Oops... These graphics are from Win 98. I didn't realize there's no Desktop button in the Windows 95 Save As... Dialogue Box. I'll be back to fix this shortly. (29/10/98 07:30). In the meantime, to get to the Desktop in Windows 95, use this button. Keep clicking until it becomes disabled. (The Desktop is "the top of the tree". You can't go any higher)

Running Programs from Netscape

If you've really never done this before, or if this is a fresh installation of Netscape, you'll see something like this when you click on a link to an executable program. This is called the "Save As..." Dialogue Box. Although it doesn't say so, it's asking you to indicate where you want to save the file.

You can use this box to navigate through your directory (folder) structures on each hard drive, create new folders, and save the file you are about to download anywhere you want. If you don't know how to navigate, you'll learn a bit by following some of the common practices described below.

For convenience, some people regularly save downloaded files to their desktop because they're easy to find and they can be organized (or trashed) later. Other people save things to Desktop folders to keep them more organized. Still others make temporary folders (C:\00, C:\01, C:\02, etc) where they can study downloaded material before trashing it or putting it somewhere permanently.

Saving Files to your Desktop

To navigate to your Desktop, click the Desktop button.

You'll see something like this. These are the files, folders, links, etc that are sitting on your Desktop. If you click "Save" now, the file you're saving will land among them. You can actually watch this happen, if you can see your Desktop while you're saving.

Using the Desktop is convenient because the saved file is easy to find. But it can create a mess. Some programs contain compressed files which are extracted into the location where they are saved. For example, the Will Freely demo is a program file called FreeWill.exe - and it contains a graphic file (Back.jpg) and 2 Audio files (Blip.wav and Blip1.wav). If you save FreeWill.exe to your Desktop - and run it from there - these three files will be extracted onto the Desktop. Try it.

If you're sure you're going to keep the program you're downloading, you're better off to create a "permanent" folder somewhere off of one of your hard drives. But if you're not sure about it, you could put it in a Desktop folder.

Saving Files to a Desktop Folder

If you click the little button to the right of the Desktop button in the Save As... Dialog Box, you'll see something like this - and a New Folder will appear on your Desktop. Type in a meaningful name to replace "New Folder" - like "FreeWill", if this is the Will Freely demo. Now, this is important (and easy to forget) - double-click on the new folder - or highlight it and click "Open". Otherwise, your still looking at the Desktop. When you open the new folder it will be empty - and the name of the folder will appear in the "Save in: " field.

Now you can save the file in your new Desktop folder and run it from there. That way, if it makes a mess, it will be contained.

Navigating Tips

• Windows 98 tends to open the Save As... Dialogue Box in the "My Documents" folder. To get out, hit the little yellow up-arrow button to the left of the Desktop button. You will then be back to the Desktop.
• Use the Drop-down List to view your hard drives. Click the down-arrow button to the left of the the yellow up-arrow button.
• If you're going to download and save a bunch of things you may not want to keep, you may want to make a bunch of folders called C:\00, C:\01 C:\02, etc so you'll have seperate places for them - and they'll be easy to find.
• Hmmmm......
• I'll add more tips if I think of any in the next few days - otherwise, you're on your own.

Last Updated 29/10/98