My downloads stop in the middle

Running XP without the service packs is 1) dangerous and 2) amazing that this is the only problem you have in terms of stability as well as security.  Make sure you have enough hard disk space for that which you're trying to download, and clear your Internet Explorer cache (temporary internet files, including offline content and history files); close IE - reboot and try again.

I'd definitely encourage you to go to WindowsUpdate and apply the service packs for Windows XP as well as for IE.  If you need more information on what all was fixed, here are just a few samples:

XP Sp1 fixes and SP1a  as well as for IE 6
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=%2fsupport%2fServicePacks%2fWindows%2fXP%2fSP1FixList.asp

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;324720&Product=winxp
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;328548
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/critical/ie6sp1/default.asp

http://support.microsoft.com/common/canned.aspx?R=d&H=List%20of%20Fixes%20in%20Microsoft%20Internet%20Explorer%206%20SP1&LL=&Sz=kbIE600sp1fix&Fr=&DU=&SD=GN&LN=EN-US&CND=1&VR=&CAT=&VRL=&SG=&MaxResults=150

http://support.microsoft.com/search/default.aspx?InCC_hdn=true&Catalog=LCID%3D1033%26CDID%3DEN-US-KB%26PRODLISTSRC%3DON&withinResults=&QuerySource=gASr_Query&Product=ie600&Queryc=download+stops&Query=download+stops&KeywordType=ALL&maxResults=150&Titles=false&numDays=&InCC=on
Talks about the many things that can cause your download to stop before completion; which may help us narrow down a bit if the problem has not been resolved based on the earlier mentioned items.

Thanks astaec.

All of a sudden it started to work again.

I'm pretty sure it was my ISP because I tried on another computer, and downloads would stop, too. ALso, I've had troubles before with my ISP.

Oh yeah, and I've heard that (about running XP without a service pack) before, and it amazes me, too. I use firewall, anti-virus, many different spyware checkers, etc. and I haven't had many problems before, or at least ones that I've noticed. The only thing that's bugging me is that my computer used to have the XP logon screen (the blue one) after coming back from standby, but now it says "computer is locked, an administrator or the person logged in must enter their password," something like that.

Thanks for the update and "B" grade; hopefully the next time we meet I can provide you with what you consider to be "A" level assistance.

When you click the links I provided that give you some of the details and problems/exposured fixed with the Service Packs, you can see how far-reaching some of the problems are.  The downloads are HUGE, so you may at some point, choose to request a CD instead with updates which some of us have done in the past.  As always, your choice.  Are you the only user on this system, or is it shared with others?  If you're the only user, you can right-click the My Computer icon and choose Manage to check some logs and determine some of the errors and problems that have been logged.  Also, assuming you're the only user, you should be able to log in as the Administrator without problems.  If you've never created a password to be used, and these conditions are true, you should not be asked for a password (unless the registry or some interface has become corrupted).  Sometimes running SFC from the start menu as follows helps to restore some system files that may have been corrupted.
start-run-sfc / scannow.  Be sure to leave a space after sfc.  Have your Windows XP disk handy, if needed for this process.

Also the XP Help file is quite extensive to help further.  Also this:

SYMPTOMS - After you log on as an administrator to a computer that is not a member of a domain, when you double-click User Accounts in Control Panel to change the password for the built-in Administrator account, the Administrator account may not appear in the list of user accounts. Consequently, you cannot change its password.
CAUSE - This behavior can occur because the Administrator account logon option appears only in Safe mode if more than one account is created on the system. The Administrator account is available in Normal mode only if there are no other accounts on the system.
More here.... from the source:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;298252&Product=winxp

Good luck,
Asta

The "Administrator Logon" Dialog Box May Be Hidden Under the Welcome Screen or "The System Could Not Log You on" Message May Be Displayed
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;300433

Brief excerpt from the above:

RESOLUTION - To work around the problem that concerns the hidden Administrator Logon dialog box, press ALT+TAB to bring the dialog box to the front of the screen so that you can log on to the computer with valid credentials.

To work around the other problem, remove or update the appropriate registry key if the Autologon feature is required for an existing account. If you do not need or you do not want the Autologon feature, change the setting of the Autologon feature so that AutoAdminLogon=0.

Click the source link I provided above for more pertinent information and detail and important WARNING

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

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SUMMARY - When you install a version of Windows XP, Setup prompts you for a password for the Administrator account. After installation is complete, the password provided during Setup is applied to the account.


MORE INFORMATION - The administrator account and password created during Setup are used to log on in Safe Mode only. To create a password for user accounts, double-click Manage Users in Control Panel.

Off to work, best wishes.
":0) Asta