PeteF
06-26-2006, 04:51 AM
How many times have you downloaded software to your Desktop
or to My Documents and lost track of it or deleted it when done
installing it? Did you ever install a new version of software and
wish you had not, but you lost the installer for the previous
version, so you got stuck with the new version?
Here's a tip that will help to avoid the above frustrations.
TIP: Save all your downloaded software installers to a new folder
named... \My Downloads and create a separate folder for each
one you download. Go the extra mile to create a document file
that describes what the download is. Below is the procedure.
Initial setup
* In WinXP, before downloading anything, create a new folder under..
\Shared Documents and name it.. \My Downloads
- START -> My Documents
- Under "Other Places", click.. Shared Documents
- In the white space, right-click -> New -> Folder
- Name it... My Documents
- ENTER
Note: Reason why it's best to store all your downloads to the \Shared Documents
folder and NOT under \My Documents, is because it gives you the freedom
to delete individual user accounts in the future without losing your downloads.
It also serves to keep them out of your way.
Downloading
1.) Upon downloading a particular program, most browsers offer an
option to.. Save As, where you specify the destination folder to DL to.
After selecting the Save As option, click the "save in" dropdown and
select.. Shared Documents, then double-click.. My Downloads
to open that folder.
2.) In the white space under the My Downloads folder, right-click and
select.. New -> Folder
3.) Name the folder to describe the program and version you are
about to download. (ex. Firefox_v1-5-0-4)
4.) As the file is downloading use your browser to locate some text
that breifly describes what the program is. Use your mouse to
highlight the text and hit CTRL+C to copy it. When your download
is compete, most browsers offer an option to view the location of
the downloaded file. Take that option and you will see the downloaded
file. Right-click in the white space and select.. New -> Text Document.
Always name the document.. ThisIs.txt or something similar, but just
be consistent with all your future downloads.
5.) Double-click on.. ThisIs.txt and hit CTRL+V to paste in the description
you captured in the step above. Add any other important info that might
be useful if you had to refer to this at a future date. For example, is it
a FREE version, or a 30 day trial. Save the text document when done.
6.) Ok, now your download is archived and documented for future use
if you ever need to re-install it or pass it one to someone else.
You may now double click the installer file and proceed to install the
application. Just understand that this is the "installer" that typically
copies all the program files to a totally different folder (typically
a new folder under \Program Files) and after the installation process,
the file you downloaded remains the same as when you downloaded it.
This means you can uninstall the application from Windows and reinstall
it again using the installer.
Note: Another advantage of saving all your downloaded installers
to individual folders under... \Shared Documents\My Downloads\ ,
is that you can burn them all to CD after you've accumulated quite
a few. This will come in real handy if you ever need to reinstall all
your programs after you reinstall windows due to a system crash
or had drive replacement.
PS: Having all your downloaded installers nicely organized and archived
is extremely benificial because, so many times now, the newer versions
of programs are worse than the older versions as programs become
bloated with useless features and anti-piracy techniques when the
developers attempt to squeeze out more profits from their previously
well developed and mature program. Many times you will want to go
back a version because the new one you just installed is actually
worse.
---pete---
or to My Documents and lost track of it or deleted it when done
installing it? Did you ever install a new version of software and
wish you had not, but you lost the installer for the previous
version, so you got stuck with the new version?
Here's a tip that will help to avoid the above frustrations.
TIP: Save all your downloaded software installers to a new folder
named... \My Downloads and create a separate folder for each
one you download. Go the extra mile to create a document file
that describes what the download is. Below is the procedure.
Initial setup
* In WinXP, before downloading anything, create a new folder under..
\Shared Documents and name it.. \My Downloads
- START -> My Documents
- Under "Other Places", click.. Shared Documents
- In the white space, right-click -> New -> Folder
- Name it... My Documents
- ENTER
Note: Reason why it's best to store all your downloads to the \Shared Documents
folder and NOT under \My Documents, is because it gives you the freedom
to delete individual user accounts in the future without losing your downloads.
It also serves to keep them out of your way.
Downloading
1.) Upon downloading a particular program, most browsers offer an
option to.. Save As, where you specify the destination folder to DL to.
After selecting the Save As option, click the "save in" dropdown and
select.. Shared Documents, then double-click.. My Downloads
to open that folder.
2.) In the white space under the My Downloads folder, right-click and
select.. New -> Folder
3.) Name the folder to describe the program and version you are
about to download. (ex. Firefox_v1-5-0-4)
4.) As the file is downloading use your browser to locate some text
that breifly describes what the program is. Use your mouse to
highlight the text and hit CTRL+C to copy it. When your download
is compete, most browsers offer an option to view the location of
the downloaded file. Take that option and you will see the downloaded
file. Right-click in the white space and select.. New -> Text Document.
Always name the document.. ThisIs.txt or something similar, but just
be consistent with all your future downloads.
5.) Double-click on.. ThisIs.txt and hit CTRL+V to paste in the description
you captured in the step above. Add any other important info that might
be useful if you had to refer to this at a future date. For example, is it
a FREE version, or a 30 day trial. Save the text document when done.
6.) Ok, now your download is archived and documented for future use
if you ever need to re-install it or pass it one to someone else.
You may now double click the installer file and proceed to install the
application. Just understand that this is the "installer" that typically
copies all the program files to a totally different folder (typically
a new folder under \Program Files) and after the installation process,
the file you downloaded remains the same as when you downloaded it.
This means you can uninstall the application from Windows and reinstall
it again using the installer.
Note: Another advantage of saving all your downloaded installers
to individual folders under... \Shared Documents\My Downloads\ ,
is that you can burn them all to CD after you've accumulated quite
a few. This will come in real handy if you ever need to reinstall all
your programs after you reinstall windows due to a system crash
or had drive replacement.
PS: Having all your downloaded installers nicely organized and archived
is extremely benificial because, so many times now, the newer versions
of programs are worse than the older versions as programs become
bloated with useless features and anti-piracy techniques when the
developers attempt to squeeze out more profits from their previously
well developed and mature program. Many times you will want to go
back a version because the new one you just installed is actually
worse.
---pete---