Usenet is probably known for being one of the oldest file-sharing networks out there. While it’s age might make it a reliable source of files, it is by no means perfect. Sometimes, files get corrupted in transit (especially when NZB files are in use). That is where par files come in handy. Whether it’s Par1, Par2, or Par3 files, one program called Multipar can not only handle them, but generate them as well. While Par files add to the overall size of a package of files, they can help turn a bad post into a good post. In this guide, we’ll show you how to use Multipar to recover corrupted files.
Download Multipar
So, first we need to download this program. You can head over to multipar website and download the latest release (whether it’s downloading the file with the installer or all packaged into a zip file is entirely up to you).
Understanding the File Structure
Full releases that are posted on Usenet will often look something like the above. You have an nfo file, an sfv file, a series of par2 files, a rar file, and a series of r## files. Now, you may notice that the .r03 file is missing. We’ve removed this file from the folder to simulate a corrupted release that needs repairing. Most corrupted file structures will have all of the .r## files there, but small pieces of it are missing. This will be detected by Multipar, so it’s a good idea to use a program like multipar to verify that the release is good before attempting to open the file normally.
Open the Folder the Files Are Located In
When you open the program, you’ll see a “Browse” button. Click on it and browse to the folder the files are located in.
Open the SFV File
Now, you’ll want to open the sfv file contained. So, click on the “Open” button in the bottom left hand corner. Open the file that ends in the .sfv file.
Make the Repair
You will now see a screen similar to this. Multipar has scanned the archive and found that .r03 is, indeed, missing. The section of green in the status bar indicates all the good parts of the file. The section of the status bar that is in red indicates missing data. So, we need to open up the par files to see if the par files are able to repair what is missing. For that, we need to click on the “open” button. When get the new window, open up any of the files that end in the “par” file extension (in our case, it is .par2).
This can be a real fingers crossed moment for some Usenet users. Do I have enough recovery blocks to fix this file? If you see any red in the progress bar, it means you do not. If all you see is green and yellow, it means that you do. In this case, there were enough recovery blocks in this file set to repair it. Click on the “repair” button. Depending on the speed of your computer and the size of the repair, this can anywhere from a second to a couple of seconds.
When the file recovery process is complete, you’ll see something like this appear on the screen. Congratulations! You’ve repaired a corrupted batch of files!
FAQ
I’ve heard of a program called Quickpar. Is that a good program to use?
Sure. The only problem with Quickpar is the fact that it hasn’t been updated since 2004. If you can get it working on a newer system, then it is a nice small reliable program to use for recovering files as well. You can get Quickpar here.
The program says I didn’t have enough recovery blocks. Can I get more somehow?
Unlikely. Your best bet is to find another posting of those files in that case. Otherwise, you may be out of luck. Sorry.