Basic downloading

There are four steps to downloading and using a program:

1. Download the file using your browser. To do this:

a. Locate the file you want to download and click its link.
b. A dialogue box pops up asking whether you want to open the file or save it. Choose Save, and the Save As dialogue box will appear.
c. In the Save As dialogue box, select a name for the downloaded file and a location in which to store it, then click OK.

One way to ensure you don't lose your downloads is to download all files initially to the Desktop, and then move them elsewhere after the download is complete. A neater alternative is to create a download folder (such as C:\DOWNLOADS) and save all your downloads to this folder. To get instant access to the downloads, create a shortcut to the Download folder on your Desktop.

2. Check the file for viruses using an anti-virus program. Most anti-virus programs let you check a single file at a time, instead of having to check all the files on your computer. Many will add an option to the right-click menu, so you can right-click the file you've downloaded and choose the menu option to virus check the file.

3. Unzip the file using a decompression utility.

4. Install the software. Some program downloads and self-extracting ZIP files run an installation routine as soon as you open them. To install the software, you simply follow the instructions onscreen, choosing the recommended options whenever you're unsure.

Normal ZIP files (and many self-extracting ZIPs) don't install automatically. With these programs, once you've unzipped their contents you need to search for a file called install.exe or setup.exe and open that file to install the software. If you're not sure how to proceed, look for documentation in the form of text files (TXT) or documents (DOC or WRI). Open and read the documentation -- it will often contain installation information.