FAQ

What is this .srr file?

The .srr file is the format used by ReScene. It contains backups of all parts of the RAR files that are not the actual archived data. It can also store any other miscellaneous release files (e.g. SFV, NFO, etc). It is also an extensible format that will allow for other uses in the future.

Why does the application pop up and then close as soon as I open it?

You probably double-clicked it. It's a command-line utility. Run it from a command prompt, and it will tell you how to use it.

How big is a typical SRR file?

It depends on a number of factors, including whether or not it contains stored files (like NFO) and how big those files are. But most are less than 50KB. In fact, with no stored files other than the SFV, they can be as small as about 10KB.

Can a 10KB SRR file really recreate 95 100MB RAR files?

Well, not on its own. You still need the extracted data from the original RARs. But as long as you have the extracted data, yes, 10KB is a perfectly reasonable size for an SRR file

What does SRR stand for?

Scene Release Reconstruction. That was its name before a better name was suggested (thx alchemy!)

What happens if I try to rebuild a release and the extracted files are corrupted?

Good question. There are two main possibilities:

1. If the extracted file is not the same size as the the file contained in the original release, ReSecene will give you an error and abort, so you'll know right away.

2. If the extracted file is the correct size but has some corrupted sections, ReScene will not (at least at present) give you any errors or warnings. This is part of the reason it is recommended you test the reconstructed release with SFV before using it. In most cases, the corruption will be limited to a single RAR, and the SFV will help you identify it. You can then replace or repair that RAR from another source. Note that the .srr file actually contains enough CRC data that we could identify errors encountered during the reconstruction process. This feature will most likely make it into a future release.

Do I need to keep the SFV file after I have created the .srr?

No. The .sfv file used to generate the .srr is automatically stored in the .srr. It will be restored from the .srr when the release is reconstructed.

Can I save an NFO file in the .srr?

Yep, just use the -s switch with the srr utility, and give a list of files you'd like to include in your SRR file. It even supports wildcards (e.g. -s *.nfo)

Does ReScene use WinRAR?

No. ReScene is completely self-contained and does all of its own RAR file processing

Why doesn't ReScene work with compressed RARs?

While the RAR file format is open and fairly well documented, RAR compression is proprietary. Since ReScene cannot re-create RAR compression, it can't re-create compressed RAR files

I thought it was impossible to re-create scene RARs once they were extracted

First of all, that's not a question. And second, yes you can. See the "How it works" section on the home page.

But surely it can't be perfect. It can't match the original SFV

Again, not a question. And again, yes it can.

Really?

Yes.

Really??

Yes.

Really???

Ok, that's just annoying. I'm leaving now...