Hello everyone,
I would like to update you on the latest changes to GOG Downloader (the optional app that can be used to download your GOG.com purchases).
We have just released an updated version (0.9.30) which includes three important things:
1. a faster app core (thx to updated Adobe AIR Runtime, and jQuery 1.3.3)
2. updated file resuming, witch will now allow:
- more reliable auto-resuming, witch should fix _some_ of the problems
- auto discovery of incomplete/complete files
3. an option to send bug report to gog.com
If you have the downloader already installed, you will be notified about the update next time you launch the app; if you don't have the app yet, check out the list of downloads in My Account page for any of your purchases)
2. UPDATED APP CORE
While updating our source code, we also updated all libraries involved which should make the whole app a bit faster and less resource hungry.
3. UPDATED FILE RESUMING
This was, and still is, the most important thing about the downloader. We have received numerous reports from our users, that there are issues with this, especially on slower, less reliable, connections.
The real problem with fixing this is actually recreating this situation, to have a peek at what's really causing this. We tried a lot of different setups, we've used faulty network hardware, we used cellphones as modems to access Internet, we tried disconnecting cables on different levels of the connection, we used software to slow the connection down, we tried downloading files to very slow hard drives, but so far we couldn't recreate problems that some of you were experiencing.
So, as the first step, we changed the way that files are handled, discovered, and resumed. It should help with at least some of the problems.
The second thing, was to enable the downloader app to discover files from previous sessions. This means that if you have an incomplete file backed up before the downloader encountered an error, you can copy that incomplete file into download folder, then add the game to the downloader again, and the app will continue from the incomplete file instead of starting at zero. This is hardly a resolution for the problem, but it will at least allow for some temporary workaround, until we get all the issues sorted out.
So if you have problems using the downloader, you can try to:
1. Start the download normally
2. From time to time, make a copy of the temporary files in the GOG Downloader downloads folder to a safe backup location
3. If the downloader encounters an error click "Send report" (more info below), and shut it down
4. Copy your backed up files back into GOG Downloader downloads folder
5. Relaunch the app, and resume the transfer (or add the game again using the website), the transfer should resume at the point of last backup
Please remember, that this is only a temporary workaround as we work on fixing all the real issues.
3. BUG REPORTS
As mentioned before, we are adding an option to submit bug reports straight from the downloader. Every time you encounter an error while using GOG Downloader, you will have an option to "Send report" to us - please click on it, as it is essential for understanding and solving the problems :).
The report includes:
* GOG Downloader application logs (detailed information about file transfers and errors)
* your gog.com user name
Report does NOT include:
* any personal or hardware info (no hardware logs, no apps list, etc)
We will keep these logs as short as possible and we'll be using them only to find & fix bugs in GOG Downloader. After that we will delete them. We won't spam you, won't spy on your system and won't create any stats regarding downloader and it's usage.

As some really big games are just around the corner, in the next few weeks we'll be releasing a nice handy little tool: the GOG.com Downloader (beta ;). Just before the weekend we wanted to give you a small sneak-peek, so you'll know what to expect:
* First and foremost, the Downloader app (application) will be totally optional. Downloading games via browser will remain the default download method.
* It's NOT an installer, it's NOT a launcher and it's definitely NOT a background service or some other annoying malware :). Our app serves only as an alternative download method for bigger games or people having problems with their transfers.
* The app will be seamlessly integrated with your GOG.com user account. So when the Downloader is released, you will see a new option on your My Account page that lets you add a game to your downloader queue. The queue will then be automatically pushed to the Downloader app and transfers will begin automatically.
* So many people asked for this, and yes, it lets you pause and resume transfers. You can also rearrange the queue by a simple drag & drop.
* It's built using the new Adobe AIR technology (yes, it requires Adobe AIR but the added bonus is platform independence: Downoader works on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux)
* Our goal was to make it simple and pleasant to use. I believe our design team really nailed it. Check out the attached image for a small teaser.
So stay tuned and expect a release soon. In the meantime, post your thoughts and ideas.
EDIT: GOG.com Downloader beta is now available for download. More info in this topic.
--
Piotr K.
Design & Dev Team

Our app was designed as an alternative download method for bigger games, so it's currently limited to games only.
No, pause / resume in GOG.com Downloader and pause / resume when downloading via browser are two different beasts... Lack of pause / resume for default download method was one of the reasons we've started working on our Downloader app.
The problem is pretty complex and comes from how "servers" (CDNs) hosting secure on-demand content work. I believe our devs could to write some more insightful post on that topic.

You have to manually add purchased games to GOG.com Downloader from your "My Account" page.
As Destro said:
So... no go for launching installed games via GOG.com Downloader. ;)

Non of our servers are in Poland. Web servers are located in Northern America, and file servers are located all over the world, to get you best download speed wherever you live.

No, it implies that it is only a download manager and nothing more. It will download your games straight from our servers.

Adobe AIR is an application runtime, witch means that it will launch and quit with the downloader (or any other AIR app) but won't be visible in any way.
For a end user our downloader will work just like any other application.

In the first release you will have to use windows task scheduler or any other scheduling app. But just like with the website, we will add new features to the downloader based on suggestions form our forums.

We're still making some small improvements and adding final touches to the app, so it's not done yet. We also need to make few changes one My Account page, to connect your purchased games and the Downloader... but we're getting there.
So while I can't give you the release date, expect some status update early next week, okay? :)

Not in the initial version, no. You'd need some external / system scheduler to launch the Downloader at a given time. But I'm sure we'll be rolling out some updates after the app is released, so your suggestion is welcome :)

Expect a release very soon :)

If your connection is pretty good and you don't have any problems with interrupted transfers then you probably won't see any noticeable difference... apart from an option to pause and resume transfers whenever you want.

GOG.com Downloader beta is now available for download. More info in this topic.

Please try renaming the file name (extension) from .gogDownload to .exe - it should work. There's a known bug that prevents the automatic rename on some Windows machines. Sorry for that.

We're currently working on an update for GOG.com Downloader that should fix this problem. The new version will contain several bug fixes and small improvements - expect more info later this week / beginning of the next week.

As promised, our dev team prepared some nice patch notes the upcoming update to GOG.com Downloader. The update is going to fix most of the known issues as well as add the most requested features.
Here are the biggest improvements & fixes that you can expect in version 0.9.22:
* new: improved auto-resume on unstable connections
* new: download speed & file progress now displayed in application title
* new: auto-login option (especially useful if you wish to schedule the Downloader)
* new: minimize to tray option (Windows only)
* fixed: problem with renaming gogDownload file upon successful download
* fixed: problem with deleting gogDownload file upon cancelled transfer
The new version is expected later this month (sorry, no chance for this week, but we'll try not to keep you waiting) and will be available via auto-update, so the app will tell you that there's a new version and take care of all the updating.
Now, I know that's not every single thing you've asked for (just most of it ;) but fear not - there are more updates and improvements coming soon, including the option to download all the additional content with one click :).
--
Piotr K.
Design & Dev Team

Hey everyone. Just wanted to give you a quick update regarding GOG.com Downloader. Looks like that we've just nailed the last know bug in the 0.9.22 update and Venom (our dev :) is currently preparing the final internal built. If we won't find anything new then it be available in the next 48 hours.
The update process will be plain simple: upon launch GOG.com Downloader will notify about new version and offer the auto-update. That's it :)