TechNote (Archived)

Downloading files from the Internet

Downloading files from the Internet is usually a straightforward process. The first step is saving the file to your local system. Downloaded files are typically in "compressed" or"encoded" format such as ZIP or HQX. Software that handles these kinds of files is freely available on the Internet. Below are some instructions and tips for downloading files.

Downloading and saving the file
The first step when downloading a file is saving it to your local drive. Most Web browsers will ask you to choose a folder in which to save the file. Make a note of the name and location of the folder so you can easily find the downloaded file.

Some Macintosh browsers might not prompt you to choose a folder and will save files directly to the desktop or other folder. The Macintosh Internet control panel contains a preference for where to save downloaded files. Some, but not all, Macintosh browsers obey this preference. On some browsers, the folder is a preference set in the decompression software you are using (see below for more information on decompression software).

To change the download folder in the Internet control panel (Macintosh, only):

1	From the Apple menu choose Control Panels > Internet.
2	Click the Web tab in the Internet control panel.
3	In the Download Files To section, click Select and browse to choose the desired folder. Tip: Choose an easily accessible folder on the Desktop or the root of the hard drive.
4	Save the new settings by choosing File > Save Settings.
5	Close the control panel.

Download file formats
Compressed files (ZIP, SIT)
Files you download from macromedia.com are typically in a "compressed" format such as ZIP (Windows) or SIT (Macintosh). File compression reduces file size and download time. Macintosh users may encounter files with other file extensions such as SEA, HQX, and BIN. These are discussed in the paragraphs below.

Decompression software such as WinZip (www.winzip.com) or Stuffit Expander (www.stuffit.com/expander/) is required to open, or extract these types of files. Both of these applications are available for free on the Internet. See Extracting compressed files below for details on extracting files.

If you don't yet have any decompression software installed (or aren't sure if you do), download and install one of the decompression applications mentioned above or any other comparable utility. SeeShareware below for information on finding other decompression software.

MacBinary (BIN) and BinHex (HQX) files
Binhex (HQX) and MacBinary (BIN) files are common ways of encoding files for transmission over the Internet. Encoding files ensures more reliable data transfer, especially for older Macintosh systems. Compressed files are often encoded as HQX or BIN files and have extensions like filename.sit.hqx. Windows users rarely need to download encoded files.

Encoded files must first be decoded before they can be accessed. Most decompression software can handle encoded as well as compressed files.

Self-extracting archives (SEA, EXE)
In addition to ZIP and SIT files, you might also find SEA and EXE files on macromedia.com. These are called "self-extracting archives" and are useful because they don't require decompression software to open. To extract files contained in a self-extracting archive, simply run (double-click) the SEA or EXE file.

Extracting compressed files
There are many utilities for working with compressed and encoded files, such as WinZip and Stuffit Expander. These tools usually work seamlessly with your Web browser and require little maintenance. Below are some tips for working with the more common decompression tools.

Tips for WinZip users (Windows, only)
Once a ZIP file has been downloaded and saved to your local drive, the next step is to extract, or decompress, its contents. Compressed files may contain one or more files or folders. Below are the steps to follow when extracting files with WinZip.

To decompress a file using using WinZip:

1	Double-click the ZIP file that you previously downloaded. The contents of the ZIP are displayed in the WinZip interface. Note that the folder path of each item in the compressed file is shown on the far right.
2	Choose Actions > Extract to open the Extract Dialog.
3	Select the All files and Use folder names options, as shown above. This ensures that all files in the archive are extracted and also that the files original folder locations are re-created on your local system.
4	In the Folders/drives section, choose a folder to which the compressed files will be extracted, or click New Folder to make a new folder.
5	Click Extract.
6	Close WinZip.

Common problems downloading files

High network traffic. Sometimes there are so many people connected to the Internet that the data lines become congested, like a traffic jam at rush hour. Under these circumstances a file being downloaded can "hang" for an indeterminate amount of time. Sometimes the download is aborted, which results in an incomplete download.

The download server is busy. Even if there isn't a lot of general network traffic, sometimes a Web server can become overloaded with connections. The maximum number of allowable connections may have been reached. In this case, you might receive a message from your Web browser like "Connection by server refused." This doesn't happen with Macromedia servers very often because we have a large number of servers, however this may occur occasionally.

You don't remember where you saved the downloaded file. When you attempt to download a file from the Internet, your browser will display a "Save As" dialog box that prompts you to choose where you want to save the file. Before you click the "Save" button in the dialog box, write down the folder and file name that you're saving the file to. Files that are downloaded from the Internet sometimes have names that might not mean much to you. You can rename the file to something meaningful in the "Save As" dialog box so that you easily remember the file name later. If you write down the file name but still can't find the file, use your computer's"Find" command to find the specific file on your computer.

Other problems. Due to a variety of reasons, there are numerous potential problems you may encounter. If you are having general problems connecting to the Internet or keeping your connection, try one or each the following:

	Disconnect from and reconnect to the Internet.
	Disconnect from the Internet, restart your computer, and reconnect to the Internet.
	Try connecting at a later time. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may be busy and can't allow any more connections.
	Call your Internet Service Provider.

Shareware
There are some good shareware applications available for Windows and Macintosh that can help with downloading files. Many of them are available from www.download.com.