DOWNLOADING FAQ AND TUTORIAL

Luckily, downloading is easy to learn. The process varies, depending on the type of computer you use, which operating system it runs, what software you use to access the World Wide Web, and how the download itself is packaged. But overall, it's pretty straightforward--just a five-step process:

1. Make a special download directory.
2. Find and download software.
3. Decompress your downloads.
4. Install the software.
5. Clean up your directory.

Downloading can get messy. Unless you neatly file away new software, you'll be buried under a cluttered desktop, lost files, and overflowing folders. To keep track of downloaded software and files, you should save them in a special download folder or directory that you can use over and over. Once you create this folder and call it something obvious, say, Downloads, you'll always know where to find your new files.

To make a special folder for storing your downloaded programs, follow these steps. When your Web browser prompts you to save downloads into a certain folder, simply save them to the directory you've created.

If you use multiple hard drives on your PC or your hard drive is partitioned, you may want to put the download folder on a secondary drive or partition rather than on the primary C: drive. This keeps your main drive or partition free for applications and documents and saves storage space.

Windows 95/98/NT/2000
1. In Windows Explorer (Start/Programs/Windows Explorer), click the drive where you'll store the folder.
2. Select New/Folder from the File menu.
3. A folder will appear on that drive with the highlighted default name New Folder. Type Downloads over that name and press Enter.

Windows 3.x
1. In File Manager, click the root directory (usually C:).
2. Select File/Create Directory.
3. Type Downloads to name the directory and click OK.

Macintosh
1. In the Finder (on the desktop), select New Folder under the File menu.
2. An untitled folder will appear on your desktop. Type Downloads over the folder's current label and press Enter or click elsewhere on

Downloadable software is available everywhere on the Internet--from FTP sites, individual Web sites, and special collections such as CNET Download.com. AND OF COURSE MP3 TUTORIAL HAS ALL OF THE MUSIC SOFTWARE THAT YOU NEED.

Use Download.com
To find software at Download.com, head for the Search box at the top of the page. Enter one or more search words, such as ICQ, and click the Search button. (Mac users may need to select the Mac link from the list of options under the Search box.) The search returns a list of software that matches the word (or words) you used. Sort through these results by clicking the options (Title, Date Added, or Downloads, for instance) that appear at the top of the page. Download.com also lets you filter the results by OS, category, or software license by using the drop-down boxes at the bottom of the page. 

Once you've zeroed in on a program you want to download, click its title to get more information about it. To download it, just click the Download Now link on the right side of the page. This will automatically start your download, grabbing the software from the fastest location on the Web. If you'd rather choose the site yourself, click the All Download Sites link on the left side of the page.

Save and Decompress
After you've started a download, your Web browser determines what happens next. In most cases, you get a dialog box that confirms where to save your download. Before you click OK, make sure you've picked the Downloads folder you created in step one.

If your browser isn't configured to view compressed files (the format most downloaded files are stored in), you may get a message that reads "No viewer available for this file type. Do you want to save to disk?" Uncheck the box that says "Always ask this question with this file type" (so that in the future your computer will begin downloading automatically) and click OK. Then, select your Downloads folder as the save destination.

Nearly every file you'll download from the Internet arrives on your computer compressed--stored in a format that takes up less space. A compressed file reduces download time and makes it possible to download all of a program's files, such as help files and drivers, in a single package. But once the file is on your hard disk, things get complicated. At that point, it may have one of several unfriendly-looking extensions, such as .arc, .arj, .bin, .exe, .gz, .hqx, .sea, .uue, .z, or .zip. How you handle these files depends on whether you're using a Mac or a Windows PC and what software you use to decompress them. The most popular decompression program for the Mac is Stuff It Expander, while most PC users rely on WinZip or Netzip (Linux users can unstuff some types of zipped files--for example, files that were created in a Windows format and saved to a format usable by Linux--using RAR.) All of these programs can be downloaded in our TOOLS section.

Decompress on Your PC
If your downloaded file has the extension .exe, it's probably self-extracting, which means it will automatically decompress as soon as you double-click it. Make sure the file is in your Downloads folder or directory, then double-click it to install or open the program. Once your installation is complete, you can skip straight to step five.

If you've downloaded a file that ends in .arc, .arj, .gz, .z, or .zip, however, you'll need to decompress it with a program such as WinZip. Here's how:

Decompress on Your Mac
If you've downloaded a file that ends in .sea, it's a self-extracting file that you decompress simply by double-clicking it. For files that end in .cpt, .hqx, or .sit, you need a decompression program such as StuffIt Expander. Some browsers, including most versions of Netscape Navigator, contain StuffIt as a helper application and will launch StuffIt automatically when you click a compressed file. If you don't have StuffIt Expander, download it right away. After StuffIt is installed, simply drag compressed files to the StuffIt icon to expand them.

Download Stuffit Expander for Mac System 7.1.1 and later

In some cases, decompressing a program does not mean that you've installed it. If your computer hasn't prompted you through any installation steps, you may have a little more work to do.

WinZip makes it easy for PC users to install downloads. If a file with a .zip extension contains a program called either Install or Setup, WinZip detects it and, in the Classic interface, creates a button labeled Install near the right side of the WinZip button bar. In its Wizard mode, WinZip simply notes that installation will proceed once you click the Next button. Before you click either Install or Next, check the downloaded file's readme file, a text file that contains special installation instructions and extra information about your new application. Once you know what you're getting into, click the Install button and let WinZip do its thing. Installation routines vary, so just follow instructions as they come up. Never fear, the software will prompt you through the necessary steps.

If an Install button doesn't appear in WinZip, you'll have to install the program yourself. This process varies among programs, so check the application's readme file for instructions on how to do this.

Mac users should open the readme file after expanding an archive to get specific installation instructions.

Before you start enjoying your newly downloaded and installed software, remember that the compressed file (which you no longer need because you created a new copy when you decompressed it) is taking up valuable disk space. If you want to pass the software on to friends or think you may need to reinstall it, hold on to the compressed file. We suggest you move it to a floppy disk, an alternate drive, or a removable drive. But if you're finished with the compressed file, just delete it and empty the Recycle Bin or the Trash.

That's it. You're now ready to enjoy your new program.

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