Help File
Downloading is not nearly as hi-tech as it sounds. In fact, this is what most internet
users spend half their time doing. (See What are the most popular downloads ?).You can
acquire any number of things including technical documents, software, MP3 (music) files,
videos, wallpapers and screen savers. A lot of these goodies are free. Some venders issue
limited release copies for software, which will expire after a specified period. And of
course, there are things you may have to buy, before you can download. Regardless of
whether you're a pro or a novice, here are some guidelines that help you make this
experience easier.
First, create a directory on your hard drive ( C drive) called downloads to store all the
files or programs you acquire off the internet. For windows 95 users, go to the icon
called my computer, choose the C drive then file, new, new folder and name it downloads.
Windows 3.x users can use the file manager, select C drive, then file, create new
directory.Most of the downloaded program arrive as self expanding and will install when
you double click on an executable ( extension EXE) file. Some files are stored in a
compressed state and can be "inflated" using a utility such as Winzip.
If you are likely to spend a lot of time downloading files, you should get a compression
program.
To initiate a download, click on the product title or file name. Your browser will ask you
to save to a disk. Click OK then point to your download folder such as c:\downloads. Once
the file transfer is completed, open your downloads folder and launch the executable file
to install the program.
You can create additional folders within your download directory to keep track of your
acquisitions . For example, the executable file "nm95.exe" which refers to net.medic
from vital signs software can be placed into a folder "c:\downloads\netmedic."
You should be cautious only to acquire files from known FTP sources where the risk
of viral infection is less. Always scan your download for potential viruses.
Mcafee's Virus Scan, and Trend Micro's PC-cillin can be configured to automatically scan
e-mail and downloads. You should visit our virus center monthly for news and updates for
your virus innoculation list. When installing new software, it always a good idea to
backup your system registry before proceeding. For more details on this, click here.
Some FTP sites will require you to supply personal details including an e-mail address
before downloading their software. This is usually used to send you invitations to
purchase software or news about updated versions.It's good idea to register with an online
mail service and specify this mailbox (rather than your personal mailbox ) as your return
address. Avoid overloading your mailbox with junk mail.
Some servers support a resume function. This means you can initiate a download, stop and
resume later. To take advantage of this feature, get "Getright".
This is a download manager that makes downloading a whole lot easier. Use geographical
distance to your advantage. If the download site supports a number of servers, it makes
sense to download from say "Japan" during the day but "USA" at night,
because that is when these sites should be less busy.
A download should not extract from your internet time. There is no reason why you can't
browse to CNN while a download is in progress. Your modem is actually better utilized
performing more than one activity at the same time. Unfortunately, there is sometimes
packet loss in a download and the file does arrive intact. You can only try again for a
good copy of the file you want or look for an alternate download site. A word about call
waiting. Imagine you're almost done, and a call comes in. If you're going to do some
serious downloading, get rid of call waiting !!
Top
Here's our take on the 10 most useful internet tools...well, not quite 10 !!
Internet Explorer5. Undoubtedly one of the fastest, feature-rich browsers. Definitely worth the time getting. If you like Netscape, release 4.7 is here. If you have an underpowered machine, try a tiny browser called Opera
Copernic99. This is one of best search tools on the internet ! Search through multiple search engines,newgroups and other categories in one clean interface. Store your results for future reference. Update your search later, or e-mail the results to a friend
Norton Antivirus. Once you go online, you need protection from the latest viruses. Get Norton and keep your virus list current !
Winzip. Once your begin to download, you'll need a compression tool. Get Winzip7.0 or WinRar2.0 and you'll be ready to quickly expand your downloads. While your at it, pick up Adobe Acrobat as well.
Getright. Don't get caught without this download manager. Getright takes advantage of resuming, schedules your downloads for later, finds alternate sites, and prompts your antivirus program to scan your acquisitions.
Netsonic. Caching improves the performance of your browser by keeping images of sites you frequently visit. Netsonic uses intelligent caching to prefetch content while you're online ! Speedo ! Alternatively, you can try webcelerator, which does the same thing, but has additional features to optimise the use of your modem
RealplayerG2. Want to listen to music, or watch movie clips ? G2 is the virtual standard for internet audio and video. Also get Apple's Quicktime for Windows, for viewing Quicktime Video, Winamp MP3 player for high definition PC audio and Macromedia's shockwave plugins for interactive web pages and games.
MediaRing99. Internet Telephony ...talk online without making an overseas call. Get the full works with caller ID, voice mail and chat box. If you are using ICQ99, try Qtalk, which does the same kind of thing.
PureVoice. Leave Voice mail and impress your friends. Also try Vocaltec's Internet Mail, which has a nicer interface but is only a very limited trial edition.
AvirMail. Need instant mail notification. Match messages to a unique sound. Remote mail allows you to remove that troublesome attachment and get your mail.
Dropchute. Need to send large files across the internet. This is the leader in personal file delivery.
You can find all these on our download site !!