Windows 7 : Using Internet Explorer 8 - Using Multimedia Browsing and Downloading (part 2)

3. Downloading Programs

Although the Web is most often thought of as a source of information and entertainment, it is also an excellent—and often only—place to obtain new software or updates for existing programs.

You can find numerous excellent resources for downloading free or trial versions of software. Good sources are www.tucows.com and http://download.cnet.com/windows/. Follow the specific instructions for installation provided by the software publisher (and offered on most download sites), but when you’re downloading, these general rules apply:

• Some websites require you to choose from a number of “mirror sites” for your download. Mirror sites are servers in different parts of the world that have the same files on them. The redundancy prevents traffic jams on a single server when many people access it for the same program downloads. You are asked to select a location that is geographically close to you, but you’re usually free to choose any site you want. The closer ones are sometimes faster, but not always. Sometimes I get quicker downloads from a mirror site in another country whose citizens are likely sleeping.
  
  
• To begin the download, typically you click a link that says something similar to “Download Now.” This should open a dialog box asking you if you want to open or save the file. Choose to save. Select a location that you will remember for saving the download files—it is a good idea to create a Downloads folder. Within the Downloads folder, I create a new subfolder with the name of the program and then switch to that folder and save the program there. This way, all my downloads are organized.
  
  
• At the office, check with your network administrator before you install any new software to find out what your company policies are. In fact, if you are in a corporate environment, you probably won’t be able to install new programs unless you are one of the lucky few with Administrator privileges. Most corporations limit users installing software, for obvious security reasons.
  
  
• Scan all downloads with virus-scanning software before you install them. Pay particular attention to archives and ISO image files, which are often carriers of software viruses regardless of whether or not the software comes from legitimate channels (though there’s less likelihood than with peer-to-peer and free hosting sites).
  
  
• Many downloads come in a compressed ZIP format. If you download such a file, you can run it easily in Windows 7 because ZIP files are supported without needing to install a ZIP program such as WinZip or TurboZIP. Just double-click the ZIP file, and it will open in a folder window. Then examine the contents. You probably need to double-click the installer or Setup program to begin installing the program into Windows 7.
  
  

During the download process, a window appears showing the download progress and the estimated time remaining. The estimates are helpful, but thanks to fluctuating transfer speeds, these estimates also can be extremely unreliable. You might want to watch the window for a moment to see if the estimate changes in your favor. If you can’t wait that long, click Cancel and try again later.

In addition to downloading new software, you can download updates to software you already own. Check the manufacturer’s website occasionally to see whether new updates, patches, or bug fixes are available (this is especially important for entertainment software).

4. Protecting Against Bad Downloaded Programs

IE helps protect your computer from potentially malicious software. When you use IE to download a file, a message might appear in the information bar just below the Address box saying this:

To help protect your security, Internet Explorer blocked this site from downloading files to your computer. Click here for options.

Clicking the information bar opens a drop-down list of options (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. IE offers to block downloads from pages until you specify otherwise.

If you choose to allow the page to download a program, you’ll see another dialog box warning you about downloaded programs and asking whether you want to run the program from its remote location across the Web or save it to your hard disk, as shown in Figure 2.

If you choose to run the program from the site rather than save it, you’ll likely see the dialog box shown in Figure 3. All executable files that are downloaded are checked for publisher information using a scheme called Authenticode. Authenticode checks the digital signature of the file against a database of known good software publishers, and gives you some advice about the file. After being presented with the information, you can make a more informed decision about running the file.

Some program publishers have been “black listed,” and Windows 7 prevents them from running in your PC under Windows 7. Executable files with blocked publishers are not allowed to run.