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How To . . . Download From A Web Site

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Step-By-Step January 2000 • Vol.6 Issue 1	Add To My Personal Library
How To . . . Download From A Web Site

The ability to pull files from the Web is just one of the ways the Internet is making our lives easier. Downloading files from the Internet can be the fastest way to get a book, software, art, or any useful item saved in a computer-readable format.

When you download a file, you are simply copying it from a computer on the Internet onto your local machine. Many different types of files are available to be downloaded and used. This includes clip art, text documents, games, databases, electronic greeting cards, manuals, video clips, office suites, programming languages, and much more. Several types of software not found in stores are found almost exclusively on the Internet, including many utility applications (software that provides specific, helpful services like organizing e-mail or passwords). You may find downloadable files of interest to you by searching for them on one of the many popular search engines or by casually surfing the Web. Either way, you can bring the files onto your machine for further investigation at your leisure.

Let's assume that you have found a Web site featuring files that you want to download. This site will usually provide directions on how to download and use files once you have them on your computer. While you should read any provided instructions, the downloading process tends to be standard. Somewhere on the Web site is a button labeled similarly to Download Now. Click this button, and your Internet browser will ask for a location on your hard disk to save the file. Specify a directory location, and the Web site then transmits the file while you download it. When the file is completely copied to your PC (this may take anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours depending on the file size), the Web browser gives you a message that the download is complete.

The automated download process requires very little interaction on your part. Your contribution, however, is choosing the location for the downloaded file. If you don't know where the file is, you won't be able to use it later. When your browser prompts you for a location for the download, specify a directory or folder on your hard drive that you can easily find later. You might even want to create a directory for downloaded files. A common directory folder would be C:\DOWNLOAD. Note the directory where you saved the file as well as the file name once you've decided on a location.

At Jumbo! (http://www.jumbo.com), users click the diskette icon to download the file and specify where to save it.

Now that you have the file on your computer, what do you do with it? This depends on the type of file you have downloaded. The Web site from which you downloaded the file should give you some instructions on how to work with that file. For instance, if you have downloaded a text file, open that file in a text editor or word processing program in order to view it. For a graphics file, such as a scanned photo or clip art, you will need to open a graphics application. Some files can only be opened by one specific application. For instance, many Web sites offer downloadable manuals in a .PDF format. Only Adobe Acrobat Reader can open and view these files. (Web sites will typically explain how to download and install Acrobat Reader.) If you don't recognize the file's extension, which is the last three letters in the file name, check with the source of the download for directions on using the file. The accompanying chart lists some common files and the applications used to open these files.

Download files with the extension .EXE are executables, which means they are applications in and of themselves. To run an EXE file, locate it in the directory in which it was saved and then double-click the file. The EXE file will then run and perform some action; installing another application is a popular use for downloaded .EXE files.

A Few Tips.

Some files available for download are very large and can take up to several hours to download. The file's Web site or your browser may give you an idea of how long the download will take. If the download will take an extended period of time, start the download at the end of your day to allow it to run overnight.

When downloading files, be wary of viruses. You may want to install an antivirus application on your PC before downloading files. Be sure to scan your downloaded files with your antivirus application before opening or running them. Do not download a file from a Web site that you feel has questionable intentions or authors. If you download an application, create a temporary directory,and then install the application there. Once the application is in its own directory, you can easily scan that single directory. Alternately, you could delete the directory if you find the application questionable or useless.

Finding files to download and use from the Internet can be exciting, fun, and useful. Spend some time exploring the Web for downloads.

by Tracey Dishman Patterson

What Needs What

If the file you have downloaded has this extension	You need this type of application to open it
.TXT, .DOC, .RTF	Text editor or word processor, like Notepad or Word
.GIF, .JPG, .JPEG, .BMP	Graphics application, such as Paintbrush or PaintShop
.MPG, .AVI	Video player, like Real Player or Windows Media Player
.WAV, .MID	Sound player, like Windows Media Player
.PDF	Adobe Acrobat
.ZIP	Files compression application, such as WinZip or PKZIP

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