FSX-MS FSDT downloads not working?

[BeechPapa 32]

I re-installed FSDT KLAX due to performance issues, and it installed an older version of GSX. So now I have to download an updated addon manager, especially if I ever want to see the deicing trucks again. Problem is that it's taking an ridculous amount of time just to download 16.5mb. The Media Fire site, due to advertising and requests for "paid membership" seems like an unprofessional place for an established retail operation like FSDT to host files. Most developers rely on dedicated servers or online stores. However, MediaFire doesn't appear to be down, so I'm not sure where the problem is exactly. 

 

Edit: Download failed actually... says "Network error". Hmm. Just for clarification my speeds are fine, Netflix is streaming HD no prob. 

[out 769]

Ethan,

 

I have just downloaded the Addon Manager and it took 15 seconds with my average Internet connection. So there must be something on your side.

By the way, FSDT sceneries (like LAX) do not install GSX. GSX is a separate product.

[BeechPapa 32]

Thank you for checking, Rafal. :smile: I just tried again and it finally went through. Not quite 12 seconds (that's impressive indeed) but atleast it worked. Perhaps there is an intermittent issue with my local MediaFire server. I understand GSX (full version) doesn't come with KLAX, but I have GSX as well so maybe KLAX overwrote something? This is the warning I get when I start a flight from KLAX now: 

 

[out 769]

Ethan, I've never seen such a message window. I suggest that you report this problem directly to Umberto at the FSDT forum.

From my experience, he is usually very quick in response and will know best what is happening here.

[BeechPapa 32]

I wanted to get a flight in before bed without these problems looming over my head. Following instructions in the message window made the message go away. De-icing works too, so looks like GSX is up to date.

 

I used an older LAX installer. Since MediaFire was not working, I couldn't get one that was up to date. That might have started the problem. I will contact Umberto tomorrow and report the issues I was having with Media Fire downloads. A reliable download method really is important with a product that has so many updates.  

 

Thanks again for the help, Rafal!

[Jim Young 2,356]

When I first tried to download the Standalone Addon Manager I was greeted with Media Fire and thought I had been hit by malware. I was not about to hit the download button and have something malicious installed in my system. I could not believe I had been hit by malware as I tried to be very cautious as to what gets downloaded to my system. I tried to download another FSDT product and got met with the same issue. Finally I decided to hit the huge download button and I saw the normal 'save to' greeting I get with all FireFox downloads and realized they were really using MediaFire for their downloads. Once I got a captcha that I had to complete before it would allow me to make more downloads. It also egged me to join MediaFire. Now that I know what it is all about I have no problems with it. It was just a surprise to see the MediaFire ads and website before I could download a product.

 

Best regards,

[smakar 0]

 

 

very cautious as to what gets downloaded to my system

I should have you talk to my wife - she doesn't listen to me. It's become a weekly task for me to run full system virus scans and uninstall unwanted apps from her laptop - her natural reflex is to click OK (unfortunately the opposite when responding to me <g>).

[virtuali 4,419]

This has been already discussed and answered on our forum:

 

http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php/topic,11549.msg88778.html#msg88778

 

We always used Mediafire for downloads, since years. It's just that, for some reason, our account ( a full Business account, of course ) it's behaving as if it was a "free" account, although we obviously payed for it.

 

Normally, you are not supposed to see any ads or captchas or the mediafire page, the download will just start, but there's clearly an issue now, and of course we already submitted a support request to Mediafire ( guess what, issues like these ALWAYS happens in the weekend... )

 

However, there's no problem whatsoever with the downloads: it's just you'll see the Mediafire page that might ask you to solve a Captcha and/or present some ads, but the download that is obtained clicking the big green "Download" button is PERFECTLY FINE AND SAFE, and it's 100% the SAME file you would have got normally, if the Mediafire page didn't appeared.

 

We always had our files on Mediafire, the link is exactly the same we always had, nothing has changed, except with this strange bug with Mediafire, that is not allowing a direct download, as it supposed to be with a Pro account.

 

 

 

The Media Fire site, due to advertising and requests for "paid membership" seems like an unprofessional place for an established retail operation like FSDT to host files. Most developers rely on dedicated servers or online stores.

Maybe you should have waited to see an explanation, before doing such kind of comments.

 

We obviously have a full Pro account with Mediafire, and we have been using this for years with no issues whatsoever, and no user ever had a problem with it.

 

On a Pro account, you are NOT supposed to see ANY ads/captchas or any suggestion to join Mediafire. You are NOT supposed to SEE any Mediafire page to begin with! The download will be direct, just like a "dedicated server", because that's exactly what it is a Medifire Pro account.

 

In fact, using a Mediafire Pro account it's BETTER than having a "dedicated server", like many online stores use. With a dedicated server, you usually have a store running on it, with many downloads, even from different developers, all on the same "dedicated" server, because nobody can obviously afford to have a dedicated server for EACH installer.

 

Which is exactly what Mediafire is giving us: EACH file is hosted on a DIFFERENT server, with the obvious benefits of speed and reliability, compared to have all our files on the same server.

 

We NEED to use this system, because we don't require you to purchase before allowing a download, and we don't have those nonsensical "expiring links" or "download insurances", where your link is stored only for a limited time, then it goes away and it might not be available anymore after a while (like after a year), unless you pay for some kind of "download insurance".

 

Instead, since we allow to download BEFORE and AFTER purchase, and even without a purchase (because the installer IS THE TRIAL), and the download is ALWAYS freely available, with no string attached, for ever, without requiring any registration or login, this means we need WAY more bandwidth than a developer that is restricting your ability to download freely.

 

That's why we use an host like Mediafire: because it's designed to allow an high number of downloads without compromising on speed and availability. Flightbeam uses Mediafire too, because it uses a similar distribution system like we do ( free download, always available )

 

The issue is, because of some PROBLEM Mediafire is having with our account in the last couple of days, the "PRO" features don't seem to be working correctly and, although our account is perfectly valid and fully paid, the account is behaving AS IF it wasn't really running in "Pro" mode, that's why you are seeing the Mediafire page that normally doesn't appear.

 

It's obviously a PROBLEM, that we clearly reported with Mediafire and they'll hopefully fix it soon, but the downloads in the meantime are all accessible and perfectly fine, except for the annoying Mediafire download page that you are not normally supposed to see.

[BeechPapa 32]

Now that I know what it is all about I have no problems with it. It was just a surprise to see the MediaFire ads and website before I could download a product.

 

I know how you feel. It prompted me with the following "captcha": "Do you use photo editing software? Yes or No". I couldn't tell if it was really a captcha or some sly click bait for malware. I thought by answering "no" I would certainly thwart their efforts. lol. Worked eventually though, so all's well that end's well I suppose. 

 

 

I should have you talk to my wife - she doesn't listen to me. It's become a weekly task for me to run full system virus scans and uninstall unwanted apps from her laptop - her natural reflex is to click OK (unfortunately the opposite when responding to me <g>).

Hehe, don't blame her only, women are often targeted out for malware. I almost virused an entire company's computer network because I was researching interactive makeup interfaces on different websites, and one of them had some nasty code lurking in their flash interface. Luckily I yanked the ethernet cable out before it reached the network.

 

 

Maybe you should have waited to see an explanation, before doing such kind of comments.

 

We obviously have a full Pro account with Mediafire, and we have been using this for years with no issues whatsoever, and no user ever had a problem with it.

 

On a Pro account, you are NOT supposed to see ANY ads/captchas or any suggestion to join Mediafire. You are NOT supposed to SEE any Mediafire page to begin with! The download will be direct, just like a "dedicated server", because that's exactly what it is a Medifire Pro account.

 

To be honest, I find your attitude unnecessarily hostile. I encountered ads, as have others. And I am not lying about the network errors I had. Perhaps if customers have issues with your download service you should be more receptive to feedback instead of suggesting that they "should have waited for an explanation". The facts remains I had issues downloading, and I saw ads... and that is not my fault.  

[virtuali 4,419]

To be honest, I find your attitude unnecessarily hostile. I encountered ads, as have others.

It's you that started it, with your comment about the supposed "unprofessional" way of handling downloads, before listening to an explanation of why it happened.

 

And I am not lying about the network errors I had.

Nobody said you are "lying" about the network errors. In fact, I cannot see anything in my comments about the network errors, but I'm fairly sure they were just a coincidence and didn't had anything to do with the present issue.

 

Sometimes it's needed to clear the browser cache, because Mediafire usually switch servers depending on load, so your browser might end up confused about where the download is located.

 

Perhaps if customers have issues with your download service you should be more receptive to feedback instead of suggesting that they "should have waited for an explanation".

The correct place to get support for an FSDT product or asking about any problems with anything related to FSDT, it's the FSDT forum, or the FSDT support email.

 

And on our forum, that issue has already been discussed and explained, so if you checked our forum first, you would already got an answer.

 

The facts remains I had issues downloading, and I saw ads... and that is not my fault.

Your fault was only the unfair "unprofessional" comment, and that's it. I have no qualms against the rest of your post, there's nothing wrong with reporting a problem, what was wrong, was that comment and nothing else.

 

Mediafire IS having an issue right now, which will hopefully be fixed soon (allowing for the weekend), but no service has been interrupted, and all downloads are working normally, even if you have to pass through the Mediafire page.

[virtuali 4,419]

The problem seems to have been fixed in the meantime, the ads/captcha page doesn't appear anymore, and the downloads starts directly as they always did. I didn't expect Mediafire to fix the issue on a Saturday night, but they did...

[Leo2003 7]

No they did not.!! I just tried..

[virtuali 4,419]

No they did not.!! I just tried..

 

Yes, they have, I can confirm there's no ads/captcha page anymore since yesterday, the downloads are starting directly as usual.

 

Tried yesterday, when I wrote it the message that confirms the problem has been fixed, and tried it again now, both from two different system, a PC and a Mac.

 

As I've said in one of my previous replies, it's possible that you might have to clear your browser cache, because your browser might still try to download for on outdated link (actual links change and rotate on Mediafire, because of the redundant servers), so either clear your browser cache and restart it, or remove all cookies from Mediafire.com and restart the browser.

[ZKOKQ 984]

Working fine here Umberto. Thanks for the explanation.

[Leo2003 7]

Ok. thanks virtuali .