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Download Tips and hints

 
Do you download a program or file and then cannot find it.  Do you download a program and think that you will deal with it later, then cannot remember what it was called.  Do you download a file and then ask, "What Next ?".  This page will attempt to help with these and more items when downloading files from the internet.

1) The first thing to do is to create a location where you can easily go and find what you downloaded.  To do this, open My Computer and click on the C: drive.  Now, with the C drive in the window, click in an open area and then right click. Select New, then Folder from the menus that come up.  Once you have created the folder, it will be still highlighted to be renamed.  I would suggest that you name it Download.  It will be located at C:\Download which is very easy to see and find.  One additional item here, RIGHT click on the new folder and drag to the desktop. When you release, you will have a menu with options to Move, Copy, Create a Shortcut.  Select the last and you will now have a direct line to that download folder.  You can even drag and drop a file onto the shortcut icon to transfer a file to the Download folder.

2) When you click on a download URL on a web page, a series of events will start.  First, sometimes the question will be, do you want to download or open.  In all cases, use the download option.  Next will be another window that gives you the option of where to place the file.  This is where, the first time, you will want to navigate through the browse button, to the C:\Download folder.  (Once this folder is selected, it will remain the default download folder until you select another location.)  Selecting this folder and clicking OK will place the new file into your newly created folder.

3) Remembering what the file is supposed to be or do.  When the window to place the file into the C:\Download folder is open, you have the opportunity to rename or add to the name for identification and saving.   Click once in the name window of the download popup. Now you can move the cursor to the front of the name and insert any additional identity that will be meaningful to you.  If you are going to add something at the end, be mindful that the extension (the part of the name following the ".") is critical to the file and MUST remain at the end of the full file name.  If you want the addition to be at the end of the file name, then click just to the left of the "." and after all the file name.  (I would suggest at this point that you insert a "_" {underscore}) before you add any additional information or name.  This will keep the original file name, but add your identity to the file.  Once you have renamed the file, then click OK and it will again, place the file into your C:\Download folder.

4) If the file extension is ".exe", then the file is self-extracting and just double clicking will begin the installation.

If the extension is ".zip", then the file is a compressed archive and will need an unzipper such as Winzip or other zip extracting program (There are several that are free. Winzip is a shareware utility, but does not stop working after the 30 day trial).

If the extension is ".ged", then this file is a gedcom which is the standard method of transfer of genealogical data.  To use this file, you will need a genealogy program or a gedcom reader.  The recommended method is to open it in a NEW genealogy database and examine it from there.  Never open, the first time, a gedcom into your main database.  Its almost impossible to remove fully after doing so.

If the extension is .jpg, .tif, .bmp, .pcx, the file is a graphic and may require opening in a graphic program.  On some occasions, your browser will function as a viewer for the graphic file.
 

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