So, you found something new to download from the Internet, some snazzy new program you can add to your computer. It's cool. It's interesting. It's exactly what you've been looking for. But, how do you get it from the World Wide Web into your computer?

Download & Install

Allow me to introduce the Download and Install brothers. 
They're related.  They work together.  
But they're NOT twins.  
Once you get to know them you'll be able to tell them apart.

Here's Download.  He moves that new program you want into your computer.  Download brings it in, but it's not ready to use yet.    It's just stored there.

So, after Download has moved the good stuff in,
it's time for Install to set it all up for you.

TIP FROM THE PROS:
As with any job, having good tools makes the work easier.

Newer browsers like Netscape Communicator with Smart Update automatically take care of the download and install process.  After the download part is finished, it asks if you want to install.   You just click the Yes or OK button.  Now you have a new program that's ready to use. 

If you have an older browser, like Netscape Navigator, you download then find the files and click the setup or install file.    So, remember what it's called (the filename) and where it's going (drive and folder) so you can find it later to install.  Go to the My Computer icon to find the files.

Some files you download are zipped. That means someone compressed them to make the program smaller. You can download zipped files, but you can't do anything with them until you unzip them.

	How do you do that? You have to use an unzpping program. Guess how you get that...You download it! Better yet -  if you have Windows XP, it already includes a ZIP & Unzip feature! "Extract" is the XP term for "unzipping". Simply right-click the zip file and select Extract from the menu that appears. Follow the prompts.
	If you don't have Windows XP, there are a few freebie unzip programs out there on the net you can download and install. We've used WinZip, which offers a free trial period.

Download zipped files - they usually go fast because they are small - as you would download any file.
As always, pay attention to the filename so you can find it later.
Then go to your unzip program to unzip it. 
With Windows XP, simply right-click the zip file and select Extract from the menu that appears. Follow the prompts to install it in the location you choose.
TIP: For downloading fun fonts - when you get to the Install part tell it to install the font in the Font folder of your hard drive (usually within the Windows folder). That will add that font to the list of fonts you see when you're in a writing processor, art, or other programs.

CAUTION

Before downloading anything from the Internet, e-mail, or disks 
it's a good idea to have a virus protection program on your computer.  
I hate to say it, but Download isn't always the cleanest guy. 
You never know where he's been!  
The files you download might contain a virus.

One of our favorite things to download is the weather alert offered by Oklahoma City's news channels: Channel 9 at www.news9.com, Channel 4 at www.kfor.com, or Channel 5 at www.koco.com.
It alerts us to any threatening weather in our area.

We also like to download fun fonts. Check out the Teacher section of the "What Can I Do In Lab" area of our site to link to fun fonts. Try one of the fonts offered by Billy Bear. (Our old favorite, Fonts for Kids, was not available when checked.)

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original text created by Mrs. Cannon
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