCSI Disk Device (120 GB, 7200 RPM, SATA)
Disk Drive Maxtor 6 L100M0 SCSI Disk Device (93 GB)

Network:
Network Adapter Linksys LNE100TX(v5) Fast Ethernet Adapter (xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx)
Network Adapter NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller (xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx)

I believe that is all that would interface with this software and anything else is useless information.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 4:32 pm

seventhson
Have you tried to use a download Manager such as "GetRight"
You can use it for free if you don't mind the occaisional nag message, and it doesnt cost much to purchase.
Getright 'locks on' to the download file and will keep trying in the background until it gets your file. It also resumes the download from where it left off, should you lose your connection for any reason. It also remembers any necessary passwords to link to that download.
I have found that the Ulead Server appears to have busy and quiet periods and that simply be trying at different times of the day you are more likely to get a quick connection. Here in the UK I have found morning-mid afternoon quite good. It may be different wherever you are as Ulead is a worldwide Service.
Furthermore, My latest Ulead purchase (Plug in Madness 3 for Cool Production Studio) gave me an option to use a download manager provided by "Element 5".

2. The reliable download - with the element 5 Download Manager:

Use element 5 Download Manager when downloading large files. You can interrupt the download at any time and begin again later.

Note: element 5 Download Manager is not available for Macintosh at present.
Requirements for smooth operation of the Download Manager:

A Java plug-in is required for your browser.
If your browser does not have a Java plug-in, you can download it from one the following site:
Sun Java Plug-In (Java™ 2 Runtime Environment, JRE) for Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla, Opera, and other browsers

Please note that Microsoft VM for Java is currently not available.

Steve J

J_fike · Post by **J_fike** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:44 pm

Smart Download is supposed to be a download manager for Ulead PhotoImpact. It's supposed to identify modules you don't have installed with your PhotoImpact installation. It's a good idea and shouldn't be that hard to implement. Microsoft does it with there operating system. It scans your hard drive(s) and determines what is missing (what can be updated.)

Anyway, a newuser installs PhotoImpact and eventually clicks "help" and finds Smart Download (or reads about it on the web site.) He or she tries it and it identifies (supposedly) files that you can download to update the cop of PhotoImpact you paid for. But it goes through the motions (and the time) and then it give an error message that the content wasn't downloaded.

So the new user either comes here or contacts Ulead for support. Ulead support says "don't use smart download: simply go to http:xxx and download the necessary files." If he or she comes here, they get the "well, you need to tell us what operating system and motherboard/CPU/memory configuration, etc."

Now if Ulead is not going to support Smart Download, how hard would it have been to 1) fix it, or 2) remove the option from the help menu? Why carry a function that doesn't work and just makes a very good product look bad?

I really don't understand their (Ulead's) thinking on this.

Cricket · Post by **Cricket** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 5:24 am

Now if Ulead is not going to support Smart Download, how hard would it have been to 1) fix it, or 2) remove the option from the help menu? Why carry a function that doesn't work and just makes a very good product look bad?

I really don't understand their (Ulead's) thinking on this.

That's the problem. No forethought went into the problem, let alone a solution. After several failed attempts to download the required files manually and more hours of lost productivity, I threw up my hands in defeat. What nonsense for any company to expect customers to jump through hoops for the "privilege" of using improperly designed and untested software! Buyer beware.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:41 am

Cricket

What nonsense for any company to expect customers to jump through hoops for the "privilege" of using improperly designed and untested software! Buyer beware.

Have YOU ever written any software? I bet not. I have written several small 'programs' used at my workplace. Actually they are mainly Microsoft Access Databases but networked and driven with Visual Basic routines.

No matter how many times I would deliberately try to 'crash' the program to anticipate how an Operator would try and use my programs and tweak it accordingly, it was only after I let it loose on the Company that other users performed methods even I had not anticipated.

The same will be true of Ulead and any other Company. Their testers will go to extreme lengths to make sure their software works before they let it loose. After all it does their reputation no good if as you mentioned their are 'faults.'

Now lets compare Ulead to the largest software developer in the world
Microsoft. How come I very often see a little icon in the bottom right corner of my screen stating "Downloading Updates" does a week ever go by without it appearing at least once?

Come on be fair, no software is perfect. Ulead does it's best by electing certain users to become Beta Testers before any new software is released to try and iron out any so called bugs.

Regarding your problems with the Smart Download. This is something to do with Bandwidth. The Smart Download does work - I used it myself recently. The problem is that the Ulead server can only handle so much traffic at a time - Its rather like a Motorway, once traffic builds up congestion occurs. Just keep trying - there are also quieter periods with 'less traffic on the roads.'

Perhaps the reason for this 'traffic congestion' is an acknowledgment of how good their software is in as much as there are so many people out there in the world who have bought their products and so need to use the smart download service?

Remember a glass can be half full and not just half empty!

Steve J

Paintjob · Post by **Paintjob** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 7:25 pm

sjj1805 wrote:
Now lets compare Ulead to the largest software developer in the world
Microsoft. How come I very often see a little icon in the bottom right corner of my screen stating "Downloading Updates" does a week ever go by without it appearing at least once?

Good of you to keep the balance on this forum, as long as you are factually correct. Mcrosoft only put out updates once a month, on Black Tuesday (the 2nd tuesday of each month) as its famously known for the headaches it causes some. Which updates are you getting?

In addition to this, if I open a Word processor, I expect to be able to use all the letters in the alphabet, not just the ones a program chooses to allow. Yes, the ENS error is still with us, and no, I don't plan to re-install all my programs in an attempt to solve the fault

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 1:26 am

Paintjob

Thank you for the correction regarding the frequency of the updates via Microsoft. My error on this point is a genuine one caused by the fact that I have several Hard Drives and a multi-boot system so I obviously see repeated updates on my other drives. I do not intentionaly mean to distort or confuse anyone, my aim is to assist where I can.

One of the earlier posts mentions

jphaynes1966 wrote:........
The replies from the moderator are even worse. I'm expected
to keep several copies of downloadable updates? How pathetic
that that is your answer. .....

My suggestion here is to keep a 'multi-session' CD/DVD and rename each update in a format like
PhotoImpactUpdate01.exe
PhotoImpactUpdate02.exe
etc.

This way you can re-install the product should the need arise and then apply the updates in the correct order. As new updates are released they can be added to that same CD/DVD thus keeping all those updates on one disk. Seperate Directories can be kept for each Ulead product owned.

Thank you
Steve J
Moderator - Tutorials Section.

TootieFruitie · Post by **TootieFruitie** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 11:21 am

I had a look at the free download page and for me,
I think I got all that they offer there.
I purchased the full version PI 11 disc set. PI11 & a Bonus CD.
And all that is on these 2 discs.
I never buy via download or nor upgrade versions.
I buy full versions. I know I'm strange.
But what if I get a computer that doesnt take the first of a long series of upgrades.
And many miss stuff. So its full versions for me...LOL

The only thing I think I would need to download would be the patch updates.
But that appears to be impossible via the web site.

Now, if I understand this correctly, someone previously mentioned,
if I have the stuff already installed then there would be nothing for
Smart Download to download. But I am wondering if it works the
same way when there is a required download, like the Update Patch.

Should I use the Smart Download for the update?
Or forget about this tool altogether?

Is there a possibility that the update patch can be stored on a North
American Server instead of a Taiwan Server for Web download?

TF

Dbl Zero · Post by **Dbl Zero** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 7:35 pm

So is anybody at ULEAD even working on a patch to fix Smart Download?

I cant even use my component designer because when I try it tells me the content is being stored on the ULEAD servers, then while attempting to download the component I get a "Push File" error.

C'mon guys what use is a program that does not function as it was meant to?..

And before you ask,,

PI 11.0.1- Full Version

OS: XP Pro SP2 - All current updates

MoBo: Soyo Dragon 2

CPU: P4 3gig w/HT

RAM: 1gig PC3200 Dual channel DDR

Graffix: Asus 9600 XT - all current drivers

Which has nothing at all to do with the lame implimentation of the smart download feature....

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 7:49 pm

TootieFruitie wrote:.......
Is there a possibility that the update patch can be stored on a North
American Server instead of a Taiwan Server for Web download?
...........
TF

This is a good suggestion which I have passed on to Ulead for consideration.
Obviously we users do not know all the ins and outs of their web server and so they may have an alternative such as an increase in bandwidth.

Thank you
Steve J - Tutorial Section Moderator.

TootieFruitie · Post by **TootieFruitie** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 11:57 pm

Thanks, Steve.
That would be great.
I hope they consider it and comply.
It would be less stress on their server.
And less stress on us users....LOL

As for the Smart Download Tool, they should send out, post, etc.
a bulletin telling users not to use the tool if they are not planning
on fixing it, or at least till they do fix it, if they plan to.
Maybe even write a patch to remove the tool from previous versions & remove it from future software till it is functional.

Maybe you could suggest that too, it would also reduce the stress it
causes...LOL

Thanks again.

TF

J_fike · Post by **J_fike** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 8:13 pm

sjj1805 wrote:Cricket
What nonsense for any company to expect customers to jump through hoops for the "privilege" of using improperly designed and untested software! Buyer beware.
Have YOU ever written any software? I bet not. I have written several small 'programs' used at my workplace. Actually they are mainly Microsoft Access Databases but networked and driven with Visual Basic routines.

No matter how many times I would deliberately try to 'crash' the program to anticipate how an Operator would try and use my programs and tweak it accordingly, it was only after I let it loose on the Company that other users performed methods even I had not anticipated.

The same will be true of Ulead and any other Company. Their testers will go to extreme lengths to make sure their software works before they let it loose. After all it does their reputation no good if as you mentioned their are 'faults.'

Now lets compare Ulead to the largest software developer in the world
Microsoft. How come I very often see a little icon in the bottom right corner of my screen stating "Downloading Updates" does a week ever go by without it appearing at least once?

Come on be fair, no software is perfect. Ulead does it's best by electing certain users to become Beta Testers before any new software is released to try and iron out any so called bugs.

Regarding your problems with the Smart Download. This is something to do with Bandwidth. The Smart Download does work - I used it myself recently. The problem is that the Ulead server can only handle so much traffic at a time - Its rather like a Motorway, once traffic builds up congestion occurs. Just keep trying - there are also quieter periods with 'less traffic on the roads.'

Perhaps the reason for this 'traffic congestion' is an acknowledgment of how good their software is in as much as there are so many people out there in the world who have bought their products and so need to use the smart download service?

Remember a glass can be half full and not just half empty!

Steve J

Steve, I could buy that if I didn't notice that one of the items (the only item I selected from the Smart Download list) was only 508KB. I can watch the "bytes downloaded" count increment and the time it takes (I'm on dial-up) is consistent with the download speed of my system. It finishes with no errors. I click on the Smart Download "update" button, and there's that same component shown as available for download.

As a little test, I started anther Smart Download and when it got to approximately 50%, I pulled my phone line (to see if the byte counter continued or not -- it immediately froze.)

So that tell me it's not a bandwidth problem. Also, the file Smart Download identifies is OBJD0001.ufo, which after doing a drive search, is in my PI11 ...\Ulead.dat\DVD Menu Library\

Going a bit further, I renamed the file I had from OBJD0001.ufo to OBJD0001.old and went back to Smart Download. It identified the same files as available so I started the download. However, this time it said it was 748KBs? It completed and I did the search and sure enough, there was the renamed file and the new one, both 559,104 bytes in size.

It looks to me like Smart Download is identifying files one can download that don't really need to be. But new user's are not going to know that and will continue to complain, reinstall, and get fed up with the program.

TootieFruitie · Post by **TootieFruitie** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 8:55 pm

Dial up! Wow is that slow.

I have highband, Extreme bandwidth under a 5mb modem.
The highest available for regular home users.

Since posting a few days ago, and trying at every hour of the day,
afternoon, early evening, late evening, early morning...i still cant
get it.

Consider yourself lucky to get the download you did get...Im happy
for you, truely.
Now if I could just get the update patch i'd be happy too

TF

geoscomp · Post by **geoscomp** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 7:09 pm

I am running in to this problem as well, and am running on a T3 with a properly configured firewall, etc. As a trial, I put a machine into the DMZ and the same problem happens. Trying to manually download as often as not results in a page not found or a reset server error. If Ulead can't place the server in the US, how about some mirror servers around the world? If, indeed, they are so popular that the ftp server is constantly overloaded, they should have enough money to set up some mirrors.