In This Chapter
Getting text or graphics from the Web Locating free software on the Internet Downloading programs Installing downloaded software Receiving a file with your e-mail Sending a file with your e-mail
Networking is all about communications and sharing. It has its roots way, way back in the early steam-powered computing era. The idea wasn’t to “tweet” personal thoughts, send photographs from telephones, or even play Call of Duty. Nope, the idea was to get information in the form of a file from one computer into another without anyone having to lift anything or walk anywhere. That was the goal in those days, and it’s still something useful that your computer and its network are more than capable of handling today.
See Chapter 20 for important information on the concept of a computer file.
Copying a file to your computer is known as downloading. When someone sends you a file over the Internet, you download it. (Think of the other computer as being on top of a hill; it may not be, but it helps to think of it that way.)
Sending a file to another computer is known as uploading.
Get Stuff from a Web Page
The text and pictures you see on a Web page can easily be copied from that Web page and saved on your own computer. Well, actually, the information you see on the display is already on your computer: The text, images, and other stuff you see are sent from the Internet and stored temporarily somewhere in your computer while you’re viewing that Web page. This section explains how to save some of that information permanently.
Saving an image from a Web page
To save an image from a Web page to your PC’s hard drive, right-click the image and choose Save Picture As from the pop-up menu. Use the Save Picture dialog box to find a happy home for the picture on your hard drive.
Windows 7 prefers to store images in the Pictures Library. Older versions of Windows use the Pictures or My Pictures folder. See Chapter 21 for more information on libraries and folders.
Nearly all images on the Web are copyrighted. Although you can save a copy to your hard drive, you’re not free to duplicate, sell, or distribute the image without the consent of the copyright holder.
To set the image as the Windows desktop wallpaper, choose Set As Background from the pop-up menu after right-clicking the image.
Grabbing text from a Web page
You can copy text from a Web page and save it for later or paste that text into another document or e-mail message. Here’s how:
1. Select the text you want to copy.
Drag the mouse over the text, which highlights the text on the Web page. The text is now selected.
2. Press Ctrl+C on the keyboard to copy the text.
3. Start your word processor or e-mail program.
Or, start any program into which text can be pasted.
4. Paste the text into a document or e-mail message.
Press Ctrl+V on the keyboard or choose EditOPaste from the menu.
5. Print. Save. Whatever.
Use the proper commands to save or print or edit the text.
Free Software on the Internet
The Internet is the world’s largest software store. That’s great. What’s even better is that most of the software is free. Using your computer and Web browser program, you can search for free programs and then install and use them until you grow old or bored.
Finding programs on the Web
The key to unlocking all those free programs on the Internet is to find them first. For downloading demo and preview programs, visit the manufacturer’s Web page. Almost all the big program names have those freebie or trial copies you can use for a while at no cost.
You can also use Google, Bing, or any Web search engine to help you locate programs. For example, type free word processor and then peruse the results.
Microsoft keeps, on its Windows Live Web site, a slew of programs that once came free with Windows: http://downloads.live.com.
For general software, I can recommend the SourceForge Web page:
www.sourceforge.net.
Avoid visiting Web pages that offer free screen savers, desktop backgrounds, or device drivers. Those programs are most likely not legitimate, and if you download them, you will regret it.
If you search for hacker tools or free movies, music, topics, or other illegal material, odds are good that you’ll end up at an illegitimate Web site. The result may be a virus or another infection on your PC, not the software you wanted.
The Web can be a scary place; stick to the manufacturer’s Web sites wherever possible.
See Chapter 19 for more information on Web security.
Downloading a program
Obtaining a program, or any file, from the Internet is called downloading. It’s done by following these steps:
1. Visit the Web page that contains the download link.
The link may be text, or it may be a big, fun graphical button. Sometimes, the link takes you to another page. Eventually, you’ll find the download link or button.
2. Click the link or graphical image that begins the download.
3. Mind the security warning.
Most Web browsers alert you whenever software attempts to flow into your computer. You must grant permission; otherwise, who-knows-what might be downloaded into your PC.
4. Click the Save button.
In Internet Explorer version 8, click the Save button to save the file you’re downloading. In older versions of Internet Explorer, you must first click a special warning bar that appears above the window. Either way, click the Save button to save the file.
5. Click the Save button in the Save As dialog box.
Generally speaking, the filename and location are fine. The filename may be cryptic, but it’s the name of the program you’re downloading, plus perhaps a version number. The file’s location is the Downloads folder in your personal account area, which is perfect.
6. Sit and watch as the file is copied from the Internet to your computer.
Figure 18-1 illustrates the download progress, albeit in a static manner.
Figure 18-1:
A file is downloading.
7. To install the program, click the Open button.
8. If you’re greeted with a security warning, click the Allow button.
9. Obey the directions on the screen to finish the installation.
The directions are specific to whatever it is you’re installing. If you’re installing a program from a Compressed Folder or Zip file, see the next section.
After installing the program, you can run it or do anything you would normally do with any software installed on your computer. See Chapter 23 for more information on installing software.
Downloading a program and installing it works just like installing software you bought from the store. The only difference is that rather than use an optical disc, you use a file you download from the Internet to install.
For more information on the program, look for a README file among the files that are installed or downloaded.
Downloading the file is free. If the file is shareware, however, you’re expected to pay for it if you use it. Don’t worry: The program will remind you. Often.
Even though the file was downloaded, if you don’t want it, you have to uninstall it as you would uninstall any program (refer to Chapter 23).
Installing from a Compressed Folder
When you download software that comes in a Compressed Folder, you need to complete a few more steps to finish the download. Here’s what you need to do, as continued from Step 9 in the preceding section:
10. Open the compressed folder you just downloaded; press the Enter key.
11. Click the Extract All Files toolbar button.
The Extract Compressed (Zipped) Folders Wizard appears.
12. Click the Extract button.
Windows creates a folder with the same name as the compressed folder and copies all files from the compressed folder into the new folder. That new folder then opens, appearing on the screen.
13. Locate the Setup or Install program.
If the program doesn’t appear in the window, open the only folder in the window, or open the BIN folder.
14. Open the Setup or Install program’s icon.
15. Follow the steps on the screen to continue installing the software.
If the whole Compressed Folder download thing bothers you, search for a version of the download that uses a self-extracting format rather than Zip. Those files end with the EXE filename extension. If such an option is available, choose it.
E-Mail File Attachments
The ability to send and receive files along with your e-mail is just one of the things that makes e-mail so incredibly popular. Not only can you send pictures back and forth, but e-mailing documents has also nearly put the post office out of business. In fact, it has been decades since I last sent in a printed manuscript of a topic. Just about all file transfers between individuals are now done by sending e-mail attachments.
All e-mail programs have the ability to send and receive attachments. The following sections are written generally, though emphasis is on the Microsoft Mail and Windows Live Mail programs, which are popular with Windows.
Receiving an e-mail attachment
Most e-mail programs alert you to the presence of an e-mail file attachment by flagging the message with a teensy paperclip icon. The icon is your clue that the message contains an attachment.
To save the attachment in most e-mail programs, choose FileOSave Attachment(s) from the menu. Use the Browse button to find a proper folder for the attachment; click the Save button.
In some e-mail programs, such as those that lack a menu bar, you can either double-click the attachment to view it or right-click the attachment and choose a Save command from the pop-up menu to save the thing to a folder. I recommend saving the file to a folder first and then opening it later. By saving the file in a folder, you make it easier to find — and manage — later.
Don’t open attachments you weren’t expecting, especially program files — even if they’re from people you know. Just delete the message.
Your PC’s antivirus program may alert you to the presence of a nasty e-mail file attachment even before you open the e-mail. See Chapter 19 for more information on antivirus programs.
At some point, you may receive a file that your PC cannot digest — a file of an unknown format. If so, Windows displays one of those “Windows cannot open this file” type of dialog boxes. My advice? Click the Cancel button. Respond to the e-mail and tell the person that you can’t open the file and need to have it resent in another format.
Sending an e-mail attachment
To attach a file to an outgoing message, follow these beloved steps:
1. Compose the message as you normally would: Enter the name, subject, and message content.
Some people wait to write the message content after they attach the file. That way, they don’t forget to send the attachment.
2. Click the Attach button on the toolbar.
Sometimes, the button appears as a paper clip icon, as shown in the margin. It might also be named Attach File to Message.
3. Use the Open dialog box to locate the file you want to attach.
Refer to Chapter 21 for information on using the Open dialog box.
4. Select the file in the Open dialog box.
5. Click the Open button.
6. (Optional) To add another attachment, repeat Steps 2 through 5.
7. Click the Send button to send the message.
Sending a message with a file attached takes longer than sending a regular, text-only message.
Be careful with the size of the file attachments you send! Some folks cannot receive large files. The limit might be 5MB, or as low as 1MB. The alternative? Burn an optical disc and send the files by snail (regular) mail. See Chapter 24.
Look for an Add Photos or Attach Pictures button to quickly send properly formatted images to your e-mail buddies.
Send JPEG or PNG pictures. Any other picture format is usually too large and makes the recipient wait a long time to receive the message. See Chapter 25 for more information on picture file formats.
Don’t send file shortcuts; send only originals. If you send a shortcut, the people receiving the file don’t receive the original. Instead, they get the teensy shortcut, which doesn’t do them any good.
Not everyone you send e-mail to has the same PC setup as you do. For example, some folks may have WordPerfect rather than Word. When you send them a file they cannot read, they’ll be disappointed or frustrated or both. How do you know? Ask first.
