Welcome to BearShare FAQ

The most frequently asked questions are answered here, so make sure to give it a good read before you contact support and interrupt them from their eternal coffee break...
Version 10 for Windows
Answers:

Technical Troubleshooting:

Q. When I try to install BearShare I get an error message that the file size is wrong or "could not initialize installation (crc)" / "Not a valid win32 application".
A: This error usually means that the file you've downloaded is corrupt.
Try to do the following:
  1. Delete all Temporary internet files and cookies

    (Open Internet Explorer. In the top menu, press "Tools", then press "Internet Options").

  2. Delete the BearShare installation file you've downloaded.
  3. Download the BearShare installation file again and save it to a different location (directory) than the one you've previously downloaded it to.



Alternatively, you can try to choose the "Open" option instead of "Save to disk" when downloading BearShare.
If nothing above helps, wait for a while and then try to download BearShare again.
Your ISP is probably saving the pages (caching) and keeps giving you the old corrupted file.

Q. BearShare has connection issues / I can't sign-in to BearShare. Why is that?
A:  This may be caused by one or more of the following reasons:
  • You have lost your connection with your Internet Service Provider.
  • The connection between your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and our servers was lost.
Here's a short list of things that can help you work through this:
  • If you are behind a corporate firewall, check with your System Administrator that the ports used by BearShare for communication are not blocked for outgoing connection.
    The port numbers are the following: Port 1863, port 80 and port 443.

  • If you are using a local firewall software (such as the built in firewall in Windows XP, Norton Firewall, etc) make sure that the port is not blocked.

  • If you are using Windows XP you can temporarily disable the built in firewall.
    To do that - go to your 'Start' menu -> 'Settings' -> 'Network connections'. Then, choose the connection you're using, right click on it and choose 'Properties'. In the dialog window that opened go to 'Advanced' tab and uncheck 'Internet Connection Firewall' checkbox.

  • If you are using Windows XP SP2 verify that BearShare is not blocked. To do that - go to 'Start' --> 'Settings' --> 'Windows Firewall' -->and select 'Exceptions'. Make sure that BearShare is in the Exceptions list and add it if its not.




Q. I'm having trouble getting Premium tracks onto my iPod. What should I do? 
A: The Apple iPod does not support protected Windows Media Audio (WMA DRM) files which is the file format found in BearShare premium tracks.

There is a quick workaround however, which will get your iPod
working with BearShare tracks.
  • Purchase desired tracks that you wish to use on your iPod.
  • Burn your purchased tracks to a CD using BearShare burning.
  • Burn the CD in "Audio CD mode" (this option is found in the burn pane).


  • Once the CD is complete, put it back into your CD drive, and use the iTunes "Import CD" feature to get the tracks from the CD, onto your iPod device.

The following is an excerpt from the iTunes software manual which provides some more information on the exact procedure:

Insert an audio CD into your computer. After a moment, the songs on the CD are listed in the iTunes window. Click to remove the checkmark next to any songs you don't want to import.

To add the selected songs to your library, click the Import button in the upper-right corner of the iTunes window.

The display area at the top of the iTunes window shows how much time it will take to import each song. To cancel importing, click the small X next to the progress bar.

When the songs are finished importing, click the Eject symbol to the right of the CD in the playlist, or click the Eject Disk button in the lower-right corner of the iTunes window.


For more help with iTunes, please refer to the iTunes software manual.

License Acquisition Troubleshooting Guide: Windows XP
A Windows XP operating system with Service Pack 2 installed is required to perform this troubleshooting. Click here to get Service Pack 2)

This guide only resolves problems with playing BearShare Premium Content - See image

"Unable to Acquire License"  

  • A monthly BearShare subscription, or trial to BearShare is required to play Premium Content.
  • You must reside in either the United States, or Canada.
  • You must have Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed.
Please complete the following instructions if you meet the criteria above, and are experiencing problems acquiring licenses:

You will now perform steps that will guide you on how to get the latest version of Windows Media Player 10.

· Close the BearShare application (Click 'File' -> 'Exit').



· Download the latest version of Windows Media Player 10 by clicking the following link:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/2/A/12A31F29-2FA9-4F50-B95D-E45EF7013F87/MP10Setup.exe

When prompted, choose to save the file. Save it to your Desktop.





Once it's downloaded, go to your Desktop, and double click the just downloaded installation file.
Follow the on-screen instructions of the installation wizard.

(Note: Even if you already have Windows Media Player 10 installed, it does not necessarily mean that you have the latest and most up-to-date version of it, therefore proceed with the steps in this guide to resolve the problem).

After the Windows Media Player 10 installation is complete:

· Restart your computer.

· Go to www.bearshare.com to download and install the latest version of BearShare.

· Once you open up the freshly installed BearShare, the registration screen will appear asking you to register.

Since you already have an active account, click the Already Registered? Click here to sign in button. This will pop open the BearShare login screen. Sign in to your account using your username and password, and wait for BearShare to sign in.

· Once signed in, do nothing (we mean it, this is very important), and wait for 5 minutes without touching your computer whatsoever. This is important, as BearShare needs to reacquire licenses for your songs.

When the 5 minutes elapse, proceed to play some of your tracks; there may be a slight pause upon attempting to play the first track, and then everything will return to normal functionality.

If you have Windows XP Media Center Edition,
and this troubleshooting does not resolve the matter, proceed to reading the next topic below.

License acquisition: Windows XP Media Center Edition Specific

Please read the Official license acquisition guide for Windows XP above.

Windows XP Media Center Edition

In case the above guide does not resolve the problem:

Since Windows XP Media Center Edition is not a 100% supported operating system in conjunction with BearShare, there is unfortunately no further official troubleshooting available to resolve the matter at hand.

You may of course consult with users of the BearShare community at the BearShare Forums, as there are various user-made troubleshooting solutions available in case the official troubleshooting guide to license acquisition does not assist you.

As soon as Microsoft releases an update that will resolve Windows XP Media Center Edition issues in regards to DRM/License acquisition, BearShare will make it known and available.

Error Message: "Unable to find install.log"

You may be receiving this message when uninstalling BearShare. It is usually caused by multiple installs and uninstalls due to troubleshooting and other random fiddling.

This is probably the easiest to solve problem though, so not to worry:

This error occurs during the uninstall process, and causes the uninstall to fail.

First open BearShare, click File, and then click Exit. This will make sure that BearShare is completely shut down before proceeding.

Next, instead of uninstalling, go to the www.bearshare.com homepage, and install the latest version of BearShare by downloading BearShare. This will overwrite the one that you presently have installed.

When completing the BearShare installation, uncheck the run BearShare now option, and then click Finish.

Now that that's done, you may proceed to uninstalling BearShare from the Windows Control Panel as previously attempted, and it should successfully uninstall this time.

Do you have a question that is not answered in this FAQ?

The FAQ consists of the most Frequently Asked Questions by BearShare users.
Not to worry, if your question remains unanswered after reading this FAQ,
you can always ask the BearShare Support Team by clicking the following link: http://support.bearshare.com