QuickPar
Encyclopedia
QuickPar is a computer program that creates parchive
s used as verification and recovery information for a file or group of files, and uses the recovery information, if available, to attempt to reconstruct the originals from the damaged files and the PAR volumes.
Designed for the Microsoft Windows
operating system
, it is often used to recover damaged or missing files that have been downloaded through Usenet
. QuickPar may also be used under Linux
via Wine
.
There are two main versions of PAR files
: PAR and PAR2. The PAR2 file format lifts many of its previous restrictions.QuickPar is freeware
but not open source
. It uses the Reed-Solomon error correction algorithm internally to create the error correcting information.
There is a workaround for this.
1. Start Quickpar and click the button 'Options'
2. Select in the left: 'Integrate QuickPar into shell'
3. Press the OK button and close QuickPar.
4. Go with the Windows Explorer (or a other program) to the directory where the files are you want to make PAR2 files for.
5. Select them all using CTRL+A
6. Then press the right mouse button and select 'QuickPar' -> 'Make Recovery Files'
QuickPar will open and you can select how you want the PAR2 files to be made.
Hit the 'Create' button and QuickPar will make the PAR2 files without getting the buffer error.
Parchive
Parchive is an open source software project that emerged in 2001 to develop a parity file format, as conceived by Tobias Rieper and Stefan Wehlus...
s used as verification and recovery information for a file or group of files, and uses the recovery information, if available, to attempt to reconstruct the originals from the damaged files and the PAR volumes.
Designed for the Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
, it is often used to recover damaged or missing files that have been downloaded through Usenet
Usenet
Usenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It developed from the general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name.Duke University graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979 and it was established in 1980...
. QuickPar may also be used under Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
via Wine
Wine (software)
Wine is a free software application that aims to allow computer programs written for Microsoft Windows to run on Unix-like operating systems. Wine also provides a software library, known as Winelib, against which developers can compile Windows applications to help port them to Unix-like...
.
There are two main versions of PAR files
Parchive
Parchive is an open source software project that emerged in 2001 to develop a parity file format, as conceived by Tobias Rieper and Stefan Wehlus...
: PAR and PAR2. The PAR2 file format lifts many of its previous restrictions.QuickPar is freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
but not open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
. It uses the Reed-Solomon error correction algorithm internally to create the error correcting information.
Recurse subfolders
QuickPar is unable to recurse subfolders so it can only make a single parchive for the files in one folder. MultiPar is purportedly able to recurse subfolders http://www.quickpar.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1227http://www.quickpar.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1117, although one user warns that "phpar2 also has problems with large amounts of data" on 2009-06-17 http://www.quickpar.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=6200#p6200 (see "Could not allocate output buffer")."Could not allocate output buffer"
Some users received the error "Failed: Could not allocate output buffer". The developer writes, "Having too much memory available could potentially be a problem if you are creating a large output set as QuickPar will attempt to allocate a large chunk of that memory to do allow it to create the entire set of output data in one go. If windows then refuses to allocate such a large chunk of memory, QuickPar will fail with the "could not allocate output buffer" error." http://www.quickpar.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1042 As of May 27, 2010 (versions 0.8.0 and 0.9.1) this bug has not been fixed http://www.quickpar.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5579#p5579.There is a workaround for this.
1. Start Quickpar and click the button 'Options'
2. Select in the left: 'Integrate QuickPar into shell'
3. Press the OK button and close QuickPar.
4. Go with the Windows Explorer (or a other program) to the directory where the files are you want to make PAR2 files for.
5. Select them all using CTRL+A
6. Then press the right mouse button and select 'QuickPar' -> 'Make Recovery Files'
QuickPar will open and you can select how you want the PAR2 files to be made.
Hit the 'Create' button and QuickPar will make the PAR2 files without getting the buffer error.