Downloading from the Internet Made Easy

Get your hard drive ready and let the downloading begin! One of the Web's greatest attractions is its abundance of available downloadable programs. In addition to free files and utilities, you can find demo versions of many new programs and updates of programs you already have. Most files are either free or free for a limited time. Freeware and public domain software are free for you to use indefinitely. Shareware (try before you buy) and demonstration (demo) software let you try out a fully or partially operational program. If you like the shareware, you can pay a fee and get a legal copy. If the demo looks good, you can buy the full version. Most software you download is compressed, so this article explains how to download and uncompress your files.

1  Create a download folder Organizing your downloaded files into a folder is a must. First see if you have a folder called C:\My Download Files. In Windows Explorer, look for the My Download Files folder on your C drive. If you see it, go to Step 2. If you do not have a folder called My Download Files, you can create one. Using Windows Explorer, highlight a hard disk drive such as C:, and choose File|New|Folder. When a folder titled New Folder appears, right click it, and choose Rename. Type My Download Files or another name that makes sense to you.
2  Download a file using a browser I've selected a memory game called Remember This to add to your collection. Open your web browser and go to www.monkeysword.com/ remember/. Read the directions and click Download Remember This. A window opens that asks, "What would you like to do with this file?" or something similar. Click Save it to disk or Save (depending on your browser). When the familiar Save As window appears, navigate to your newly created download folder (C:\My Download Files) and click Save. Then click OK. The browser downloads a file named remember.zip. Watch and wait until the file has finished downloading.
3  Prepare your file for installation Like many of the files you will download, the Remember This file ends in .zip. A zip file, also referred to as an archive file, 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 saves hard disk space and shortens your download time. Before you can install your new brain builder program, you have to unzip (open up) the zip file to use the files stored within it. Although other utilities are available, I recommend WinZip for unzipping files. If you already have WinZip installed and ready for use, go to Step 6. If you don't have WinZip, follow the instructions in Steps 4 and 5 to download and install it.
4  Download WinZip Open your web browser and go to www.winzip.com. Click Download Evaluation Version and follow the directions in Step 2. (Note: This version of WinZip is shareware; registration costs $29.) Put the file in your download folder (C:\My Download Files) just like you did with the remember.zip file. Unlike the Remember This program, the WinZip file is an .exe file, which you can run and install without unzipping.
5  Install WinZip Double-click Winzip80.exe and follow the instructions to install WinZip. I suggest you take all of the suggested default settings and scan all your drives for favorite folders. WinZip can then easily access your download folder. Now you can use the WinZip wizard to unzip the remember.zip file you downloaded in Step 2. You may wish to read the WinZip instructions before proceeding so you know what to expect. If you closed WinZip, click the icon to restart the program or choose it from the Start menu.
6  Run the wizard WinZip has probably been set up to launch using wizards, which present each step of the process in a series of separate windows. Step through the wizard. It asks you to select the remember.zip file and also choose a location for the unzipped files. Be sure to take note of where it places them!
7  Install your file WinZip places an open Windows Explorer window on your desktop with the files inside. Archives that you download may have one or more files within them that can help you learn about the program, install it, and understand what to do if you want to continue to use it. Most files include a readme file generally called Readme.txt. Double-click it to open it in Notepad or WordPad, so you can read details about the program and how to install it.

Congratulations....you've successfully downloaded a file, and a whole new world is available to you. The Internet can be a great source for software solutions. You can try out programs and keep your favorite programs up to date by learning to download and install their latest versions.

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