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DR. MAC'S COMPUTER CLINIC
No. 25
NO MORE DOWNLOAD DISASTERS !
Welcome to another Computer Clinic.
JUST IMAGINE THIS ...
You are downloading a file from the internet. A large file. A VERY large file!
Let's say it's a 15 mb file. On a normal dial-up connection, it would take
an hour to download. After 50 minutes everything is going well.
The download is 95% complete.
Then a family member picks up the phone downstairs! Or your ISP suddenly disconnects you!
BANG! Download Disaster! To get that file or program, you have to start from the very
beginning. That's right! All 15 mb of it.
The download manager provided by Windows does NOT allow you to resume a download from where you
left off. In this Clinic, you can get a superb, FREE Download Manger that WILL allow you to
resume . So, if something awful happens, there will be no more download disasters!
I would also suggest you look at Clinic 5 again and revise the basics of how to download correctly.
INSTALL AND CONFIGURE DOWNLOAD EXPRESS
At the end of this Clinic, there is a link you can use to download the superb, free,
and Spyware-free "Download Express" This is what you need to do :-
As always, create a special folder under your main "Downloads" folder - call it something like "Download Express" (Please see Clinics 4and 5 for full instructions on how to make useful folders and sub-folders)
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Click the link below to go to the MetaProducts web-site and download "Download Express"
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Before installing the program - please follow the correct "rules" - FIRST close down all running programs using "End It All" (Full details on downloading and using End It All are in Clinics 5, 6 and 7)
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To install the program, go to your "Download Express" sub-folder and double click on the "desetup.exe" icon.
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When the installation has completed - REBOOT your computer.
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If a shortcut is NOT automatically placed on your desktop, you can make your own.
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Click on the big START button and then in the PROGRAMS menu look for MetaProducts Download Express.
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If your version of Windows is typical - this will NOT be where it SHOULD be! It will be right at the very bottom of the Programs menu! Left-click ONCE over it and - while holding your mouse down - "drag" it up to the alphabetically correct place.
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Hold your mouse over the yellow icon with the words "Download Express Options" - RIGHT-click once - and on the little menu that pops up select "Send to ... Desktop (as a shortcut)"
DOWNLOAD EXPRESS SETTINGS
The Main Interface
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Set the speed to HIGH
Now click on ADVANCED |
The Connection Tab
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Set "Pause between" to 5
(N.B. If you prefer things
to happen immediately, you
can set this to "0")
The default setting of 7 is
way "over the top" !
Set it to max. 4
Now click on the HTTP PROXY
tab (see mouse arrow above)
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The HTTP PROXY Tab.
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Set this to "No proxy"
However, if you DO use a
proxy server, set this
accordingly.
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The FTP Proxy Tab. follows the same rules as above - you only need to set this if you DO use a FTP Proxy server. And VERY few of you would be doing that! Finally, click on the last tab ...
The Integration Tab.
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Select "Ask when adding ..."
From now on, whenever you
click on a link to download a
file of these types, Download
Express will download it for
you.
Finally, click on
O.K.
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All done! You don't have to make these settings again.
NOW ... lets start to download!
DOWNLOAD FILES WITH DOWNLOAD EXPRESS
The next time you click on a link to download a file, the following interface should immediately spring to life :
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ALWAYS select "Save this
program to disk"
NEVER
allow a program you
download to "run" (install)
automatically. NEVER!
(It may contain a virus)
Now click on "O.K."
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You will now be asked WHERE you want the program or file saved to :
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Click on the little "down-
arrow" (see the green star)
and select "Desktop"
OR click on the "Desktop"
icon.
Now click on "Save"
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Once the file has been saved onto your desktop, you can cut and paste it into any special
folder you have created to keep it in.
For the more experienced downloaders - you can use the box above and navigate directly to the folder into which you want your download to be saved.
In the example below, you would first select Drive "C" - then double-click on your "Downloads" folder to open it, and then perhaps double-click on a special folder you had created under that ...
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You can navigate to any folder
by double-clicking on them
When you have opened the
folder into which you want
your download saved, click on
the "Save" button.
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Once you have clicked on "Save" using either of the methods above ... your download begins! You can click on the "Map" and "Progress" tabs during the download to get a better idea of what is happening!
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If you want
to continue
surfing while
a large file
is downloading,
click on the
"minimise"
button - it
looks like
a minus sign
(-)
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When the file has fully downloaded, a message box will pop up telling you the download is
complete. You can now close Download Express by clicking on the big "X" in the top, right
corner.
HOW TO RESUME A DOWNLOAD
A download could stop for two main reasons (1) Your internet connection gets cut off (2) You may decide to PAUSE the download while you go and do something else.
If a download is interrupted, Download Express will pop up the following box :
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Click on YES if you
plan to resume
the download
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When you are ready to resume your download from where you left off (or were CUT off!) then click on the big START button - find MetaProducts Download Express and look for Incomplete Downloads.
If there IS an incomplete download, then you can click on it and your download will resume :
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An incomplete download
will appear after the
little right-pointing
arrow.
Click on that to
begin your resume.
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And your download will resume from the point where it was broken off previously. Great!
RIGHT! Are you ready to get Download Express ?
When you understand all the above, connect to the internet and click this link :
www.metaproducts.com/download/desetup.exe
Yes! It's a lot of fun downloading programs and doing all sorts of exciting things with your PC. BUT, in order to keep things enjoyable you need to have a HEALTHY PC!
SO ... Please remember to take your computer to the Clinic REGULARLY!
A full summary of the Doctor's Health Prescription is at the end of Clinic 24
Thanks for joining me at the Clinic.
See you next time for more powerful PC medicine!
Best wishes and Happy Computing (and downloading) ...
Dr. Mac
Dr. Mac's Computer Clinic
LIBRARY
All the
Computer Clinics that have appeared on the idf50 web-site
are HERE
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HEALTH WARNING
Outdated programmes and lack of "know-how" can seriously affect the health of your PC including your internet and e-mail enjoyment
CLICK HERE
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