How to obtain Microsoft support files from online services

Windows files (.exe)

Files that are designed for Windows operating systems 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. If you are not sure which file to download, you can visit the Microsoft Download Center to help locate your file:

   http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/Search.aspx

2. If you are downloading to a disk, you must have a formatted, blank disk. If you are downloading to your hard disk drive, create a new folder where you can temporarily copy the file and open it.
   
   Caution Do not download files directly to your Windows folder. Doing this could overwrite files that are required for the correct operation of your computer.

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

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

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

1. Locate the file that you want to download. If you are not sure which file to download, you can visit the Microsoft Download Center to help locate your file:

   http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/Search.aspx

2. If you are downloading to a disk, you must have a formatted, blank disk. If you are downloading to your hard disk drive, create a new folder where you can temporarily copy the file and open it.
   
   Caution Do not download files directly to your Windows folder. Doing this could overwrite files that are required for the correct operation of your computer.

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

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

   <path\filename> -d
   
   Note In this command, <path\filename> is the folder location and the name of the downloaded file.
   
   For example, if you downloaded Sample.exe to the C:\Download folder, enter the following command:

   C:\Download\Sample.exe -d
   
   Note Although you can double-click a self-extracting .exe file to extract its contents, this step makes sure that a recursively compressed file will maintain its file structure.

If you have problems when you try to extract downloaded files, download the files again, and then try to extract the new copies.

Archive files (.zip)

Files that are designed to archive multiple files have a .zip extension. These files are compressed. Such .zip files can be automatically compressed and expanded in Windows and do not require the WinZip tool.

For more information about WinZip, visit the following Nico Mak Computing, Inc. website:

http://www.winzip.com

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

1. Locate the file that you want to download. If you are not sure which file to download, you can visit the Microsoft Download Center to help locate your file:

   http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/Search.aspx

2. If you are downloading to a disk, you must have a formatted, blank disk. If you are downloading to your hard disk drive, create a folder where you can temporarily copy the file and open it.
   
   Caution Do not download files directly to your Windows folder. Doing this could overwrite files that are required for the correct operation of your computer.

3. Follow the download procedure that is used by your internet service provider to download the file that you identified in step 1. Download the file to a disk or to a new folder.

4. Locate the file in the folder to which it was downloaded, and then double-click the file to open it.

MS-DOS files (.exe)

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

1. Locate the file that you want to download. If you are not sure which file to download, you can visit the Microsoft Download Center to help locate your file:

   http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/Search.aspx

2. If you are downloading to a disk, you must have a formatted, blank disk. If you are downloading to your hard disk drive, create a folder where you can temporarily store the file and open it.
   
   Caution Do not download files directly to your Windows folder. Doing this could overwrite files that are required for the correct operation of your computer.

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

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

   <path\filename> -d
   
   Note In this command, <path\filename> is the folder location and the name of the downloaded file.
   
   For example, if you downloaded Sample.exe to the C:\Download folder, enter the following command:

   C:\Download\Sample.exe -d
   
   Note Although you can double-click a self-extracting .exe file to extract its contents, this step makes sure that a recursively compressed file will maintain its file structure.

If you have problems when you try to extract downloaded files, download the files again, and then try to extract the new copies.

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

If a file is a Macintosh-based file, it has an .hqx or a .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 the .bin file, you must decode it with Aladdin Systems Stuffit Expander for Windows or with another utility that understands the BinHex or the MacBinary format, such as BinHex 4.0 or CompactPro. Decoding converts the .hqx or the .bin file into an Installer file. As soon as the file is converted to an Installer file, you can double-click the Installer file to install its contents.

The .hqx or the .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.