Working with downlaoded files

Once the file is finished downloading, take a look at the file name. If it ends in .exe, it means it is an executable application and you can run it.

The file is one of two things, either a program that will start an installation program automatically, or it's what is known as a self-extracting archive. The latter is a compressed set of files that will decompress once you double click on it. After running the self-extracting archive, you should see a file called setup.exe or install.exe in your download directory. Run this file to start the installation process.

The other type of file you may download is a .zip file. This is also a compressed set of files, it's just not self-extracting, meaning you have to decompress the files yourself.

About File Compression
If you're going to download files you'll need to learn about something called file compression. Simply put, file compression is a magical way of making all the parts of a program take up a lot less room on a server's disk and keeping those parts in one neat package. It also cuts down on the amount of time it takes to download the program because the program is squeezed to make it more compact. Compressed files cannot work in their compressed form -- you first must uncompress the file and expand all the parts into individual files before you can install it.

A program that can do this is called WinZip.
[If Winzip is not installed on your computer use this link to download it]

WinZip
The installation process for WinZip is fast and easy. After you download and run WinZip you'll find a new folder on you computer's disk containing the program. An icon will also appear on your desktop to launch the program from. The process for downloading Zip files is exactly the same as self-extracting .exe files. You place the .zip file in your download folder. From there you can work on un-zipping them.

Utililities
There are several small programs that you may need installed on your computer to view certain file types. For instance, to view pdf documents you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. A utility that installs itself as it downloads. Click the icon to go to the Adobe web site and follow their instructions to download this free handy program.