Download Software Are you ready to try out some of that cool software you keep hearing so much about? Then it's time to brave the world of downloading. Soon, you will discover a New World of free and almost-free software. Downloading is the term used to describe retrieving files and programs over the Internet. A file is transfered from the Internet to your computer. Downloading is not that hard -- but some preparation is necessary. Create a Folder just for Downloads One of the most common problems with downloading files is finding them on your computer once the download is complete. It is a good idea to create a folder just for downloads. > Create a folder on your hard disk or zip disk. > Do not use your floppy disk because the file you download may exceed the floppy capacity. Open My Computer or Windows Explorer Select a drive or folder for the NEW FOLDER In the white space, right-click and select New, Folder Name the folder Downloads. Also consider creating a sub-folder under "Downloads" for each program you download. Then, you will have an archive in case your installed shareware programs become corrupted. How to Download In most cases, you download by clicking on either a hypertext link or a button that says something like "Download" or "Get file." If your browser is configured correctly, this will start the process of retrieving the file. If you get some sort of message telling you it doesn't know what to do with the file, just select the option of "Save file" or "Save to disk". Internet Explorer When you are downloading a file, you will get different warning screens depending on the level of security you have set. If you have set SECURITY to HIGH in INTERNET EXPLORER, your request to download a file will be refused. Set SECURITY to MEDIUM for downloads. > After the warnings, you will see a File Download Screen. Check the "Save this program to disk" button. > You will then be presented with the Save As dialog box. Select a folder (at the top) to hold your downloaded file and click the SAVE button. Compression Issues Most downloadable files are stored in a compressed form, to allow for the quickest download times possible. This means that downloading a compressed file is really a two-step process: > Retrieve the file > De-compress the file (usual file extension is .ZIP). If the file you are downloading is a program, there will be an additional step: > Install the software. Some files are compressed in a format that doesn't require another program to de-compress it. > Files with the extensions .exe are "self-extracting" files. > Once you've successfully downloaded this type of file, all you need to do is double-click on it and the file will be automatically decompressed. If you don't have a de-compression utility, here are two suggestions > Winzip is a shareware program that is widely used. Get WINZIP > PowerArchiver is shareware program that has all of the features of Winzip. Get PowerArchiver If the file you have downloaded and decompressed is a program: > it will probably be accompanied by a text document (usually named "readme.txt") that gives you specific instructions for installing it. > In many cases, one of the files you have downloaded will be an installer program, and when you double-click on that installer, it will install the software for you. Downloading Tips Create a separate folder on your hard disk for downloaded files. Consider using virus-detection software when downloading. Screen savers may disrupt downloads. You may need to disable your screen saver when downloading a large file. Be aware of the time involved. A 5MB file takes approximately 25 minutes to download over a 28.8 modem under good conditions. Try downloading popular software at off-peak hours. You will have better luck connecting and may get better download speeds. If the software tells you to close all your applications or restart your computer, take their advice. Other Resources For more help with downloading, consult the following source. |
Download Software Are you ready to try out some of that cool software you keep hearing so much about? Then it's time to brave the world of downloading. Soon, you will discover a New World of free and almost-free software. Downloading is the term used to describe retrieving files and programs over the Internet. A file is transfered from the Internet to your computer. Downloading is not that hard -- but some preparation is necessary. Create a Folder just for Downloads One of the most common problems with downloading files is finding them on your computer once the download is complete. It is a good idea to create a folder just for downloads. > Create a folder on your hard disk or zip disk. > Do not use your floppy disk because the file you download may exceed the floppy capacity. Open My Computer or Windows Explorer Select a drive or folder for the NEW FOLDER In the white space, right-click and select New, Folder Name the folder Downloads. Also consider creating a sub-folder under "Downloads" for each program you download. Then, you will have an archive in case your installed shareware programs become corrupted. How to Download In most cases, you download by clicking on either a hypertext link or a button that says something like "Download" or "Get file." If your browser is configured correctly, this will start the process of retrieving the file. If you get some sort of message telling you it doesn't know what to do with the file, just select the option of "Save file" or "Save to disk". Internet Explorer When you are downloading a file, you will get different warning screens depending on the level of security you have set. If you have set SECURITY to HIGH in INTERNET EXPLORER, your request to download a file will be refused. Set SECURITY to MEDIUM for downloads. > After the warnings, you will see a File Download Screen. Check the "Save this program to disk" button. > You will then be presented with the Save As dialog box. Select a folder (at the top) to hold your downloaded file and click the SAVE button. Compression Issues Most downloadable files are stored in a compressed form, to allow for the quickest download times possible. This means that downloading a compressed file is really a two-step process: > Retrieve the file > De-compress the file (usual file extension is .ZIP). If the file you are downloading is a program, there will be an additional step: > Install the software. Some files are compressed in a format that doesn't require another program to de-compress it. > Files with the extensions .exe are "self-extracting" files. > Once you've successfully downloaded this type of file, all you need to do is double-click on it and the file will be automatically decompressed. If you don't have a de-compression utility, here are two suggestions > Winzip is a shareware program that is widely used. Get WINZIP > PowerArchiver is shareware program that has all of the features of Winzip. Get PowerArchiver If the file you have downloaded and decompressed is a program: > it will probably be accompanied by a text document (usually named "readme.txt") that gives you specific instructions for installing it. > In many cases, one of the files you have downloaded will be an installer program, and when you double-click on that installer, it will install the software for you. Downloading Tips Create a separate folder on your hard disk for downloaded files. Consider using virus-detection software when downloading. Screen savers may disrupt downloads. You may need to disable your screen saver when downloading a large file. Be aware of the time involved. A 5MB file takes approximately 25 minutes to download over a 28.8 modem under good conditions. Try downloading popular software at off-peak hours. You will have better luck connecting and may get better download speeds. If the software tells you to close all your applications or restart your computer, take their advice. Other Resources For more help with downloading, consult the following source. |
