Today I have tried to install a new version of Firefox to my girlfriends Asus EEE that I already wrote about. I downloaded the latest version FF 3.6.6 setup file from Mozilla site and tried to run it on Windows 7. I was surprised when I got the error message while extracting files that the ‘file is corrupt’. I couldn’t continue, so I tried several things that didn’t help at all: re-downloaded the file, downloaded the file from Chrome, downloaded the preview version of FF40b2pre, downloaded the file from Snapfiles… After that I decided that this is weird and have downloaded the file to my Win XP machine, put it on my USB key and carried it to the EEE. The file was still corrupt to my surprise (that ment that Windows 7 are not weird), so I started an investigation of my own.

I downloaded the file several times from the same source. The file size was the same, but comparing the files by content revealed some differences.  How could this be possible? I have restarted my Netgear router, restarted my cable modem, tried to connect directly to the modem but this didn’t help. I have read several forums – many people have had the same problem but there seemed to be no solutions. All the suggestions were directed in the anti virus software, but since I don’t believe in that and don’t use it this couldn’t be the case. I have read the forums further and have discovered…

…SPI or stateful packet inspection that my Netgear router WGR614v6 does. I have read a few things about it  and it seemed ok to turn it off.

I have restarted the router and tried downloading the files again. This time they were identical! I am using this router for several years now and this was the first time this has happened. I’m not sure why, or what caused it now, but I’d sure like to know more about it.

The ‘file is corrupt’ error while installing Firefox is now gone, so I can continue on my tasks and thank the web again for helping me solve my (or computer’s) problems.