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Using PAR2 to Repair Usenet Articles
PAR2 files are used on Usenet to verify data integrity and recover missing or damaged parts of multi-part Usenet articles. They help maintain access reliability, especially when article retention or propagation issues cause incomplete access.
What Are PAR2 Files?
PAR2 stands for Parchive version 2. These parity volumes are created when an article is posted to Usenet, allowing for error checking and correction. Each PAR2 set includes a primary index and multiple recovery volumes, which can restore missing parts when some data is unavailable.
Why PAR2 Matters
Articles are sometimes incomplete due to propagation delays, article retention limits, or network transmission issues. PAR2 files make it possible to reconstruct missing sections without needing the original poster to resend anything.
Tools for Working with PAR2
Several applications support PAR2 verification and repair:
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QuickPar (Windows)
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MacPAR deLuxe (macOS)
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MultiPar (Windows, actively developed)
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par2cmdline (Linux, command line-based)
Most modern Usenet automation tools, like SABnzbd and NZBGet, include integrated PAR2 support and automatically verify and repair articles when PAR2 volumes are available.
How to Use PAR2
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Open the main PAR2 index in a PAR2-compatible application.
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The program will verify the integrity of the article parts.
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If segments are missing or damaged, the tool will use available recovery volumes to repair them.
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Once complete, the full set of articles becomes accessible.
Using PAR2 helps maintain consistent access to Usenet articles, especially when relying on long article retention or when errors occur during transmission.
