Digital ME & MEW Issues

After recent computer crash in which I lost all downloaded digital copies of both ME & MEW due to the stupid set up and whole system of Pocketmags software App's and type of file download NOT PDF. I have to now re-download yet again not long after re-downloading after Pocketmags decided to withdraw a version downloader/reader.

This whole set up has got to change.

1 The hassle I had setting up the new App from Microsoft on the PC, You have NO control over where it is installed or where the files/magazines are installed.
2. Even if backed up you can NOT through settings or preferences tell the App where to locate the files.
3 The time it will take to re-download is now time not spent doing other things. That not only phisses me off but wife and family also.

The fact remains WE do NOT own or can archive for personal use OUR PAID for subscriptions to do with as we please for the life such as a hard copy.

Therefore we are being over charged and mislead for Digital content the price needs to be reduced to less than half. Manufacturing and distribution costs are far lass than hard copy for starters. Online access is only possible IF you have net access when out and about.

You don't have to sit there in front of the screen while it downloads them just select them all and go do something else.

I download them in batches as and when I think about it and just let it get on with the download.

J

Jason thanks but there is no way as there is no option to do so. The moment you click on any magazine it opens it up of course downloading it. Close it and it stops downloading.

What App are you using to be able to do that?

Ray

Use PrimoPDF to print your Pocketmags, that way you can produce your own PDF copy to keep.

JES

Raymond

Go to My Library, then click on ME, MEW or any other mags you take. lets use ME as an example.

having clicked ME you will get the 2018 issues and then all the 2017 issues to the right of that and so on depending on how long the subscription has run. Any that have been downloaded will have a dark blue pin at their bottom right corner, grey pin if not downloaded.

You how have two methods to select more that one mag.

1. RIGHT click any mag and you will get a blue bar along the bottom of the page with the option to "Select all"

2. Hold down the Ctrl key and click on any mags which will select that batch and again bring up the blue bar.

You will also see along that blue bar a tab "Download" click that and it will start downloading all the selected mags, progress will be shown by teh grey pin turning blue like a clock hand if sweeping across the pin.

Ray,

May I strongly suggest you make and keep backups?

The next glitch might lose you everything, not just your copies of ME.

If you have a windows PC the easiest way of doing this is to create a recovery USB key and baclkupall your files to an external hard drive or (if the system is small enough) big USB key/SD card that you normally leave unconnected

It's also worth having a drive and set up to use 'file history'.

Neil

Jason many thanks that get them all downloaded BUT it doesn't allow management of where to download them to. As you say it will save sitting downloading each one individually. It still shows the useless App for what it is.

Jes thanks will certainly look into that as I need one for other things also.

Neil Keeping back ups is great and something I do often BUT as stated above the useless App does not allow you to retrieve such as I have stated when we discussed the version change of App by Pocketmags last year.

I see you greatly edited your response Neil from the one in my email subscription. RRFLMAO

So in detail Neil for all of us who do not have a clue about backing up our files (mind you I do have 3 ext HDD 2x1T 1x2T, 4x1T internal, 1x2T internal. storage) these have data going back to 1996. The usual photos, videos I've created, Files downloaded.

1 Exactly in detail where the mags downloaded are stored?
2 How the App will retrieve said stored files ?
3 How the App will if it like once before change will read them.

To make it MY responsibility and for ME to take control there must be a way to do this legally.

It would be excellent IF it was even possible to simply transfer from the tablet or phone to the pc or even visa versa instead we have to multi download thank goodness for unlimited ISP.

Now to have a drive set up for "File History" and doing daily back ups explain how you go about delving into where THESE files are located Neil please? maybe you could do a full article on that in both magazines you know for us dummies.

[A new posting has been made on the thread Digital ME & MEW Issues.

Posting:

Ray,

With the greatest of respect, whatever format you keep you downloads in there is always the possibility that a computer glitch or hardware failure will get rid of them. Just as its possible for paper issues to be water damaged, for example.

Whether you have a desktop, laptop, tablet or phone it is relatively straightforward to make a backup in this day and age, but making backups is YOUR responsibility, just as keeping paper copies dry is.

Neil

Posted By Neil Wyatt on 11/03/2018 10:20:58.]

After years working as a computer tech teaching individuals about back up, and back up management I consider myself a little knowledgeable about procedure.

Thats right Neil BUT only IF you can with ease do so this App does not allow that in any form.

1 In installing the App
2 Where you save the downloads to
3 In what format those downloads are saved as
4 Retrieval of the same

5 As has already been proved with the change of Pocketmags reader last year the new reader could not retrieve all those saved.

As for hard copies you are dead right BUT I do not have total control until such time they are in my hands. Yes nature sure throws some wild weather and situations at us. Its when people throw such at us it shows the level of incompetence and respect they have for those they sell their product to.

Ray

Don't know if this still works in the modern (read crummy) version of Windows search but what I used to do under similar circumstances would be to

- open Pocketmags and download an issue
- quit Pocketmags
- do a search on the boot drive for (very) recent file changes or file dates.

That is usually enough for you to establish the changes due to PM saving the issue you downloaded (and hence, where it's putting them). (Note that they may be encrypted and not directly readable ... OK for backup purposes though).

Ray if you have all that experience teaching I'm surprised you did not right click or use Ctrl to select multiple issues.

Maybe finding where the files are stored will be as simple that even I could find them without any computer background

Who? it is a little more complicated than that with Win10 but it can be done.

Ray,

I changed the message as I felt I was being a bit hard on you

The net is awash with explanations of all the various backup options - you might also look at system restore.

I'm sure it's not beyond your wits to search for which files change when you make a download.

Neil

Jason strange I had tried lots of things including that and got no result before.

I did do what was suggested and in 4 hours I've downloaded a grand total of 3 magazines wooo whoo at this rate somewhere next year I might download 5 yrs of MEW doing it that way. A PDF it all could be done in an hour.

As for teaching it was one on one mostly seniors and first timers into computer world one or two kids with learning difficulties. Way back from Win 95 days through to XP.

Still it doesn't ease the stupid situation for simple Install and storage or back up or even files management of Pocketmags unless you know the ins and outs does it?? Go deep black undercover secret service.

Well I think I found the mags on my on myW10 machine easy enough

Edited By JasonB on 12/03/2018 08:15:14

Here's where to find the files on a W10 machine. There are probably lots of content files in the same folders together with some sort of validation file.

Isn't Raymond's beef with pocketmags?

Yes it's annoying and unhelpful that their application doesn't make customised archiving easy. But is that part of their service? I guess most customers are content doing conventional backups, where any downloaded magazines on the system get restored along with everything else. It's easy.

That's the theory. Of course if you've been forced into recovering a system after a catastrophic failure, life can get difficult. You may have to fix a hardware fault before rebuilding the operating system . That gets sticky when new hardware needs new device drivers, which of course aren't on the backup. Having sorted that out you can recover the data. It's quite common at this point to develop notions of only recovering important files. It can be done, but is often far more complicated than you might think. It's much safer to recover everything and tidy up after. And then you might find the backup is faulty as well.

It's not unreasonable for Raymond to want to take separate copies of files important to him. In this case I think he will run into a second problem due to the material being copyright. By design the magazines are distributed in a form that discourages casual copying. Even if Raymond finds where the magazines are on the system and copies them, it may also be necessary to unpick a security system before they can be displayed.

Even though I'm a dyed in the wool computer geek, I much prefer printed magazines.

Customer feedback is always valuable. Does anyone other than Raymond have this problem? If so get together and tell pocketmags!

Dave

PocketMags is why I do NOT have a digital subscription to MEW. I have encountered it with other magazines & I feel life is too short to put up with poor software. It seems to me that PocketMags feels like vapourware that has just enough substance to exist. It is intended not to frighten the computer illiterate, and to completely mess up those who generally have a clue. It's an 'App', and 'Apps' seem to me to be applications with the useful bits ripped out leaving an incomplete shell, which is why it no-longer qualifies for a complete word (like 'Application' ) , to describe what it does.

Anyway, until a decent option is available, I shall stick to hard copy MEW, even if soft copy may be more convenient on occasions.

Regards,

Richard.

Edited to remove unexpected emoticon

Edited By richardandtracy on 12/03/2018 10:51:56

Thats tops Jason I am going to try an experiment latter importing/copying all files off tablet to PC HDD open Pocketmags reader and see if it finds and installs them as normal. Here's hoping. I know from past experience when Pocketmags decided to dump the old reader they could not be transfered nor read in the new reader. hence my and others posts when that took place.

Neil Thats tops not what I have found in the past or last night on tablet but did so under the old pocketmags reader.

Sillyoldduffer (Dave) Your not so silly you actually read my post. Yes at first thought locked out of PC at sign in was virus related couldn't even get into back end/safe mode. Gave myself breathing room fora few days then slowly nibbled away and found out a WiFi card was cause of all woes. In the process doing it Windows way of restoring didn't work well still locked up even after removal of said WiFi card i had removed all but boot drive to minimise trouble. Windows hates expansion slots and changes to such devices even HDD.

So a reinstall road was taken as an option from HDD nope damage to Win10 files had been done of course by this stage the location and back up commands and source directory compromised. Not that pockemags allows you to choose where the files go, import or export for safe keeping OR that Win10 or Pocketmags allows you to choose where the App is stored and installed to. MY gripe exactly.

I think fro memory we went over legal rights when Pocketmags changed reader last and issues had with trying to brig files across so you might be right there.
After a week of frustration weather included as 36C+ and humidity of 80% I purchased a new Solid state drive new 2t storage and rebuilt reinstalled from scratch Win10 which assured me files and setting would be brought into being RRFLMAO they were not. back ups were useless in many respects or apps etc, files always kept backed up on storage and ext storage.

I'll let you know who i go with copying from tablet to pc.

Richard I'm starting to see a pattern across the whole scene of online readers mags etc and was going to seriously consider taking out more digital subscriptions this year BUT as the cost for same does not reflect the lack of manufacture and distribution cost incurred and then past on to consumer its not worth the screen time to read. The added hassles of reader Apps etc I won't be doing so. Mind you printed versions also come with hassles but at least you can demand retribution or compensation unlike being allowed to voice an opinion about on line readers it seems. maybe its time government consumer laws were brought into the new age and the rights along with it.

Neil's picture is a screenshot from my PC. Most of the files seem to be in that same sort of area but they seem to get put into several BIN files so no easy way to seperate individual issues.

Don't know why it takes you so long to download an issue, I did one yesterday in 14seconds, can't really blame MTM or Pocketmags if you have a very slow connection.

Magazines are not like sardines, where the container and oil costs more to make than the fish.

The paper, printing and distribution is a significant cost, but the costs of putting together each issue (including paying all our wonderful contributors!) are too and Pocketmags don't offer their services for free.

Neil

Having read this thread I decided to re-install PocketMags on my PC, I normally read MEW on a tablet. After much faffing about trying to get the app (Windows Store wouldn't work) I eventually got it installed. As Raymond says it is really annoying that you can't choose where to put it. I run Windows 10 from a fairly small SSD and I don't want data (magazines etc.) stored on it, I have a 1TB hard drive suitably partitioned for all my document, pictures etc..

Anyway having got the thing installed I downloaded some mags but try as I might the app would not download all the mags in one go, I could highlight them all but clicking the download button just got the first one in the list! The actual download per mag was quite quick and I eventually got them all.

I discovered that you can move the app and stored magazines to another location. In Windows 10 settings click on Apps. Find PocketMags on the list and click, it should open up and offer a button that says "Move" Click the button and it will let you select where to put it but only in another drive I chose my M: (media) drive and it moved it without fuss. The only remaining annoyance is the it leaves loads of links in the C: drive User location which are mostly empty directories. I tried deleting all the links but as soon as you click on PocketMags it re-creates the damn things. It does I suppose move the bulk of the storage off the SSD though.

The magazines themselves seem to be stored in some proprietary format which I haven't cracked yet so you can't get rid of the app and use for example your word processor program.

John