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Q119591: How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

Article: Q119591
Product(s): Microsoft Product Support Information
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 02-AUG-2002

SUMMARY
=======

This article contains information about obtaining Microsoft drivers, patches,
and other support files by downloading them from the Microsoft Download Center,
which is located at the following Microsoft Web site:

  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp

The Microsoft Download Center provides:

- A single starting point for all downloadable files.

- The ability to search the entire Microsoft.com site for downloadable files.

- Reduced time in finding these files.

This article contains information about the following topics.

General Instructions for Downloading:

- Windows files (.exe)

- Archive files (.zip)

- MS-DOS files (.exe)

- Macintosh-based files (.hqx, .bin, or .sea)

MORE INFORMATION
================

General Instructions for Downloading
------------------------------------

The files that Microsoft posts on online services are usually compressed,
self-extracting files.

NOTE: Small files may not be compressed. These files appear with their original
extensions and are not self-extracting.

Windows Files (.exe):

Files designed for Windows have an .exe extension. These files are compressed,
self-extracting files. To correctly download and extract these .exe files,
follow these steps:

1. Locate the file that you want to download.

2. If you are downloading to a floppy disk, you need a formatted, blank disk. If
  you are downloading to your hard disk, create a new folder in which you can
  temporarily place the file and extract it.

  CAUTION: Do not download files directly to your Windows folder. Doing so could
  overwrite files essential to the proper operation of your computer.

3. Follow the downloading procedure that is used by your Internet service
  provider to retrieve the file you identified in step 1. Download it to a
  floppy disk or to a new folder.

4. Locate the file in the folder where it was downloaded, and then double-click
  it to begin the installation process.

Note that some .exe files are compressed using the PKWare file-compression
utility. To correctly download and extract these .exe files, follow these
steps:

1. Locate the file that you want to download.

2. If you are downloading to a floppy disk, you need a formatted, blank disk. If
  you are downloading to your hard disk, create a new folder in which you can
  temporarily place the file and extract it.

  CAUTION: Do not download files directly into your Windows folder. Doing so
  could overwrite files essential to the proper operation of your computer.

3. Follow the downloading procedure used by your Internet service provider to
  retrieve the file you identified in step 1. Download it to a floppy disk or
  to a new folder.

4. To extract the contents of the self-extracting .exe file after you download
  it, click Start, click Run, and then type the following command in the Run
  box:

  "<path\filename> -d" (without the quotation marks)

  where <path\filename> is the folder location and the name of the
  downloaded file.

  For example, if you downloaded Sample.exe into the C:\Download folder, type
  the following command in the Run box:

  "C:\Download\Sample.exe -d" (without the quotation marks)

  NOTE: Although you can double-click a self-extracting .exe file to extract its
  contents, this step ensures that a recursively compressed file will maintain
  its file structure.

If you have problems extracting downloaded files, try downloading them again.

Archive Files (.zip):

Files that are designed to archive multiple files have a .zip extension. These
files are compressed. To extract these files, you need to obtain a zip utility.
Nico Mak Computing, Inc., has developed a zip utility for Windows called
WinZip.

For more information about WinZip, please visit the following Nico Mak Computing,
Inc., Web site:

  http://www.winzip.com (http://www.winzip.com)

To correctly download and extract these .zip files, follow these steps:

1. Locate the file that you want to download.

2. If you are downloading to a floppy disk, you need a formatted, blank disk. If
  you are downloading to your hard disk, create a new folder in which you can
  temporarily place the file and extract it.

  CAUTION: Do not download files directly to your Windows folder. Doing so could
  overwrite files essential to the proper operation of your computer.

3. Follow the downloading procedure that is used by your Internet service
  provider to retrieve the file you identified in step 1. Download it to a
  floppy disk or to a new folder.

4. Locate the file in the folder where it was downloaded, and then double-click
  it to open the file in WinZip. Extract the files from WinZip to a folder on
  your hard disk.

The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by
companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty,
implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these
products.

MS-DOS Files (.exe):

These .exe files are compressed using the PKWare file-compression utility. To
correctly download and extract these .exe files, follow these steps:

1. Locate the file that you want to download.

2. If you are downloading to a floppy disk, you need a formatted, blank disk. If
  you are downloading to your hard disk, create a new folder in which you can
  temporarily place the file and extract it.

  CAUTION: Do not download files directly into your Windows folder. Doing so
  could overwrite files essential to the proper operation of your computer.

3. Follow the downloading procedure used by your Internet service provider to
  retrieve the file you identified in step 1. Download it to a floppy disk or
  to a new folder.

4. To extract the contents of the self-extracting .exe file after you download
  it, click Start, click Run, and then type the following command in the Run
  box

  "<path\filename> -d" (without the quotation marks)

  where <path\filename> is the folder location and the name of the
  downloaded file.

  For example, if you downloaded Sample.exe into the C:\Download folder, type
  the following command in the Run box:

  "C:\Download\Sample.exe -d" (without the quotation marks)

  NOTE: Although you can double-click a self-extracting .exe file to extract its
  contents, this step ensures that a recursively compressed file will maintain
  its file structure.

If you have problems extracting downloaded files, try downloading them again.

Macintosh-Based Files (.hqx, .bin, or .sea):

If a file is Macintosh based, it has an .hqx or .bin extension. An .hqx file is a
BinHex 4.0 text-formatted file, and a .bin file is a MacBinary formatted file.

When you download the .hqx or .bin file, you must decode it with Stuffit Expander
(or another utility that understands BinHex or MacBinary format, such as BinHex
4.0 or CompactPro). Decoding converts the .hqx or .bin file into an Installer
file. Double-click the Installer file to install its contents.

The .hqx or .bin file may also be decoded into a binary-formatted, compressed
.sea file. To extract the contents of this file, double-click the
<filename>.sea icon.

If you use Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or later for the Macintosh, .hqx and
.bin files are automatically decoded as they are downloaded. To ensure that this
option is enabled, follow these steps in Internet Explorer 4.0 or later:

1. On the Edit menu, click Preferences.

2. Under Receiving Files, click Download Options.

3. Under Download Manager Options, click to select the "Automatically decode
  MacBinary files" and "Automatically decode BinHex files" check boxes, and
  click OK.

Additional query words: wdl windows driver library softlib data how to get policy download

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Keywords          :  
Issue type        : kbhowto

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