by Dave Gerber, APCUG Advisor;
VP Sarasota PCUG, Florida; radio talk show host
From the October, 2006 issue of the I/O Port Newsletter
Step 1: Create a Download Folder
The first step in downloading from the Internet, is to create a folder where you
will always save your downloaded files. This will help you to locate the file
once it is downloaded into your computer. To create a new folder (directory)
called C:\Download using Windows Explorer, highlight your C: drive, and then
click on these menu items, one after the other: File | New > Folder. When a
folder entitled New Folder is created, rename it "Download".
Note: A word about distinguishing between the Windows Explorer and Microsoft
Internet Explorer. The Windows Explorer is the system tool that helps you
examine and access your entire computer; files; directories; drives; desktop,
etc. In contrast, Microsoft Internet Explorer is the browser you can use to surf
the Web.
Step 2: Download a File Using Your Browser
Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE), Netscape Communicator, Opera, and other
browsers work in similar ways. After you click the Download Now button, a small
window will open and ask you, "What would you like to do with this file?" or
something similar. Simply click on the "Save it to disk" or "Save" choice, and
then click OK. When the familiar "Save As" window appears, use it to navigate to
your newly created C:\download folder and click "Save." Watch and wait until the
file has finished downloading. Problems? Some older versions of MSIE may require
that you right-click on "Download Now," and select "Save Target As" to be able
to begin the process described above.
Step 3: Prepare Your File for Installation
Although some files end in .exe and automatically install or explode into many
files, many of the files you will download end in .zip. Since programs almost
always include more than one file, think of the trouble it would be to download
many files just to get one program to install. A zip file, also referred to as
an archive, is an individual file that has files stored within it. When multiple
files are combined into one zip file, they are also compressed in size, which
has the further benefit of saving hard drive space and shortening download time.
To open a .zip file, you will need a program that will unzip the file for you.
The most common program for this is WinZip. If you do not already have WinZip,
follow these instructions to install the proper version.
Step 4: Download and Install WinZip
Go to www,winzip.com and download the shareware version of WinZip. (Note from
Dave: This version of WinZip is shareware; registration costs $29.) Put it in
your computer's C:\download folder. The WinZip file is in the form of an .exe
that can be run and installed without any additional steps.
Congratulations!
You've successfully downloaded a file, and a whole new world is available to you
now! The Internet is a great source for finding software gems. By tapping into
the Web's motherlode of software, you can try programs to see if you like them
before laying out that hard-earned cash, and keep your favorite programs up to
date by learning to download and install their latest versions.
Step 5: Install your file
Double-click on winzip81.exe to install WinZip, then follow the easy
step-by-step installation instructions. We suggest you take all of the suggested
default settings and scan all your drives for favorite folders. WinZip can then
easily access your C:\download directory for the next step. STOP when you reach
the "WinZip Wizard - Welcome" window, and proceed with the next instruction.
WinZip has probably been set up to launch using wizards, which are interfaces
designed to make it easier to use new programs. They present each step in a
series of separate windows, with options and decisions for you to make before
you click Next to proceed.
Step 6: How To Handle .exe Files
As we mentioned at the beginning of Step 3, you will find files ending in both
.zip and .exe. You will find that .exe files are even easier to handle than .zip
files! If you downloaded and installed WinZip earlier in this exercise, you know
exactly what we mean.
The .exe files that you download are ready to be run -- the only thing is, they
can act in one of several different ways. Here are a few examples of what may
happen when you double-click on an .exe file that you have downloaded.
An installation routine may begin immediately. In this case, all you need do is
follow the instructions that are presented to you.
A small window may appear that explains that the file will extract to a
particular folder. You may wish to change the folder, or at least make a note of
where the files are being placed. At the conclusion of the file extraction
process, an installation process may begin. If it does not, use Windows Explorer
to navigate to the folder where the files have been placed. Once there, you can
look for a Readme.txt, File_id.diz, Vendinfo.diz, Productname.txt, or other file
that may help you install the program. Typically, a Setup.exe or Productname.exe
will be there for you to click upon.
All of the files within the .exe will be expanded into the current folder.
Fortunately, this older method of packaging is not used very often
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as it is kept in context with proper credit given the author. The Editorial
Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an
international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article
to you.
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