Clarification/Follow-up by yreal on 03/09/05 3:26 am:
Thanks for the information! Okay, so now I have a list of video files that I want to download from a newsgroup. Some are labeled par, some are mpeg, some are Asv(I think?), some are mwv (I think?). I've installed Microsoft Media Player, but the majority of the files appear as text files when I download them. Any suggestions?
Ed

Clarification/Follow-up by voiceguy2000 on 03/10/05 5:38 am:
They are text files (although they look like gobbledegook). Newsgroup postings can only be text files. You need something that converts the text files to binary files.

The real key is in the newsreader you are using. There should be a function that says something like "Extract Binaries." If you have a modern newsreader, it should automatically know how to take advantage of those .par files to restore missing segments of the file you are trying to extract.

Open the first message in the series and use "Extract Binaries" -- see whether that work. Some news readers are easier than others -- I use "Newswatcher."

Be very, very, very careful with downloaded files. It is extremely easy to download something with a nasty payload hidden in it. Use some form of virus/trojan scanning on any downloaded file before you open it.