Why Is My Download Slow?
Our libraries are hosted on Amazon Cloudfront servers which are usually very quick. However, if you're experiencing a slow download there are a few checks that we often recommend to customers.
1) Avoid downloading at busy times
In some cases your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will throttle connections during peak hours. The busy hours for internet use are usually from 7:00pm - 11:00pm.
2) Leave the download running overnight
Running a download overnight should avoid busy periods. Our App aims to use as much of the available bandwidth as possible, and downloading at these times often means that you'll have more bandwidth obtainable.
3) Check that you do not have any Firewall or Anti-Virus software interfering with the download
You may find that your download is slowed due to Anti-Virus software 'scanning' every file as it downloads. To work around this, try temporarily disabling the Anti-Virus software or adding the Spitfire App as an 'exception'.
Why Is My Download Stuck?
If your download is not progressing at all there are a couple of other steps that could need addressing.
4) Changing the download server in the App configuration file
You may have issues connecting to the Amazon Cloudfront servers. If this is the case, you can manually edit the Spitfire App configuration file to download from the Amazon S3 servers instead.
> Make sure the Spitfire App is closed and then locate the lm.conf file.
Windows: C:/Users/USERNAME/Roaming/Application Data/Spitfire Audio/Settings/lm.conf
Mac OS: User/Music/Spitfire Audio/Settings/lm.conf
> Open the file with a text editor (Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac OS).
> In the document, you'll notice a line of text "cdn": "cloudfront". Change cloudfront to s3, which should then display as "cdn": "s3". Once you've done this, save the document.
Note: for Mac OS users, make sure that you do not have "smart quotes" enabled in TextEdit. This will prevent the App from opening. You can deselect the setting in your TextEdit preferences.
> Reopen the Spitfire App and attempt the download.
5) Try deleting the last numbered ".part" file
In rare cases the App can get stuck 'looping' on a specific .part file. If you go into the relevant library folder and delete the most recent file you may find that the download proceeds.
Comments
20 comments
Switching from cloudfront to s3 worked for me. Many thanks for the tip. Jonathan
Jonathan Marshall +1, with "cloudfront" server download doesn't work at all.
I know Sandy will sort me out, but was a bit confused - my im.conf document doesn't seem to have the code that they quote in point 3, so I had no choice other than to get in touch, as I don't know how to switch from cloudfront to S3.
Yeah changing the download server worked for me
I haven't changed the download server. I seem to be hung on two files:
777414-1687305.part and
777414-1687306.part. Both are in Solo Strings. Tried deleting these without success. What to do?
Tried re downloading to another drive which also failed. Message keeps hanging on 20/22 downloaded. 20/22 merged. have stopped and restarted any number of times. What to do? Put in ticket request and will eventually get this working, I'm sure.
I have exactly the same problem with Solo Strings as Kevin above.
Kevin, have you resolved this issue yet?
No, I have not and I'm upset about it. when did you download this instrument? Can't imagine it was always this way or people would have complained before now. I think there's a technical glitch and no one is minding the store. as we say in the States.
Kevin Try changing the download server to s3 if you are on cloud front or change it to cloud front if you are on s3
Kevin, I downloaded on Saturday and since then has tried everything I can think of including Josh's suggestion above.
I tried changing text to "s3" and it didn't work, I tried changing it back to "cloudfront" and the app still won't work. Please, help!
On Mac, make sure you uncheck the Smart Quotes in preferences before you edit the text file! I didn't and got an error when I tried to reboot. But if you go back and delete Im.conf, it will create a new one next time you boot up, you can then go back and edit in text edit with Smart Quotes unchecked. At least that is what worked for me and now the file is downloading.
Not having any luck downloading either. The Spitfire app hangs for several minutes when I launch it, and my recently-purchased library doesn't load its art in the "My Products" page. When I try to download it, it never progresses past 0%, and changing the download server didn't help.
I'm trying to download Albion ONE using the downloader. For some reason it gets stuck at 95% done and then the app quits. When I install Albion ONE it starts at 11GB and downloads on top of the pre-existing library.
Changing the server to 's3' worked for me. :)
Same error happening for me with the labs drums. On Mac and have turned off my firewall/allowed the Spitfire app, changed download server, removed all .part files, restarted the download several times and have more than enough storage space. This happened a few months ago with the drums as well, thought I'd give it another go but no to avail.
Changing the server and all other points above didn't worded for me!
...didn't worked....sorry!
Same issues downloading Bernard Herrmann for PC... have tried all solutions listed above. It was working on 13th May but after shutting down PC and restarting the download was hanging at 77.20 GB. Deleting the latest .part file made a difference - it jumped up to 125.25 GB downloaded and the Mbps was above 0.0 - but then it froze. After deleting a second .part file it's stuck on 77.20 GB again.
What's more frustrating is that it was fully downloaded a few days ago but as I ran out of drive space (it's 136 GB!) I don't think it unpacked properly, meaning I had all the Advanced articulations but none of the main screens grouping, for example, all strings in one.
changing the server to s3 worked brilliantly - thank you!
Please sign in to leave a comment.