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Downloading involves having a program or file sent from a server on the Internet to your hard drive. The server containing the file is probably an FTP server using the File Transfer Protocol, but many programs are stored on traditional Web servers running HTTP. The World Wide Web has made it extremely easy to download files, as you no longer have to interact with arcane FTP menus (Page WEB 6.05), even if you have to download from an FTP server. Most of the time you only have to click on a link or an image to begin the downloading process. Once the server is ready to transport the program to you over the Internet, your browser will likely ask you if you want to save the file or open it. I would recommend you save the file or program and install it manually. This way you will get a better feel for what exactly is "going on" in the installation process. Before you click on a link or image to download, you should first go into Windows' Explorer and create a directory to store the program/file in. Since downloaded programs generally consist of a number of files, you should create a recognizable place for the new files to reside until you have installed them. Once the program is downloaded and installed, the set-up files can be safely deleted. Keeping the setup files in one directory allows you to quickly find the files you want to delete and ensure that you don't delete any files unrelated to the program....such as files that other programs need to run. You can open Windows Explorer by holding down the flying windows key on the keyboard and pressing e, or by clicking the start button on the status bar, selecting Programs and then clicking on Windows Explorer. You create a new folder by selecting file-->new-->folder. Afterwards a folder appears in the right side of explorer. Just type in the name of the directory you'd like to create. Since most programs create their own directories when you install them, it doesn't matter what you call this directory unless you're just downloading a file. Since "New Folder" is highlighted, you can change the name of the folder simply by typing the new name. The new name will automatically replace "New Folder." Once you are done, press the enter key. Now when you find a file or program you want to download, simply click on the link, and when prompted, select your new folder as the file or program's destination. If the file or program is large, unless you are using a high speed line like the ones at RVCC, you might have to wait a while until the file is finished downloading. It is also a good idea for you to become familiar with Winzip. Winzip is a program that allows you to extract compressed files from programs that end with the extension .zip. If you don't have a program like Winzip on your hard drive, you won't be able to install any programs that have been compressed in zip format. Zip files are very common, so don't think that you can spend all your life downloading self-extracting exe files. Are All of the Great Programs I Download Free? In almost every case....no. There are three types of programs that you can download, only one of which is truly free of charge. FREEWARE: These programs are free to download and use forever. The program's author/s do not want to make any money from this program. Perhaps they want you to use this program, love it, and then buy a fancier one from them. But, for whatever the reason, these programs are free. Be aware the freeware programs are the most likely to contain software bugs that can crash your PC. SHAREWARE: These programs are often confused with freeware. However, the authors of shareware programs want you to pay for these programs if you like them and want to keep them. The point of allowing you to download shareware programs for free is that you can try the program, hopefully love it, and then be an honest camper and send the author/s the money for the program. Once the author/s receive payment, they will generally send you a version of the program that has more features or doesn't have an annoying warning instructing you how much time you have to use the shareware program. Other times, they may provide you with a software key that you can use to turn the shareware version into the full version without installing any additional software. Now, when your time runs out, the program may stop working. Or, you may continue to use it while having to put up with messages instructing you to register since you've overstayed your welcome. The honest thing to do is to pay for the program or delete it from your hard drive. You will sleep better at night if you do so. DEMOS/LIMITED EDITIONS: These are programs that give you an idea to what the full version of the program is capable of, but they have many features disabled to encourage you to purchase the full product. Demos/Limited editions generally cease working after a specific number of days, rendering them useless at that time. Before you click on a link to download a program, you should read the page carefully to see which of the three kinds of programs you are downloading. I find downloading demos to be very frustrating, because I don't get to see the program's full power. But, this is only my personal opinion. Most download sites also allow you to see what OS the program will run on, how many times the file has been downloaded, as well as how highly the program is rated. At this point you might be a little bit confused with the whole "self extracting executable" and "zip file" process. However, consider the alternative. Imagine that you wanted to download a program off of the Internet that needed twenty files to install correctly. You would have to download each file one at a time to the same directory in order to install the program. Unless you have five hours to kill, this is not an efficient way to download a program. However, if the author of a program compresses the files into one large file, then all you have to do is download one single file, decompress the files contained within, and install the program. Keep in mind that since the files are compressed, the total amount of information downloaded in the single file will be substantially less than the total of the 20 files you would have had to download. There are two kinds of compressed files: self extracting executables and zip files. SELF EXTRACTING EXECUTABLES:--These programs don't require that you have a program like "Winzip" on your hard drive. This is because, you simply have to double click or run the program you downloaded to begin the extraction process automatically. This is possible because part of Winzip, or another program like it is embedded inside the program you downloaded. The embedded portion of the unzipping program handles the extraction process. Self Extracting Executables are generally 12KB larger than the same files compressed in .zip format. Self extracting executables choose where they will be installed; you have control with a zip file. ZIP FILES:--Just imagine that you are a brand new Internet user who just downloaded this great game. Once the file is downloaded, you open Explorer, find the file and click on it. The strangest thing happens. Explorer opens a window asking you to select the program you want to use to open the program. "What is going on?" you ask yourself. The answer is simple. The program was compressed in zip format. Unless you have a program on your hard drive, such as Winzip, your computer will not know what to do with a file ending in the extension .zip. However, if you have Winzip installed on your computer, Winzip will automatically start running as soon as you click on the file you downloaded. You then follow the directions listed earlier.
Download a self extracting exe Download a Zip file that contains a single .exe Download a Zip file that contains many files (including
Setup.exe) Remember that files and programs are sent to you over the Internet in bits and pieces, so if your program isn't running correctly, try downloading and installing again before giving up. Online Downloading Tutorials Mr. Brower's Notes on Creating Directories in Unix |
