Cport.Com
Guide to Downloading
Q: What is downloading?
Technically speaking, 'downloading' is the locally-initiated transfer of any data from a remote computer to a local computer. Such data can be anything, including web pages, music files, programs and pictures. However, it is generally assumed, when using the term downloading, that you are transferring a file for the purpose of working with that file directly. For instance, when you browse the web, you may transfer the page to your computer, but it is done in such a way that the browser does all the work - all you do is view the page. On the other hand, if you select a specific game to download, you must generally do take some additional steps to make it work, i.e. install the game, reboot your system, etc.
Q: Which files can I download?
Most files that are offered for public downloading are presented as hyperlinks, just like the ones you click to move from page to page. However, instead of being taken to a different page upon clicking such a link, the server sends a signal to the web browser that tells the browser to present you with a dialogue box. This purpose of this box is to allow you to a) confirm that you want to download the file and b) choose a location on your hard disk to save the file to. Many people have a separate directory set aside on their systems just for downloaded files. We feel this is a good practice.
Q: How do I download these files?
Simply click on the link to the file you want to download (it is assumed that you are at a web site and would like to download a file listed there). A window will will appear in front of your browser prompting you to either save the file or open it. You'll want to save the file and make a mental (or written) note of its name. Another window will prompt you to choose a location on your hard disk to save the file to. Choose a location that you will remember. Ideally, this location will be one that you have created for the sole purpose of saving files you've downloaded from the Internet. SUGGESTION: C:\DOWNLOADS After instructing the browser where to save the file, the file will be downloaded to your computer.
Q: How long does it take to download a file?
The amount of time it takes to download a particular file varies and it is influenced by the following factors:
File size. The larger the file, the longer the download. Generally speaking, one can expect a one megabyte file to take approximately five minutes to download.
Modem-to-modem connection rate. If you have a 28.8Kbps modem and you call a 33.6Kbps modem, the most you'll connect at is 28800. You could also connect at a lower rate. Connect rates are largely dependent on telephone line quality.
The site you're connected to may be servicing too many connections for their bandwidth. For instance, if the site you are downloading from has only a 128K frame relay connection, saturation caused by too many simultaneous connections can quickly slow things down.
Internet congestion. The Internet is a network that can be compared to a freeway system with many interchanges. Just like any other highway, this can lead to bottlenecks and congestion during peak times. Capacity is not infinite and people can often be unpredictable.
Note: Most newer browsers will calculate an estimated download time based on file size and connection speed.
Q: What do I do with the file once I've downloaded it?
First, you'll need to identify the file. This is accomplished by looking at its extension (the last three characters of the filename following the period, as in readme.txt ).
Some common extensions you'll see are:
ZIP, EXE, COM, BAT, GIF, JPG
ZIP — PKZIP Format. The PKZIP format (named for the "pack and zip" [or compress and archive] concept of the underlying technology) is a method of squeezing many files together into one small package. If not for its distinctive file extension, a ZIP file looks no different than any other file until it's opened with one of the many software utilities available to extract data from ZIP files. WinZip is a popular program that is used for this very purpose.
EXE — Executable Format. The EXE format is specific to the DOS, Windows and OS/2 operating environments. There is some compatibility between these operating systems where executable files are concerned, but it should not be assumed that one operating system will run all executables intended for another system.
Some ZIP files, as well as other compression and archive formats, have executable headers to allow the contents to be extracted without having to have the program that was used to create the archive. These are generally known as self-extracting archives. If you are unsure about an executable file that you've downloaded and want to know if it is a self-extractor, try opening the file in WinZip first. If a self-extractor is based on the PKZIP format, WinZip can open it.
As with any executable program, anti-virus software is a must-have to keep yourself protected. We recommend VirusScan from Network Associates (formerly McAfee).
COM — Command Format. COM files are executed in the same way EXE files are executed. COM files can be no more than 64K in size due to their single memory segment limitation and are usually used for small utilities and device drivers (for instance, a mouse driver). It is also a popular format in the virus development community, so be careful... and SCAN!
BAT — Short for BATCH. Why "batch"? What if you wanted to perform the same five commands every Tuesday evening and you were getting tired of typing them in over and over again? You could enter each command on its own line in a text file and then give that file a name like RUNME.BAT. Then, every Tuesday night, you could type RUNME at a DOS prompt and watch your five commands run as a batch. The BAT extension simply tells DOS to "run each line in this file as a command." So let it be done.
Note: Batch files are very dangerous. Especially when you've downloaded one that has commands in it to erase your important files. Please, look at any batch files before you run them. Better yet, don't run them unless a professional tells you to — or if the batch file is included in a software distribution from a party you trust.
GIF — Graphics Interchange Format. Developed by UNISYS, the GIF format was the first graphics format to gain wide acceptance in the Internet community. Most web page images are in the GIF format and will be displayed automatically by your browser. To save a GIF file you've found a link to, you may have to hold down the shift key while you click the link (Netscape) or right click on the image itself and choose Save Target As (Internet Explorer). Different browsers handle the saving of graphics in different ways. If in doubt, right click for a context menu.
JPG — Joint Photographers and Engravers Group Format. The JPEG format (shortened to JPG to accommodate an old DOS file name limitation) uses a built-in compression algorithm to store an otherwise large amount of photographic data in a relatively small file. It is not unusual to see a 5-megabyte photographic image compressed down to a 30K file. Because JPEG compression is "lossy," color and detail is lost as the image is compressed. Most browsers handle JPEG images as they would GIF images.
BMP — Bitmap Format. Best known as Microsoft Windows' native graphics format, most of us have come to loathe it. However, since it is the format used for Windows wallpaper, we felt it was worth mentioning. Those with a recent version of Internet Explorer can right-click on any web page background and use the Set as Wallpaper function to have Windows plaster your screen with a huge, memory-hogging bitmap.
These are only some of the file formats tyou may encounter on the Internet. Some of them will be a mystery to you. Essentially, if they're not listed here and you're browser doesn't know how to handle them automatically, don't bother. But if you must, look here for some ancient and downright ugly utilities for MS-DOS
Q: What about installing software? First ask yourself: where did I get this software? If the answer is "the computer store," please, don't call us. That's not our thing. Call the software company or, better yet, read the documentation — all of it — and then try to follow the instructions included with the software.If, on the other hand, you downloaded something from the Internet, then you've called the right place. But again, please don't call the office asking for step-by-step instructions. That would defeat the purpose of this document.
To begin with, download a copy of WinZip, since much of the software you download will come in ZIP format and you'll need something to unzip it with. Make sure you choose the version of WinZip that's appropriate for your operating system. Once you've downloaded WinZip, find the WinZip installation file on your hard drive (it's in c:\download, remember?) and double-click it. Follow the prompts, allowing WinZip to install itself with the default options. If you're using Windows 95 or Windows 98, WinZip will create a desktop icon as well as a Start Menu entry. If you're using Windows 3.1, a WinZip program group will be created for you instead. With WinZip installed, you'll now be able to open Zip files by double-clicking on them. Slick, eh?
Now for some specific scenarios for you to consider. We're allowing for goof-ups here, too, so as not to leave anyone out.
Example 1: You've downloaded a file with an EXE extension and you've double clicked on it in an arbitrary location (e.g., your desktop). Now would be a good time to say oops because you have a huge mess on your desktop. Not THAT desktop, goofy. Think Bill Gates! Windows? Are you with me now? Okay, clean up the mess you've created, as it won't do you any good where it is. Now, take the file you've downloaded and copy it to an empty directory. (Windows 95 users can right-click on their desktops, then click on New and then Folder to create a new directory.) Once the copy of the file is in its new home, go there and double-click the file to extract its contents to this convenient new location. (Remember when I told you that self-extractors typically extract to the current directory?) Now, look for a file called setup.exe or install.exe or something similar. If one exists, this is probably what you'll need to run (i.e., double click) to install your software. But WAIT! You wouldn't really do anything without reading the documentation first, would you? Yeah, I guess you would. What we are talking about, specifically, are readme files. WinZip shows readme files as yellow icons, but for this example you'll need to look for them by file name. readme.txt, read.me and readme.1st are just a few of the names for readme files we've seen. To view these, start Notepad and set the File Open dialog to show all file types. Then find your file and open it. And read it. This is where your installation instructions can be found.
Note: some EXE files can be opened with WinZip. Drag and Drop an EXE file on to WinZip to see if it can be opened this way. If it isn't a compatible archive, WinZip will prompt you to add that file to another Zip file. If this happens, cancel out of the whole thing and forget it. Windows 95 users: try right-clicking on an EXE file. WinZip will show an Open with WinZIp menu item if the file is a compatible archive.
Example 2: You've download a Zip file and you've already obtained and installed a copy of WinZip. Gallantly, you double-click the Zip file and watch in amazement as WinZip shows you the long list of files contained within. With your mighty mouse pointer, you click the Extract button and again you say... Ooops! Quickly, your desktop (or perhaps your C:\ directory) fills with icons of every sort as you scratch your head wondering what you did wrong. So, somewhat less gallantly (well, okay, tediously), you clean up the mess you've created and think for a moment. Once again, you go back to WinZip and look at the long list of files you've yet to tame and decide that it might be a good idea to type a different path in the Extract To box. Currently, the path is C:\Windows\Desktop and you know you don't want to do that again. So, you click the Extract button and type a backslash (that is, \ ) after the word Desktop and follow it with the word INSTALL. You press Enter and watch as a little yellow folder pops up on your desktop. This amazing icon of truth is called "INSTALL". Once WinZip has stopped extracting, you exit the amazing shareware utility and open the Install folder. In it, are many files, including a setup.exe and a readme.txt. Because .TXT is associated with Notepad, you double-click the readme.txt file and stare in amazement as the file is displayed in a wonder of computer programming called Notepad. Ultimately, you know you'll have to double-click the setup.exe file to get your software installed, but for now you contently read your readme.txt file... and discover the wonders of shareware license agreements... and whether or not you need to do anything special as part of the installation process.
Example 3: Much like you did in Example 2, you've downloaded a Zip file, scattered its contents across the universe and cleaned up the whole mess. Only this time you notice that WinZip has an Install button. You click it, right? Nope. Instead, you double click on the readme.txt file from within WinZip and, magically, WinZip runs Notepad and tells it to open the readme.txt file. You read the file in its entirety, just to make sure that this software is for you; that it will work with your current configuration and that you won't void any international treaties by installing it. Once you've determined that everything checks out, pass your magic wand over that Install button and click it. WinZip will then not only extract your files to a temporary directory and launch the setup.exe program, but it will also wait until the setup process is over and clean up the mess it made. Pretty smart program.