Downloading

New users may find Download.com a little daunting. The large amount of files and the many ways to find them can be a little confusing. Follow this step-by-step guide to become better equipped to find the files you want, download them, and install them on your hard drive with the least amount of hassle.

Make a download directory
While not a necessity, a download folder makes finding your downloads easier. Right-click your desktop and go to New, and then select Folder from the menu. This action creates a new folder on your desktop. Name your folder something you will remember, such as My Downloads. While you don't need to leave this folder on your desktop, make sure you know where it is. The last thing you want is to be downloading a file and not have a place to put it. When you initiate a download, your computer will ask you where you want to put the file. Make sure you put it in your download folder.

Find and download software
Download.com offers the largest software library on the Web. Here are a few ways to find software at Download.com:

Search the Category listings on the front door.
Are you looking for the latest game or a new painting program, for example? The front page of Download.com shows 10 major categories of software titles. Click Games if you want all the hottest games, or Multimedia if you're looking for design and painting programs. Browsing the categories at Download.com may turn up your future favorite piece of software when you never knew you wanted it!

Use the search box.
If you know the name of the software you want, type it into the search box in the upper right corner and click Go. If you don’t know the name of the software but have an idea of what you want, you can type in words related to your software. For example. if you are looking for a painting program, you can type in paint or art.

Search the New Releases and Most Popular lists.
If you want to know what’s the latest and greatest software, or want to see what other people are downloading, look for the New Releases and Most Popular links on the front page. The Most Popular link gives you a list of the 50 most downloaded programs for the week. The New Releases list shows you the latest updates for your software and new and notable titles that have just come in.

Once you’ve located a piece of software that interests you, click the name of the software. This action shows you the title detail page, which provides a detailed description of the software. To download the file, just click the Download Now link.

Install your software
Once the file you choose is on your hard drive, you will need to install it. Most files you download are in either EXE or ZIP format. If the file is in ZIP format, you will need a ZIP utility such as WinZip or WinRAR. Double-click the downloaded file. If it is an EXE file, the program installer will launch and take you through the installation steps. If it's a ZIP file, the ZIP utility you have installed should launch and show you a list of files contained within the ZIP file. First, look for a file called read-me. If there is one, double-click it and read it, looking for any warnings or suggestions about how to install the software. Then look for a file called setup.exe or install.exe (if there's a read-me file, it should tell you the name of the installer file) and double-click it. The installer will take you through the steps required to put the software on your machine.

Note: If you are a Mac user, the most common compression formats are DMG, HQX, and SIT. These files will all be decompressed automatically by Stuffit Expander which is usually included on all Macs. Mac users will find an install or setup file included in the folder, or may just need to drag the contents to the hard drive.