If you've never downloaded anything from the Internet before, or aren't sure how to go about it, this is a good place to start. Follow the step-by-step instructions to try out a quick sample download - it only takes a few minutes!

1. Starting points   What is downloading?   How long does downloading take?   Is downloading safe?

[Table of contents] [2. Choice of downloads]

What is downloading? Downloading is the process of transferring software - such as a computer game - from an Internet site to your home computer. It isn't really all that different from copying a file to your hard drive from floppy disk or CD-ROM: think of the Internet as just another storage device attached to your computer.

How long does downloading take? Considerably longer than loading the same software from disk, especially if you are using a dial-in connection (a connection to the Internet via an ordinary telephone line). The exact time required depends on factors such as the size of the file, your connection speed, and Internet network conditions. The last of these is unpredictable. File transfers might be quick on one occasion but too slow on another, even from the same Internet site. Most browsers give a progress indication as you download a file, including an estimated transfer time. The estimate becomes increasingly accurate over the course of the download - early on, it might be wildly wrong in either direction. Under very good conditions, you can expect download times of about 3 minutes per megabyte for a 56K modem, 6 minutes for a 28K modem, and proportionally shorter or longer times for modems of other types. For reference, the largest file on our FamilyGames.com web-site is our All Aboard For Santa game, at 13 MB in size (followed by Uncle Julius and the Anywhere Machine, at less than 6MB). With a 56K modem, you could expect downloading a 13 MB file at least 40 minutes. A cable, DSL or other high-speed connection can be much faster: the same 13 MB file might transfer in less than a minute.

Is downloading safe? It's reasonable to be concerned that a download from the Internet might bring with it malicious software such as a computer virus. Fortunately, you can virtually eliminate this risk by taking the following three precautions: 1) Download only from reputable, stable sites. When you come upon a new site, take the time for a good look around before downloading any software that may be on offer there. Read what they have to say and form an impression of the kind of people behind the site. If they seem careful and trustworthy, the chances are you can also trust the software they present. 2) Use a virus scanner. A free desktop virus scanner is provided by Grisoft, and several free web-based scanners are available. Commercial virus solutions, such as market leaders Norton and McAfee, usually offer features not available in the free products. 3) Keep back-ups. This vital precaution against all forms of data loss - whether from a hard disk crash, operator error, physical damage to the computer, or (perhaps least likely) a virus - is far too often ignored. Try this thought experiment: If your hard drive were to vanish, right now, how difficult would it be for you to rebuild all the data you just can't do without? Would it even be possible? Back-ups are the ultimate protection for your data, and not to have them is to invite disaster.

 

2. Choice of downloads   Why two choices?   Choice 1 - Download only   Choice 2 - Download plus install

[Table of contents] [1. Starting points] [3. Download only] [4. Download plus install]

Why two choices? You'll get to actually try your first download in the next step. We've provided two different download files to choose from. Which one you should get depends on your previous computer experience. Experienced computer users: If you're an old hand with computers but new to the Internet, the chances are that you're already at ease with the process of installing software - once you have it on your computer. You should pick Choice 1, which consists of downloading a very short stand-alone test program, then executing it to make sure that the download was successful. Novice computer users: If you are new to computing, not just the Internet, we recommend you pick Choice 2. This choice lets you download an installation program, then execute it to actually install the test program on your computer. The sequence of downloading then installing will prepare you for obtaining any of the software on our site, plus tens of thousands of programs from other sites around world. After you have run the test program to confirm that it was successful, you can uninstall it to remove it from your computer.

Choice 1 - Download only: The example program you will download is called firstdl.exe. It is quite small - just 5 kilobytes - so the download should take no more than a few seconds. Afterwards, you will the run the program to confirm that the download was successful. The example program has then served its purpose, and you can delete it. Your future downloads from our site should work exactly the same way, the only difference being that the downloaded file will be a set-up program that will install the desired software on your computer, and that the file sizes will be much larger.

Choice 2 - Download plus install: You will download a program called DL1_inst.exe. This is an install program, and its sole function is to properly set up a piece of software on your computer. In this case, what you're setting up is a small example program. The install program is about 140 kilobytes in size, and could take anywhere from a few seconds to about ten minutes to download, depending on the type of Internet connection you use and current network conditions. When the download is finished, you will execute the install program to set up the example program on your computer. You'll run the example program to confirm that the download and install were successful, then uninstall the example program, and delete the file you downloaded. Your future downloads from our site will work exactly the same way, except that the file sizes will be larger.

 

3. Choice 1: Download only   a) Start the download   b) Verify the download   c) Delete the downloaded file   d) If something went wrong...

[Table of contents] [2. Choice of downloads] [5. Coping with problems] [6. What next?]

Start the download: Just beneath this paragraph you'll see a "download link". It looks like an ordinary hypertext link of the kind you've seen countless times before. This one has the text "Download the test program now". Whether a simple click on this link is enough to initiate a download depends on how your browser is configured to handle the file type, which is "exe". We'll let you worry about this configuration issue, if you choose to, after you get a bit more experience. For now, we recommend you avoid the problem as follows: If you are using Netscape, hold down the Shift key while you click the link. If you are using Internet Explorer, click the link with the right mouse button and select "Save Target As..." from the menu. Regardless of your browser, what you want to see is a "Save File" dialog that lets you choose a location on your hard drive for saving the downloaded file. Whether you accept the location the browser suggests, or select a new one, make sure you note what it is so that you can find the file afterwards. In this instance, the actual filename should be "firstdl.exe". After you OK the dialog, the download should commence. Because this is a very short test file, it should only take a few seconds. When you are ready to begin, click on: Download the test program now

Verify the download: Since you noted where the downloaded file was to be stored, it should be a simple matter to find it now in Windows Explorer. Once you locate the file, double-click it to execute the test program. If everything has gone according to plan, the test program will display a message beginning with "Your download succeeded!". That's it! Close the program and carry on.

Delete the downloaded file: Now that you have a successful download under your belt, you can go on to bigger and better things. At this point you may as well delete the downloaded file. Since you've already found it in Windows Explorer, just select it, then press the Delete key or use the appropriate menu command to remove it from your hard disk.

If something went wrong... There are a number of possible reasons a download can fail. There may be a temporary problem with the "host" computer where the file you are trying to download is stored. Such problems are rare at our site, but they can occur. A more likely problem, especially for a first-time downloader, is that your browser isn't configured correctly. See the Coping with problems section for more information.

 

4. Choice 2: Download plus install   a) Start the download   b) Locate the downloaded file   c) Install and test the software   d) Delete the downloaded file   e) Uninstall the software   f) If something went wrong...

[Table of contents] [2. Choice of downloads] [5. Coping with problems] [6. What next?]

Start the download: Just beneath this paragraph you'll see a "download link". It looks like an ordinary hypertext link of the kind you've seen countless times before. This one has the text "Download the test installation program now". Whether a simple click on this link is enough to initiate a download depends on how your browser is configured to handle the file type, which is "exe". We'll let you worry about this configuration issue, if you choose to, after you get a bit more experience. For now, we recommend you avoid the problem as follows: If you are using Netscape, hold down the Shift key while you click the link. If you are using Internet Explorer, click the link with the right mouse button and select "Save Target As..." from the menu. Regardless of your browser, what you want to see is a "Save File" dialog that lets you choose a location on your hard drive for saving the downloaded file. Whether you accept the location the browser suggests, or select a new one, make sure you note what it is so that you can find the file afterwards. In this instance, the actual filename should be "DL1_inst.exe". After you OK the dialog, the download should commence. Your browser will display the progress of the download in a small window. The download should take no more than ten minutes - probably much less. Meanwhile, you should be able to use your web browser for other operations - even including other downloads. When you're ready to begin, click on: Download the test installation program now

Locate the downloaded file: Since you noted where the downloaded file was to be stored, it should be a simple matter to find it now in Windows Explorer. Once you locate the file, you are ready to move on to the next step.

Install and test the software: The file you have downloaded is a "self-installing executable" - a program that, when run, installs software on your computer. In this case, the software to be installed is a short example program that simply displays a message when run. To begin the installation, all you have to do is double-click on the name of the file you located in the previous step. This will launch the install program, which will guide you through the simple process of getting the test program installed. One effect of the installation (with most software, including that from Family Games) will be to add a Start Menu shortcut. Click this shortcut ("First Family Games Download") to run the test program. If everything has gone according to plan, the program will display a message beginning with "Your download succeeded!". That's it! Close the program and carry on.

Delete the downloaded file: Once you've completed the installation of the software, there isn't usually much point in retaining the install program - it's just taking up space on your hard drive. Even if you need to re-install a piece of downloaded software for some reason (after a drive failure, say), you can always download again, and that way you'll also be sure of getting the latest version. Deleting the downloaded file should be easy: since you've already found it in Windows Explorer, just select it, then press the Delete key or use the appropriate menu command to remove it from your hard disk.

Uninstall the software: At this point, you'd normally be done, but in this special case the software you installed has already outlived its usefulness, so you might as well uninstall it now. Most software (including that from Family Games) provides intelligent uninstall support, which you should use in preference to simply deleting the installed files and folders. Click the "Add or Remove Programs" program in the Windows Control Panel. Select the program name (in this case, First Download) in the application list and click the "Change/Remove..." button.

If something went wrong... There are a number of possible reasons a download can fail. There may be a temporary problem with the computer where the file you are trying to download is stored. Such problems are rare at our site, but they can occur. A more likely problem, especially for a first time downloader, is that your browser isn't configured correctly. See the Coping with problems section for more information. Problems with installing and uninstalling the software are less common; when they do occur, you may need to contact the software author, publisher or distributor for technical support. For installation problems with Family Games software, please contact Nick Sullivan.

 

5. Coping with problems   a) Download won't start   b) Download quits before completion   c) Downloaded file won't run   d) Installed software doesn't operate as expected

[Table of contents] [3. Choice 1: Download only] [4. Choice 2: Download+install] [6. What next?]

Download won't start: Symptom: You click a download link and either nothing at all happens, or your browser posts a cryptic error message. In either case, there is no sign that the expected download ever began. Cause: There are a few possibilities... Perhaps the likeliest is simply that the FTP server you're downloading from is already handling its configured maximum number of users. If you think that might be the case, try again at a quieter time of day.

Download quits before completion: Symptom: Your browser begins the file transfer, and at first everything appears to be going well. Before the transfer is complete, however, the progress dialog vanishes - with or without an error message - and the download file is either missing or incomplete. Cause: Something has disrupted the communication between your computer and the FTP server. This could result from a network or hardware failure, a protracted burst of line noise, or even an accidental click on the Cancel button of the progress dialog. In any case, the first step is simply to try the download again. If the second attempt also fails, wait for a different time of day, and see if you then have better luck.

Downloaded file won't run: Symptom: Although your download appeared to go smoothly, when you double-click on the filename in Windows Explorer, nothing appears to happen, or you get an error message. Cause 1: It could be that the file you downloaded is neither an executable program nor a document that Windows knows how to handle. If the filename has a familiar extension like ".exe" or ".txt", this problem shouldn't occur, but if you don't recognize the filename extension, it could be that you need additional software to make use of the file you have downloaded. A very common standard file type is ".zip", which is used for compressed archives that can be handled with popular shareware utilities like PKZip and WinZip, and freeware alternatives are also available. If you don't have a Zip utility already, you should make a point of obtaining one. The files on our Family Games site are of four types: executable programs (.exe), zip archives (.zip), Windows help files (.hlp) and plain text files (.txt). Cause 2: Now and then an apparently successful file transfer may fail because the data was corrupted during transmission. This means that the downloaded file is not an accurate copy of the original. If the file is a text document, say, this may not matter too much, but if it is an executable file the chances are that it just won't work when you try to run it on your system. To confirm that your error was of this type, just repeat the download. Under normal conditions, it's unlikely you would experience a bad download on two successive attempts.

Installed software doesn't operate as expected: Symptom: The software you have downloaded runs, but it doesn't do what you thought it would do, or it has a bug. Cause: This is perhaps the commonest problem of all, and as you might expect, it doesn't really have a technical solution. Every now and then you will probably encounter truly dreadful software that makes the time spent downloading it seem utterly wasted. More often, though, you may download a program that is almost what you were looking for, but not quite; or that would be ideal except perhaps that it doesn't function properly with your particular system configuration. In those circumstances, you should consider emailing the software author or publisher with a description of the problem. Shareware authors in particular tend to be very responsive to this kind of feedback, and you may well find that the problem can be easily resolved - even to the extent of features being added to the software just because you asked for them. When seeking technical assistance, it is always a good idea to be as detailed and specific as possible about the problem you are having and the circumstances in which it occurs. When applicable, you should also include with your feedback the essential facts about your system: • Version of Windows (98, XP, etc.) • Type of CPU (e.g. Pentrium 4, 2GHz) • Type of graphic and sound cards, where relevant • Available space on your system hard drive (the "C:" drive) • Amount of space on other hard drives • Amount of system memory (RAM) • Additional hardware on your system (printer, scanner, etc.)

 

6. What next?   a) My next download   b) Downloading from Family Games   c) Other good download sites

[Table of contents] [3. Choice 1: Download only] [4. Choice 2: Download+install] [5. Coping with problems]

My next download: Now that you have your first download under your belt, what to do next? The choice is yours: tens of thousands of downloadable files are now available to you, from games and utilities to dictionaries and encyclopedias. To begin with, though, it might be a good idea to pick up a couple of essential utilities: an unzipping program like PKUnzip or WinZip, and a virus scanner.

Download from Family Games: We specialize in imaginative freeware and shareware games for kids and families. Links to all our software can be found on our Shareware Street and Freeware Lane pages.

Other good download sites: There are many of these. Some of those we have found useful are listed on our Software Archives links page.