Hello, the following has a few tips and pointers on how to download files, how to process files that you have downloaded if they are compressed, and how to view the files after they have been processed.
How do I download files?
Downloading is actually the easiest of the three things mentioned. While you are looking at the file list in the libraries, you simply can either choose Download Now or Download Later.
Download Now initiates a download command and you will see a dialog box asking where you wish to put the file. Once you give the file a name (or select the name that is given to you in the dialog box) you click on the save button and you will see a small window with a gauge in it. When this gauge fills up you have finished downloading. If you are on a Mac or using a PC with a sound card you will hear the words "File Done"
Download Later put the file name into the Download manager. Once you have picked all the files that you wish to download, you simply go to the file menu and choose the "Download Manager" Menu Item. This will open up a window with several Icons at the bottom. If you are downloading for the first time I suggest that you forget about the other Icons and simply choose the "Start Download" button. You will then see a dialog box that asks you if you wish to log off after the download. If you plan on not doing any more online exploring after you have downloaded your files then click on the box and your machine will sign you off after the downloads have been completed. Also after you have downloaded the files they will automatically be put in the Downloads directory which is inside the directory that has the AOL softare. For Windows Machines this would be C:\AOL20\Download or C:\AOL25\Download, For Dos Machines using the GEOS version of AOL it would be C:\AOL\Download, for Macs it would be a folder inside the America Online 2.X folder named Online Downloads.
How do I process files that I have Downloaded?
There are two types of files that need to be processed before you can view them. They are .ZIP files and .SIT files. These files have been compressed so they take less time to download. Files that end in .TXT (Text files) don't need processing.
.Zip files are created by a utility called PKZIP. This compression utility has become the defacto standard for IBM type machines. The Windows and DOS versions of AOL 2.0 and below can handle Zip files made by earlier versions of PKZIP (PKzip 1.10) However, PKZIP has evolved and now there are later versions. Your version of WAOL may not be able to handle the later compression formats.
.SIT Files are created by the Macintosh using Stuffit. Stuffit is the Standard on the Mac. To use these files you will need a utility that will uncompress them.
.HQX files are files that have been converted to binhex format for easy transmission over the internet. What binhex does is convert the file into a type of text code so that the sender doesn╒t have to worry about the file getting corrupted when it resides on different types of systems.
There is a utility in the Religions and Ethics Forum Called "Stuffit Expander for Windows" that will handle both .ZIP files, .SIT files, and HQX files and is very easy to use. Stuffit Expander for Windows also handles a lot more formats that you might run into while browsing the internet. It is an all around handy utility that I think you would be happy to own. And what is best about this utility is that the company that made it gives it away for free.
If you are using a Macintosh and are using version 2.1, I suggest that you go to Keyword UPGRADE and download the latest version of the Mac AOL software. This version is 2.6. The AOL for the MAC handles both .ZIP files and .SIT files with ease so you don't need another utility to process them. However if you are looking for a good Utility for processing files that you download on other services I can suggest Stuffit Expander for the Mac. Like its sister application on the IBM it handles a varity of different file formats that are in use in other machines.
I also suggest that if you are using WAOL 2.0 for windows that you also use the keyword Upgrade and download the 2.5 version of AOL. Not only is it a nice upgrade but it will also allow you to access the World Wide Web capibility of AOL.
Once you have processed the .Zip files and .Sit Files then you can go ahead and view them.
How do I view files that I have downloaded?
Once you have processed your ZIP files or SIT files, Remember .TXT files don't need to be processed, you are ready to view them.
If the file is Text (.TXT) then all you have to do is load it into a word processor. A simple word processor in Windows would be Windows Write. This text processor is found in the Accessories Icon under the Windows program manager. Also remember that AOL can read text files but it has a very small buffer so if the file is over 16k in length you will only see the first portion of the file.
On the Mac a simple Word processor would be Teachtext or SimpleText.
Remember that any word processor will work on viewing text files. I suggest that you use the one that you are comfortable with.
If the file is a .JPG (Jpeg) or .GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) then you might need another utility to view the file. WAOL 2.5 has multimedia capibilities built in to it and has the ability to View both Gif files and JPG files. However there are better Utilities out there for viewing files. Vpic and Cshow come to mind as Utilities that are able to view files.
How do I print a file?
Once you have opened a file in your word processer then all you have to do to print is to use the print command. This command is usually found under the file menu. Once you do this you only have a few minutes to wait before you have a hard copy.
Printing Graphic files is a bit different and I would use a good graphic program for the printing of graphics. However you can print a graphic using AOL just by using the Print command under the file menu.
