Note to non-techies who have never before downloaded anything in their lives:
1. After
you click the icon or word that begins the downloading process, you will usually be asked to first indicate your requirements by choosing from a menu of selections, for example:
Software version you want to download (e.g., latest, version x.x, etc)
Processor (e.g., Pentium, 486, etc.)
Operating Platform or System (e.g., Windows 95, Windows 3.1, Unix, etc.)
Language (e.g., English, etc.)
Connection (e.g., 14.4 modem, 28.8 modem, T1, ISDN, etc.)
2. When you click Begin Download (or equivalent), you will also be asked where you want to save the file to be downloaded. Be sure to specify the path (i.e., drive:\ OR drive:\directory name OR drive:\directory name\subdirectory name). Examples:
a:\ C:\download c:\download\net
Note that these directories (also called folders) must exist on the drive indicated, which means you must have created them beforehand. [Go to Windows Explorer, scroll up or down to locate drive (c: or a: or e: etc) and double click on specific drive, click Files on the MenuBar, click New. Scroll down to the end of list to the box which says New Folder. To replace New Folder with name of your choice: right-click mouse, on the pop-up menu click Rename, and type in name of your choice in empty box.}
Also, download to (floppy) drive a: only if the size of the file being downloaded is NOT MORE than 1.3 Megabytes. (Real Player, Netscape, and Internet Explorer are all more than 1.5 Megabytes.)
3. Downloading time varies with the file size and the speed of your modem connection. Multimegabyte files can take many minutes (or hours) to download! Estimated download time is usually indicated.
4. If it is a computer program (also called application, such as Real Player or Netscape) you are downloading, the process does not automatically install the program. Usually, what is downloaded is a compressed file with the extension name .exe. (e.g., abc1234.exe). You will still have to install the program yourself. To do this: go to the directory (or folder) where the downloaded file is located and click on the file name (*.exe). The file "executes" - in this case, it uncompresses its contents (all the files you will need to run Real Player or some other application, for example) to either a directory (or folder) it will create or to one of your own choosing (which you will have to create yourself as in step 2 above).
5. At this point, the program you downloaded is usually fully installed. This means a clickable icon has also been copied to your desktop (i.e., screen). Thus if it was Netscape that was downloaded, just click on the Netscape logo to get the browser running. Or if it was Real Player, click the icon to bring up a CDplayer-type console. The browser is also by now ready to accept http-streamed or Real Audio files (*.ra or *.rm).