How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

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

Windows Files (.exe)

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.

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
   

   <path\filename> -d

   where <path\filename> 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

   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.

MS-DOS Files

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
   

   <path\filename> -d

   where <path\filename> 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

   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.

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

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

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.

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

1. In the address area of your Internet browser, type the following and press ENTER:




ftp.microsoft.com

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 <Filename.ext> to download the file, where <Filename.ext> is the name of the file you want to download.

1. Type the following at the > prompt:




ftp ftp.microsoft.com

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 <Filename.ext>

   where <Filename.ext> is the name of the file you want to download.



4. Type "bye" (without the quotation marks) to quit ftp.

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