Downloading and setting up software from the Utility Pages

This page is designed to give inexperienced users help in downloading and setting up software that's available on the Web Utility Pages. The instructions are specific for all versions of Windows and the two most popular browsers, Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer, however, other browsers that I have used  have been very similar.

1. Compressed  .ZIP  format
   or
2. Self installing .EXE format

A little preparation is always handy when doing anything, especially something new. If you are going to download a file, you will need a place to store it. It is much easier to locate a file if you have a place that you always try to store downloaded files. Use either the "File Manager" or the "Windows Explorer" to create a new directory or folder on your "C" drive and name it "Download". Now you are ready to get that new program you've had your eye on. There first are some small programs that will make the download and subsequent install easier to manage, in fact will manage part of the process for you. The one that I own and that is available on  our server is called Winzip. There is also pkzip for DOS and a program called WinRAR for the RAR format that is used on some multimedia files lately. PKZip is command line operated so if you aren't comfortable at a DOS prompt, I would learn Winzip. There are versions for Win3.x and 32-bit Windows on the preceding links. PKZip can be found on the Win3.x link. They are EXE files and simple to install. There are also Internet browser plugins for both that will automatically move all zip files to "C:\DOWNLOAD", as well as open them for you. Another nice feature of Winzip is the "INSTALL" option on the toolbar within Winzip.

Both Winzip and PKZip contain README.TXT files that explain more about these programs.

Download:
To download when clicking on a link, you should be presented with a "pop-up" window  asking you what you wish to do with the file, either "Open" or "Save to Disk". Choose "Save to Disk" and save it in the folder that you created(C:\DOWNLOAD).  You will then see a small window that will show the progress of the transfer from the server to When the file has finished downloading, Internet Explorer will let you know by means of a pop up window that says "Download Complete" with an "OK" button. Navigator will simply close the window when complete.

Installation:

In order to install a program from a .ZIP archive, the first thing you must do is open the archive. With Winzip, this is done by double clicking the file in File Manager or the Windows Explorer. If the file contains a file named setup.exe or install.exe or something similar, you will be provided a button on the toolbar in Winzip labeled "INSTALL". If you click the INSTALL button, you will be asked if you wish to install the program. You can then answer yes and/or OK to the questions that follow and Winzip will install the software for you. When finished, go back to winzip and click OK, and it will delete the temporary files that were used during the installation process. You may be prompted to restart your computer, and if so you should. (You should close Winzip before restarting if at all possible though, so it will clean up the unnecessary files.)

If for some reason the INSTALL option is unavailable, look through the archive for a file named readme. Highlight it and choose "View". Most of the time the internal "ASCII" Text viewer will be sufficient to let you read far enough to get the information necessary to install. If it isn't or you prefer another viewer, you can choose one from the screen immediately following the "click" on the "View" button. These files contain the information necessary to install the software and usually they are written in "layman's" terms, as well. This pretty much covers  use of Winzip to download and install software, As always, if you are a user of CSS, I will be happy to decode any "computerese" you may encounter in one of these. (Be sure to let me know exactly what you are trying to figure out and attach a copy of the file to your email).

pkunzip filename.zip destination

(where the archive name is substituted for "filename.zip" and the location to store the extracted files is substituted for "destination")

Now that you have the Archive extracted, go to File Manager or Windows Explorer and  search for a file named readme.txt or something similar. Open this file by double clicking it or by running Notepad and using "File|Open" to open it. The Installation instructions are nearly always contained within the README file. Print it or memorize the part you need to know and follow the instructions there, exactly, or as close as you possibly can.
 
 

A little preparation is always handy when doing anything, especially something new. If you are going to download a file, you will need a place to store it. It is much easier to locate a file if you have a place that you always try to store downloaded files. Use either the "File Manager" or the "Windows Explorer" to create a new directory or folder on your "C" drive and name it "Download". Now you are ready to get that new program you've had your eye on.

Download:

To download when clicking on a link, you should be presented with a "pop-up" window  asking you what you wish to do with the file, either "Open" or "Save to Disk". Choose "Save to Disk" and save it in the folder that you created(C:\DOWNLOAD).  You will then see a small window that will show the progress of the transfer from the server to When the file has finished downloading, Internet Explorer will let you know by means of a pop up window that says "Download Complete" with an "OK" button. Navigator will simply close the window when complete.

Installation:

Most of the time, it's a simple matter of double-clicking the file in File Manager or the Windows Explorer and it starts the install process automatically. If Not, it will extract the files to a folder of their own or into the current folder. If this is the case, the next steps are idenitcal to the steps in the PKZip explanation, found here.

That's all you need to know for the files here and the vast majority of trial, demo, shareware or freeware programs available on the Internet. Remember, programmers have to eat, too. If you use a shareware program and like it, register it. Most are well worth the asking price and most will give you more functions, give you access to technical support and sometimes, free upgrades, just for registering.