Trouble accessing this NG

[Rob Nobel]

My usual contact with this NG is via msnews.microsoft.com
Today, I cannot make "contact" and have resorted to my ISP's News Server.
Any one know what would cause this?
Rob

 

[Gord Dibben]

Rob

No idea.

msnews.microsoft.com working fine for myself.

Gord Dibben Excel MVP

 

[Rob Nobel]

Yes Gord, I thought someone might say that.
When I try to use the microsoft site, it says it connects but nothing at all
is downloaded, Even if I try to download the next 300 headers. Yet this news
server works fine??
In fact, when I first logged on, 1 header was downloaded but now no more and
says "0 messages, 0 unread" in the task bar every time I connect. More?????
(This BTW, is only for the Misc. NG as I tried another with Microsoft that
works fine.)
Rob

 

[Dave Peterson]

The headers looked funny to me, too (I use Netscape 4.78(?) to read posts.)

Since you have Outlook Express installed, try clicking on these links (or copy
and paste into MSIE).

news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.excel.setup
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.excel.misc
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.excel.newusers
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.excel.programming

(You can always connect to more later)

Here are some links that explain it better:

Chip Pearson has some notes written by Leonard Meads at:
http://www.cpearson.com/excel/DirectConnect.htm

David McRitchie's notes at:
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/xlnews.htm
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/oe6.htm
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/oe6nws01.htm

Tushar Mehta's notes at:
http://www.tushar-mehta.com/misc_tutorials/oe_ng/index.htm

And if you're looking for old posts:

Or you can use google (maybe a few hours behind) to search for stuff you've
posted (and find the replies, too)

http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search
http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search?q=group:*Excel*&num=100

Ron de Bruin has an excel addin that you may like:
http://www.rondebruin.nl/Google.htm

======
In Netscape, I deleted the .snm file and let the headers get rebuilt.

In OE, there's an option to sync messages. You may want to try that. If that
doesn't work, maybe just delete the newsgroup and add it back.

(But you'll do that anyway when you connect directly to the ms servers!)

 

[Rob Nobel]

Glug!
Tried all that without success. As I said, I have no trouble accessing any
news group via msnews.microsoft.com except the Misc group (my lifeline!!)
which is a mystery to me as I can get to this group via my ISP's News
Server. I appreciate the fact that I can access other groups that will help
me but it's more a matter of WHY!!
I deleted msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.excel.misc and then clicked
on the link you provided and it subscribed OK but shows all messages as 0
Oh well, maybe one day it will resolve itself.
Rob

 

[Dave Peterson]

I don't think it's you. I retrieved new messages this afternoon. All of them
were marked read.

I sorted by date and marked the newest 299 messages as unread.

But it doesn't look like you're connecting directly to the MS Newsservers
(usually a good idea).

I look at your headers and see this:
Path:
TK2MSFTNGP08.phx.gbl!newsfeed00.sul.t-online.de!t-online.de!npeer.de.kpn-eurorings.net!fr.ip.ndsoftware.net!newshosting.com!news-xfer1.atl.newshosting.com!news.glorb.com!lon-transit.news.telstra.net!ken-transit.news.telstra.net!news.telstra.net!news-server.bigpond.net.au!53ab2750!not-for-mail

I look at Gord's headers (and Gord connects directly to the MS Servers), I see
this:

Path: TK2MSFTNGP08.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl

(Both of the bounces are at MS. Each exclamation point in your path shows a
transfer to different systems. That's one of the reasons (when the MSServers
are ok), it's better to connect directly.)

 

[David McRitchie]

First of all we know you are using Outlook Express to
read your newsgroups we can see that in your headers..

Do you still see the old messages with "Show All"

Before using RESET (under properties)you might try the following.
Right click on the newsgroup and try "Catch up"

If that doesn't work take your OE6 offline, then compress your
OE files. File, Folder, Compact All Folders
It is important that you be offline in OE when you do this or risk losing
OE databases. (file, workoffline)

if that doesn't work, rather than RESET of this newsgroup,
I would set up an account connecting directly
to the Microsoft Server. As was pointed out you are not connected
directly look at your Path in your headers (Ctrl+F3) from one of
your posts.
How to connect directly using Outlook Express (#OE_direct)
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/oe6nws01.htm#oe_direct

--
---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm

Glug!
Tried all that without success. As I said, I have no trouble accessing any
news group via msnews.microsoft.com except the Misc group (my lifeline!!)
which is a mystery to me as I can get to this group via my ISP's News
Server. I appreciate the fact that I can access other groups that will help
me but it's more a matter of WHY!!
I deleted msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.excel.misc and then clicked
on the link you provided and it subscribed OK but shows all messages as 0
Oh well, maybe one day it will resolve itself.
Rob

 

[rob nobel]

David, I deleted the whole thing and set it up as per your instructions on
the web page but it appears the huge path is still there. How do I connect
direct?
Rob

First of all we know you are using Outlook Express to
read your newsgroups we can see that in your headers..

Do you still see the old messages with "Show All"

Before using RESET (under properties)you might try the following.
Right click on the newsgroup and try "Catch up"

If that doesn't work take your OE6 offline, then compress your
OE files. File, Folder, Compact All Folders
It is important that you be offline in OE when you do this or risk losing
OE databases. (file, workoffline)

if that doesn't work, rather than RESET of this newsgroup,
I would set up an account connecting directly
to the Microsoft Server. As was pointed out you are not connected
directly look at your Path in your headers (Ctrl+F3) from one of
your posts.
How to connect directly using Outlook Express (#OE_direct)
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/oe6nws01.htm#oe_direct

--

 

[rob nobel]

Appears I've got it licked!
Rob

David, I deleted the whole thing and set it up as per your instructions on
the web page but it appears the huge path is still there. How do I connect
direct?
Rob

First of all we know you are using Outlook Express to
read your newsgroups we can see that in your headers..

Do you still see the old messages with "Show All"

Before using RESET (under properties)you might try the following.
Right click on the newsgroup and try "Catch up"

If that doesn't work take your OE6 offline, then compress your
OE files. File, Folder, Compact All Folders
It is important that you be offline in OE when you do this or risk losing
OE databases. (file, workoffline)

if that doesn't work, rather than RESET of this newsgroup,
I would set up an account connecting directly
to the Microsoft Server. As was pointed out you are not connected
directly look at your Path in your headers (Ctrl+F3) from one of
your posts.
How to connect directly using Outlook Express (#OE_direct)
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/oe6nws01.htm#oe_direct

--
---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm

Glug!
Tried all that without success. As I said, I have no trouble accessing any
news group via msnews.microsoft.com except the Misc group (my lifeline!!)
which is a mystery to me as I can get to this group via my ISP's News
Server. I appreciate the fact that I can access other groups that will help
me but it's more a matter of WHY!!
I deleted msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.excel.misc and then clicked
on the link you provided and it subscribed OK but shows all messages

as

0

links

(or

that.

If

no

more