Downloading PAF® FAQs

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• Why download PAF?
• How do I use this service?
• Which products are available to download?
• At what time of day are new files added to the website?
• Can you explain the complex product names?
• If a download fails, can I download again?
• How do I add additional products to my account?
• How long are the downloads available until they disappear?
• How much for replacement Physical Media?
• Is SFTP available?
• Why a physical product as well as a download?
• I do not get an option to save the data?

1. Why download PAF?
   Downloading PAF is a secure and convenient way to receive daily & monthly updates to your existing PAF products, via the Internet. 
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2. How do I use this service?

   You need to register via the Downloading PAF webpage first.  When you're registered and on the Downloading PAF welcome page you'll be shown any relevant special messages. Please read these messages as they may contain useful information about your products.

    

   To download the latest PAF click on the 'New File Downloads' button.

    

   To view any files that have previously been downloaded, click on the 'Download history' button.

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3. Which products are available to download?

   When you register for the service you can specify the products you are interested in, selecting from the following:

   • Single Changes (Daily & Monthly)
   • Changes 1&2 (Daily & Monthly)
   • Expanded Changes (Daily & Monthly)
   • Expanded Single (Daily & Monthly)
   • Postcode Information File (PIF) Changes (Daily & Monthly)
   • Keychain (Daily & Monthly)
   • Welsh Changes (Daily & Monthly)
   • Alias (Monthly Only)
   • Postzon 1m (Monthly Only) *
   • Postzon10m (Monthly Only) *
   • Postzon100m (Monthly Only)

         * Available to existing customers only
   
   
   To add additional products to your account, please telephone our customer support helpline on 08456 066 854 (option 2).

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4. At what time of day are new files added to the website?
   New files are available from approximately 2am (Tuesday to Sunday).  If no changes have been made the previous day, the file just contains header and footer records.
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5. Can you explain the complex product names?

   Taking as an example, this product "Changes_ASCII_Y03M04_01.zip", the name breaks down into 5 sections:

    

   Changes	The name of the product
   ASCII	the file format (ASCII or EBCDIC)
   Y03M04	the year and month (Year - 2003, Month - April)
   01	the daily sequence within the month
   zip	the file is compressed and needs to be unzipped

    

   Following the product extract weekend, the first file available will be YnnMnn_01. This contains changes made on the following Monday and will be available on the Tuesday (no changes are made over the extract weekend).

    

   YnnMnn_02 would be Tuesday's changes available on Wednesday etc. If you do not download any files on the weekends, two files will be available on Monday - YnnMnn_05, which would be Friday's file and YnnMnn_06 which would be Saturday's file etc.

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6. If a download fails, can I download again?
   Yes, simply go to the previous downloads screen and select the file from there.
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7. How do I add additional products to my account?
   Please contact our Customer Support Helpline on 08456 066 854 (option 2)
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8. How long are the downloads available until they disappear?
   The downloads are available for 3 Months.
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9. How much for replacement Physical Media?
   £100.00 + VAT per month supplied.
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10. Is SFTP available?
    We are currently investigating different delivery options for the future.
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11. Why a physical product as well as a download?
    The Main File, Ranges & Compressed Standard Files are all too large to download using this service.
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12. I do not get an option to save the data?
    This may be caused by a pop-up blocker, try keeping the Ctrl key pressed down at the same time as clicking download?
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