WestNet Help: Download Software

The Internet is a great place to get free (or very cheap) software. Much of the software used to access the Internet itself is available free for downloading.

Downloading is the transferring of a file from one computer to another. In this context, it means transferring a file from a computer on the Internet to your home PC. The Internet has millions of files available for download. These files include programs that could cost a fortune at a computer store.

Most programs today actually consist of many files. Luckily, you will NOT have to download each file individually. Software packages are generally distributed in a form known as an archive, or zipfile. A program is used to gather all of the individual files that make up a package, into one big file. At the same time, this program compresses, or shrinks, the files.

While the software package can not be used in this state, it is a great way to move them from place to place. Once this archive or zipfile is downloaded to your computer, it can be "undone" so the package can be used.

Follow these steps to download a program to your computer:

• Prepare Your Computer
• Download The File
• Using Downloaded Files
• Creating Icons for Downloaded Files
• Where To Download From