Need help setting up Watchlist

[NZBSeeker]

I've been using Newsbin Pro for years now and have only used a tiny fraction of it's capabilities. I usually just throw NZBs at it that I get from an indexer.

Several years ago I used an indexer website, also called Newsbin (can't remember for sure if that was the spelling), to get my NZBs. They had a function that I still really miss. I had various watches set up and it would send me an email with a link when one of them got a hit. I could then look at it and determine if it was something I wanted.

If I understand correctly, and I usually don't, the Watchlist on Newsbin Pro will do at least part of this. I don't need it to email me, but would like it to automatically handle the periodic searching.

I tried to follow the instructions in the 'Version 6.60 New Features' and set up a watch using my Header Download as the source. I have headers for the past 30 days in a.b.e-book.magazines which I left in the Unsorted G of G. (That's another thing I can't figure out is how to create a G of G) I used wood for the keyword.
Step 10 in the instructions says 'Results are accumulated in the Groups List tab under the "Watch Topics" heading.' Instead, what I see there is the name of my watch. I notice that in the New Files field it shows 0 and Last Updated shows Never.
When I did the test search, I got 119 hits, so I know there are a lot of headers containing "wood". I'm using version 6.62 - Build:4358

What is it that I'm missing?

[Quade]

I tried to follow the instructions in the 'Version 6.60 New Features' and set up a watch using my Header Download as the source. I have headers for the past 30 days in a.b.e-book.magazines which I left in the Unsorted G of G. (That's another thing I can't figure out is how to create a G of G) I used wood for the keyword.

Right click the groups list and "New Folder". Then right click the group and "Send to Folder".

It doesn't actually matter if the groups are in unsorted for watch lists to work.

If I understand correctly, and I usually don't, the Watchlist on Newsbin Pro will do at least part of this. I don't need it to email me, but would like it to automatically handle the periodic searching.

If you want to use headers and you want automatic downloads. You want to set Newsbin to download headers automatically. Maybe once an hour. In the options in "Switches" check "Automatic Update Modes" Then set it to 60 minutes.

The make a watch list. Set it to "Header Download". Make it "Active". Put the search string in. I'd leave the size filters alone for now. I'd leave "Look in groups" blank for now. Until you get a GOG setup. Check "Automatic Download". Then click OK.

Right click the new watch item, select "Rescan Topic" Then click "Start Scan". This should do a scan through the old headers. It's not necessary but it's a good way to test the watch item. The count is how many items it found and added to the watch list entry.

If that works then you're set and each time headers download, any matching items will be added to the watch list and should download. You can also load the watch item like a group and see what it caught.

[NZBSeeker]

It was the Start Scan I wasn't aware of. I was expecting it to perform the search when I click OK on the Watchlist window.

I actually don't want it to automatically download everything it matches on or it will be pulling down a lot of things I don't want. Until I can learn how to use the filters, I prefer to look at what it found and make the decision to download myself.

Now it finds matches and I'm loading it up with search terms I'm interested in.

I can now create my own GOGs too.

Still have a lot to learn.

Thanks for the help

[Quade]

It was the Start Scan I wasn't aware of. I was expecting it to perform the search when I click OK on the Watchlist window.

"Rescan Topic" is just a testing tool. Header based watch lists never look at old headers. They just look into newly downloaded headers. "Rescan Topic" is a way to force it to scan old headers.

[astrax]

What would you suggest, if I had followed all the above steps, and still there's no automatic downloading happening? I'm using 6.71B1

[Quade]

1 - Are things showing up inside the watch list?

2 - When you load up the watch list does it have new posts in there?

3 - Are the watch results complete?

I have a number of automatic and search based watches set to automatic download and they fire and download.

Rescan won't automatically download. Only new header downloads and new searches add to the download list.

[astrax]

Yes, they're showing up and it has new posts in it. And I'm pretty sure, the results are complete. For example, every time I change the days for a re-scan, it'll get the files accordingly.
It's just that the automatic DL doesn't work.
Also the "New files" is up to date, but the "Last updated" has nothing in it.

[Quade]

So you're getting new files each time you download headers and AREN'T doing a rescan?

[astrax]

Sorry, that's not what I meant.
I just set up a new search to test it again, and it seems I basically HAVE TO do a re-scan to get items added to the watch list entry. Using the "Download the latest group updates" button does not have any effect on the watch lists. And yes, I made sure there would be posts matching the criteria.

But what am I missing here, since you also said re-scans won't auto-download?

[Quade]

I just set up a new search to test it again, and it seems I basically HAVE TO do a re-scan to get items added to the watch list entry. Using the "Download the latest group updates" button does not have any effect on the watch lists. And yes, I made sure there would be posts matching the criteria.

Rescan looks at historical records. They won't auto-download.

Header based Watch lists only look at future matches. And will only download new matches.

So re-scan will never add files to the download list either search or header based. Re-scan is simply a trouble shooting tool.

So lets say you setup a watch list for something that only gets posted once a week. Until it's posted to the group, that watch list will watch for hits in the headers downloads between now and when the post is made and will only add a new file after it's been posted. So, if you're trying to add a watch list and expect it to delve through the old headers and download the hits, that's not how it works. It's designed to pull your matches out of the mass of header downloads and both store them to the watch list and add them to the download list if you have it configured that way.

I have a feeling you're adding a watch list and expecting something to take off. That's not how watch lists work. They watch for matches meaning then only find stuff that gets posted now and in the future.

[astrax]

I have a feeling you're adding a watch list and expecting something to take off. That's not how watch lists work. They watch for matches meaning then only find stuff that gets posted now and in the future.

OK, now I got it.
I thought the watch list auto download would also work retroactively. Thanks for clearing that up.

[astrax]

One more thing: I just found out, that the watchlist actually *does* work like that. In this case at least...

I did an "download all headers" on a GOG and now my download list is full of items from the watchlist...

[Quade]

Ha well there you go. I typically disable auto-mode when I "download all header" because it can flood the download list.