Correct way to download

I have always created a Download folder on my E: Drive ( have a few HDs installed but you could put create on on your C: Drive ) and directed all downloads there, only because its a tidy place to keep them all, but the desktop would be ok too.

 

Ah gotcha Abby

 

No it is not the only correct way. Many different ways actually will work. It is more a matter of what is a better way to do it and what way is a more organized approach. Being more organized makes it easier for you to find what you need when you want it and could be easier for you to possibly make backups to use if you ever need to format your PC. Having all related downloads organized into a comon folder is just a better approach.

The procedure recommends downloading the files to a folder (not the same thing as a file) that you create. We do not normally recommend downloading to the Desktop as it just causes Desktop clutter and it is not a really safe place to store these installation programs. It is too easy to get them confused with possible malware since malware sticks lots of stuff in the Desktop or in Temp folders of C:\Documents and Settings. Also things that are on your Desktop cannot be accessed from other user accounts.

The most logical thing is to do, and what will help you to know what a file is actually for at a later time, is to put them into properly named folders. This is similar to how you put things into a filing cabinet and put them into different drawers and different folders within the drawers. If you don't do that, you will never find what you need when you are looking for it.

Thus some structure like:

C:\Downloads

and with in the Downloads folder, create subfolders to contain the particular catgorized downloads. A few examples (in alpha order):

C:\Downloads\Anti-Virus
C:\Downloads\Drive Cleaners
C:\Downloads\SpyWare-Stuff

under Anti-Virus create folders like:

C:\Downloads\Anti-Virus\Avast! 4 Professional Edition 4.6.744
C:\Downloads\Anti-Virus\Avast! Home Edition 4.6.744
C:\Downloads\Anti-Virus\Avast! Virus Cleaner Tool 1.0.208
C:\Downloads\Anti-Virus\AVG Free Edition 7.1.375
C:\Downloads\Anti-Virus\Ewido security suite 3.5

under Drive Cleaners you could create folders like:

C:\Downloads\Drive Cleaners\CCleaner 1.26.218
C:\Downloads\Drive Cleaners\CleanCache 3.2

under Spyware-Stuff you could create folders like:

C:\Downloads\SpyWare-Stuff\Ad-Aware SE Personal 1.06
C:\Downloads\SpyWare-Stuff\HijackThis 1.99.1
C:\Downloads\SpyWare-Stuff\Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware 1.0.701 (Beta)
C:\Downloads\SpyWare-Stuff\SpywareBlaster 3.5.1
C:\Downloads\SpyWare-Stuff\SpyBot-Search & Destroy 1.4

You could even take the organize a step further to keep all products from a particular company in one subfolder. Like take the Avast antivirus items from above. You could first make a folder for Avast and regroup all the products there.

Thus notice the bold print added folder.

C:\Downloads\Anti-Virus\Avast\Avast! 4 Professional Edition 4.6.744
C:\Downloads\Anti-Virus\Avast\Avast! Home Edition 4.6.744
C:\Downloads\Anti-Virus\Avast\\Avast! Virus Cleaner Tool 1.0.208

Did I have to use Avast? No! I could have used the company name ALWIL Software
Basically use what makes sense and is easy for you to remember. You probably will remember Avast or AVG but ALWIL Software or Grisoft Inc may not ring a bell.

This is particularly useful when there may be many items downloaded from a particular company. For example, Symantec has dozens of specialized virus/trojan tools along with all their standard products. Having one subfolder to hold all Symantec tools makes sense.

Does this help explain the logic to you?

Do you need any help with something?

 

One more thing! If your problem is how to create the folders, a procedure like below should explain it:


Creating the C:\Downloads\SpyWare Tools:

• Right Click START and select Explore
• Select the drive where you want to create the folder (normally drive C)
• Navigate to the C:\ and select it
• Now click the on the top menu where it says File and then select New.
• Then select Folder
• A new folder is created and highlighted
• Just type Downloads to overwrite the default name (New Folder) and hit the enter key.
• Now click select the Downloads folder
• Now click the on the top menu where it says File and then select New
• Then select Folder
• A new folder is created and highlighted
  [*]Just type SpyWare Tools to overwrite the default name (New Folder) and hit the enter key.

Now you have a C:\Download\SpyWare Tools folder you can start storing all of your spyware related tools that you downloaded too.

Remember that this is just a folder for the downloads. And you can run the installation programs right from these folders. But when you install the programs themselves, it is normally a good idea to allow them to install into their default folders. In most cases when a program requires installation, this will be a subfolder of C:\Program Files

 

You're welcome! Glad that helped!

If you windup having any malware issues make sure you post in the Malware Forum, not here in the Software Forum.