Downloading files — the process of copying a file from the internet to your own computer — is one of the simplest and most appealing uses of the Internet, yet it can be confusing at first because there are a few steps involved. Here are some guidelines that should help:

Create a special downloads folder on your desktop. (desktop is your start up screen with all your program icons on it) Let's face it, it's easy to misplace your keys, your wallet, or that important phone number. And it's even easier to lose track of files on your computer. So, you might as well get organized by designating a single place for all downloads. Create a special folder on your computer's Desktop, name it Downloads, and make it the primary destination for all files downloaded from the Net. To create this folder, simply "right click" on an empty area of your desktop, select "create new" and then "folder" from the menus that pop up, and type in "Downloads" when it prompts you to name the folder.

Save your file to this folder. When you download a file off the Internet, remember that your computer will always ask you where to save the file to. You will click on the link to start downloading, and are then asked whether you want to save the file to your hard drive, or open it immediately after downloading. You should choose to "save" the file, and then hit Enter.

A pop-up box will ask you where you want to save the file. This is where your Downloads folder comes in handy. In the top window of the box, where it says Save in:, there will be an arrow button. Click once on this button and select "Desktop" from the mini pop-up menu. In the larger window below, locate and double-click the Downloads folder you created earlier. This will tell the computer to place the downloaded file there.

At the bottom of the box, there will be another window that says Filename:, followed by some highlighted text. This is the name of the file you are downloading. It is VERY IMPORTANT to WRITE DOWN this filename. Don't assume that the name of the file will be self-explanatory when you go searching for it later. For example, if downloaded the Netscape Navigator 4.0 Web browser, the filename might be something like n32e401p.exe. Not exactly user-friendly! By writing the filename down, you won't have to hunt around your Downloads folder for the right installation file.

To complete the download, click Save or Open. This folder should now be the default and you wont have to change it next time you download a file. However be sure to double check each time you download a file so that you know it is going into your Downloads folder.

Compression Many files are "compressed" to cut down on download time. Compressed files carry a .zip suffix; these files need to be expanded (or "extracted") so that you can use them. We suggest using Winzip to complete this task. If you don't have Winzip installed on your computer, it is a great place to start your lesson on downloading and installing programs. You can be assured that you will need this program in the immediate future, if you enjoy downloading files off the internet. Click here to get your copy of Winzip.

Installing the Program Ok, now it's time to install the program. Get that piece of paper out that you wrote down the name of the file on. We recommend closing all your windows programs before you install a program, so that all you have on your screen is your program icons. Double click on the Download folder you made on your desktop. It should be right there with the rest of your icons. Now locate the name of the file that you wrote down. Usually these files end in .exe meaning it's an executable file that will automatically open and activate the installation application. Once you locate the file, double-click on it. Your computer should guide you through the rest.

WARNING NEVER download .exe files from amateur websites. Computer viruses often come in the form of .exe files. Be sure to keep your downloading limited to trustworthy sites only. If you are unsure of whether a website is trustworthy, ask some friends. For your convenience, we have listed a few sites below that should have any program you would like to install. These are professional trustworthy sites from which you can download safely:

CNET
Download.com
Winfiles
Shareware.com
ZDNet