DOCUMENT:Q119591 08-JUL-1999 [techinfo] TITLE :How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services PRODUCT :Microsoft Product Support Information PROD/VER: OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS: ====================================================================== SUMMARY ======= This article contains information about obtaining Microsoft drivers, patches, Application Notes, and other support files by downloading them from various online information services. This article contains information about the following topics: General Instructions for Downloading: - Windows files (.exe) - MS-DOS files (.exe) - Macintosh-based files (.hqx, .bin, or .sea) Specific Instructions for Online Information Services: - World Wide Web (WWW) on the Internet - Microsoft Anonymous ftp Server on the Internet MORE INFORMATION ================ GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOWNLOADING The files 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 you want to download using one of the methods provided in the "Specific Instructions for Online Information Services" section of this article. 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 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 you want to download using one of the methods provided in the "Specific Instructions for Online Information Services" section of this article. 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, type the following from the command prompt or the Run command " -d" (without the quotation marks) where is the location and name of the downloaded file. For example, if you downloaded Sample.exe into the C:\Download folder, type the following line from the command prompt or the Run command: "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. MS-DOS Files ------------ 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 you want to download using one of the methods provided in the "Specific Instructions for Online Information Services" section of this article. 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, type the following from the command prompt or the Run command " -d" (without the quotation marks) where is the location and name of the downloaded file. For example, if you downloaded Sample.exe into the C:\Download folder, type the following line from the command prompt or the Run command: "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 .sea icon. If you use Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 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: 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. SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR ONLINE INFORMATION SERVICES Downloading a File from the World Wide Web (WWW) on the Internet ---------------------------------------------------------------- If you know the name of the file you want to download, follow these steps: 1. Connect to the Microsoft Personal Support Center at the following address: http://support.microsoft.com/support/default.asp 2. On the menu bar at the top, click Search Support. 3. On the page that appears, click Advanced View if Advanced View is not showing. 4. In the "My search is about" list, click your product. Under "I want to search by", click "Specific driver or downloadable file". Type the file name in the "My question is" box, and then click Go. If you don't know the file name, follow these steps to find and download the file: 1. Connect to the Microsoft Personal Support Center at the following address: http://support.microsoft.com/support/default.asp 2. On the menu bar at the top, click Downloads. 3. On the Support Downloads page, click the product area in which you are interested. 4. Some product areas have additional categories. If the product area you selected has more categories, select the category in which you are interested. 5. If necessary, select the product version number you want. 6. The file names and the corresponding descriptions are displayed. Click the file you want to download. 7. Your browser will ask what you want to do with the file. Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 will ask: Run this program from its current location. -or- Save this program to disk (the default). Click OK. Select the destination folder (the floppy disk drive or the folder to which you want to download the file) and click Save. Microsoft Anonymous FTP Server on the Internet ---------------------------------------------- If you are connecting using an Internet browser: 1. In the address area of your Internet browser, type the following and press ENTER: "ftp.microsoft.com" (without the quotation marks) 2. Click the Softlib link, and then click the MSLFiles link. 3. Scroll through the list of files to locate file you want to download. NOTE: The files are listed in alphabetical order. 4. Click the file name link to download the file, where is the name of the file you want to download. If you are connecting using the MS-DOS prompt: 1. Type the following at the > prompt: "ftp ftp.microsoft.com" (without the quotation marks) 2. When prompted for a user name and password, type "Anonymous" (without the quotation marks). Use your e-mail address for the password. 3. Change to the Softlib/Mslfiles folder. To download a file, type the following at the > prompt "Get " (without the quotation marks) where is the name of the file you want to download. 4. Type "bye" (without the quotation marks) to quit ftp. Additional query words: wdl windows driver library softlib data how to get policy download ====================================================================== Keywords : Issue type : kbhowto ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1999.