downloading

[tecc24]

hope someone out there can offer some advice and that I have got the correct forum http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif I'm afraid i dont really know how i did this but i seem to be having difficulty in downloading screensavers, wallpaper etc. when i try to do this, i put the download file into "programme files", it downloads with no problems. However when i go to open it i get a window stating "Windows cannot find Programme.exe" Below it states "This programme is needed for opening of files type 'matrix'" I then have a prompt asking me to find "Programme.exe" I have traweld through the pc system trying to locate this matrix but to now avail! I have a vague recolection of when i first got the pc of naming a file type matrix but can i locate it...its vanished! This is annoying because whenever i try to download anything i get this. please help!

[YODA74]

Welcome to PC Guide, some sys.specs would be nice to start off,Windows:etc.then post back and someone will help as soon as.K http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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What have I gotten my self Into now (ROFLMAO)

[tecc24]

Originally posted by YODA74:
Welcome to PC Guide, some sys.specs would be nice to start off,Windows:etc.then post back and someone will help as soon as.K http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif


whoa! fraid im not the quickest of cats...i need a noddys guide to sorting this one out hun!!
http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/tongue.gif

[geebee76]

Hi tecc24, I'm assuming you're on Win9x.

Firstly, if you're downloading regularly from the Internet make sure your Anti-Virus software is up-to-date and you scan each file. If you don't have an AV program, get one HERE (http://www.grisoft.com/html/us_index.html).

Next create a folder somewhere and call it "Downloads"

When you are prompted to download, browse to this folder and put your files in there. You can distribute or install to the appropriate directories later.

If you are trying to find a certain file click on START/FIND, FILES or FOLDERS.
Type the name of the file you are looking for eg. Matrix
Make sure the LOOK IN box is pointing towards C:.
Click on FIND.

If you are looking for a screensaver, you can type in *.scr and this will find all the screensavers on your C: drive.

Your screensavers and background images should be placed in the Windows folder. This will allow you to select them via the Display Properties box.

Hope this helps, if not post back. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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You are making progress if each mistake is a new one!

Sig from Here (http://www.oneliners-and-proverbs.com/)

geebee76@hotmail.com



[This message has been edited by geebee76 (edited 09-24-2001).]

[mjc]

Sounds like they may be in a compressed file format and you don't have the proper decompression utility to open them...do a search on Google (http://www.google.com) for compression utilities and find one there are several good freeware ones out there.

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[tecc24]

thanks geebee....i have moved the file to "windows folder" and tried to open it however im still getting the same msg : "windows cannot find Programme.exe. This programme is needed for opening files of type 'matrix'" I then get a prompt to find the location of Programme.exe

Any more ideas will be gratefully recieved!

Tecc24

[geebee76]

Hi Tecc24, I'm a bit confused with this one.

Can you find out what this file's extension is.
Right click on the file and then click properties...look at TYPE and see what it says.
The extension determines what program is needed to run it.
For example a file with a .mp3 extension requires a program that supports this type of file, such as Windows Media Player.
It may well be a compressed file as MJC mentioned, with a file extension such as .zip

Post back this info and we'll take it from there. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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You are making progress if each mistake is a new one!

Sig from Here (http://www.oneliners-and-proverbs.com/)

geebee76@hotmail.com

[kayofcircles]

Took me this long to realize that "programme" is program in French..sigh. Sounds like maybe Matrix is a desktop app? Did a "matrix" search on Google, but too many hits, but remember from past searches for screensavers and such that many sites offer an app to run their pics/screensavers on the Desktop.

tecc24 We do need a file end to help you. What is on the end after the period on the files you downloaded??

geebee76 : Sorry, stupid question, but I just got the AVG installed and so forth, but aren't I supposed to turn it off when downloading stuff? Or only off when installing stuff?? Not that I am having great success in staying online long enough to download anything, but the question stands.

[geebee76]

Hi Kay, There's no such thing as a stupid question, otherwise I'd be the village idiot http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

I'm not sure what the hard and fast rules are concerning, when and when not to run your AV program. I use NAV and have it set to scan all downloads automatically and I'm sure AVG will do that as well.
I basically have mine running in the background all the time but as you mentioned, I disable it along with any other unecessary programs when I'm installing or doing disk maintenance.

So in answer to your question, yes you can run your AV program when downloading. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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You are making progress if each mistake is a new one!

Sig from Here (http://www.oneliners-and-proverbs.com/)

geebee76@hotmail.com

[YODA74]

I leave my NAV on all the time my self and try to down load every thing to disk or CD that way a scan has been done and then turn off when I install. NAV always gives me a problem if I don't? ( I don't presume it could be W/Me hummmm hmmh hmmm) he he.Just becouse it's fussy. Naaa gotta be NAV. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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What have I gotten my self Into now (ROFLMAO)

[kayofcircles]

Thanks! Because that's one reason I was reluctant to install any AV. Keep forgetting to turn it off. Started a ScanDisk the other day, alarm bells went off in head, cancelled the Scan, turned off ZA and AVG and, what the hey, the packetwriter program..then went back to running ScanDisk. I will "get it" sooner or later. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Pianorak]

Well, for what it's worth: I run ScanDisk and Defrag almost every day on my laptop which runs ME and desktop 98SE - never turn off anything - never had any problem. Am I asking for trouble - eventually?

[YODA74]

#1. I don't think you should run scan disk and defrag every day(JMHO)and yes turn off the V-Protect when you do once a week if your a heavy user is sufficiant. I used to do it every other day know I have Unusually low disk performance. I think I'm using up this thread on this poor persons problem.BY

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What have I gotten my self Into now (ROFLMAO)

[geebee76]

Hi Pianorak, I personally defrag about once every two weeks depending on how many changes I have made to my programs and files. I'm not completely sure how the defrag treats programs that are running in the background.

I think you are safe to defrag as long as none of your loaded programs try to access the hard disk, in which case it will reset back to the beginning.

The only concern I would have is that the programs you have running in the background will, I suspect, be ignored by defrag.
If these programs are fragmented across your drive they will never be defragmented. Since these programs are likely to be your most used then you will never gain the full benefits of a defrag.

I think for everyday use though, this won't cause any problems.

Tecc24 We've not forgotten you! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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You are making progress if each mistake is a new one!

Sig from Here (http://www.oneliners-and-proverbs.com/)

geebee76@hotmail.com

[mjc]

The big problem with running scandisk and defrag with background apps running is that they they have a tendency to never complete, hang or otherwise cause difficulties...although the versions that come with WinME are both faster and less sensitive about background apps....

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[tecc24]

thanks ppl for all your help so far http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif I managed to locate the file via geebees advice, i deleted (hope that was the right thing to do as i just want this thing out of my system!) anyway i once again tried to download the file but i am still getting the same messages (see top of msg board) even though the file no longer exists http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif

i'll keep going through ppls feedback and keep on trying!

thanks everyone

tecc24

[kayofcircles]

tecc24 : I think what is happening is that the puter is telling you it cannot find a program to "open" the downloaded file. We still need a file extension/or end. Start--Settings--Folder Options--under the View tab..if there is a check mark in the "Hide file extensions for known file types"..uncheck that. Also, while you're there, check under the File types tab and see if there is any "Matrix" kind of thing in the list. The file that you're trying to download is the one that we need to get the "end" for. If we have that, we may be able to find out what program is supposed to open that file.

[tecc24]

thanks kayofcircles, i have unchecked the "hide file extensions" and there is a "matrix" in the file types tab, should i delete that now, or is there something that i need to do with is (apart from boot it out of the window!)

[kayofcircles]

tecc24 I am thinking that it has already been deleted in some way, and that's why the puter is telling you it cannot find "Matrix.exe" so as to open the file you've downloaded. When you're in Folder Options, under the File Types tab, and click on the Matrix you found...what does it say for "Extension" under File Type Details? I just went through my list, but I don't use screensavers or wallpaper..so when I click on the Screensaver in the list..mine just says "Extension: scr...Content type MIME...Opens with (Executable)" on the lower part of that window, so we may need someone who uses screensavers or wallpaper to tell us what program opens those files. Then, in that same place, you can set the puter to use the proper program to open the files you're downloading. I will be happy to go look, but I still need an "end" to search for.

[Pianorak]

Hi Geebee <<If these programs are fragmented across your drive they will never be defragmented. >>

But is there any way one could find out whether they actually are fragmented across my one and only drive? Once Defrag has finished all the "White Squares" have gone and everything has been "pulled together" as it were. But you appear to be saying that this does not necessarily mean ALL the programs have been defragmented. Whatever the case, I think I shall become a Once-a-week defragmenter; won't do any harm.
Edit: Come to think of it there are occasions when during defrag there is a message to the effect that "the hard drive information has changed" and defrag goes back to the beginning. Could that be "interference" from one of the programs running in the background?
Yoda and mjc: Thanks for your input, duly noted.

[This message has been edited by Pianorak (edited 09-27-2001).]

[geebee76]

Hi Pianorak,
Yep, any time your defrag resets back to the beginning would almost certainly be a program interupting the process.
I don't know of any method, which lets you see if a program is fragmented.

What I said in my previous post is just my take on the whole defragmenting issue. I haven't really looked into what happens with programs running in the background. I just assumed that when you start a program it is either loaded into RAM or Virtual Memory. If that is the case then I also assumed that the defragmentation process would mark the disk locations of those programs as areas of the disk that could not be moved or in other words defragmented. Is this making any sense http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

If anyone knows what really happens or has any other ideas on this, I'm all ears http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

------------------
You are making progress if each mistake is a new one!

Sig from Here (http://www.oneliners-and-proverbs.com/)

geebee76@hotmail.com

[tecc24]

kayofcircles....what it says under file type is "Extension ZIP, Content Type (MIME): application/x-zip-compressed, Opens with: PROGRAMME

[mjc]

What version of Windows are you running?

It looks like programme.exe was the program that was used to unzip compressed files...could that be WinME's file compression manager? (3am and a glass or so of adult beverages...I'm not really going to try and go hunt this one down... http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif ), but if you take my original advice and search down a good file compression manager I think you'll be in business....

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[kayofcircles]

tecc24: Little tutorial on zipping and unzipping here (http://www.mantex.co.uk/samples/down-zip.htm). Yesterday a friend sent me a link to Webshots (http://www.webshots.com/homepage.html). She wants me to get a pic for her, but if you look, you will see that to get the bigger Desktop size pic, I would have to download the program they use. (Which I am not gonna do.) I suspect that your download is not only zipped, for whatever reason, but that you may not have the program "exe" file to open it anymore.

Haven't checked these out recently so don't which are still there or not, but here is a list of sites that offer free wallpaper and you don't need a program to run/display them. And they're not zipped to start with. You can just download them and set them as wallpaper.
http://www.snap-shot.com/
http://www.fotoclipart.com/
http://www.cksinfo.com/
http://www.galttech.com
http://www.galttech.com/wallpaper/wallmooncloudskies.shtml
http://www.opusartis.ppg.br/freescreensavers/freescreensavers.htm
http://www.opusartis.ppg.br/freescreensavers/links.htm
http://www.photo-guide.com/
http://picturesof.net/_animals/animal_index.html
http://coolwallpaper.com/space/space.shtml

The opusartis one above even tells you how to set the pics as wallpaper. As in here on a Nature pic (http://www.opusartis.ppg.br/freescreensavers/nature1_e.htm).

On the defrag question. I think it works like this. In our house, we have a tool drawer in the kitchen with screwdrivers, flashlight, etc. Some of us tend to leave the tools in his office so that others have to go find the tool before being able to use it. Think that defrag just puts all the tools back in the drawer so as to avoid having to search the whole house to find the tool. If you have a program running in the background using one of the tools, that tool will not be put back in the drawer so to speak. On the swap file part, my understanding is that the ME defrag utility does defrag the swap file as does a defrag like Norton's...but I am vague on the whole swap file concept so mjc will have to advise on that part.

[fraelorn]

Sounds to me as if there is a problem with your file associations.

Originally posted by tecc24:
hope someone out there can offer some advice and that I have got the correct forum http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif I'm afraid i dont really know how i did this but i seem to be having difficulty in downloading screensavers, wallpaper etc. when i try to do this, i put the download file into "programme files", it downloads with no problems. However when i go to open it i get a window stating "Windows cannot find Programme.exe" Below it states "This programme is needed for opening of files type 'matrix'" I then have a prompt asking me to find "Programme.exe" I have traweld through the pc system trying to locate this matrix but to now avail! I have a vague recolection of when i first got the pc of naming a file type matrix but can i locate it...its vanished! This is annoying because whenever i try to download anything i get this. please help!



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Übergamer: He who dies with the most frags wins.

[iisbob]

excellant analogy Kay! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

You've hit it on the Head! Defrag pulls contiguous files together ( long word but it only means " things that are alike " ) and places them in the same or adjacent clusters so that Windows can access them quicker.

When you have a program running in the background-Windows is unable to use that space(s) that are occupied by the program and it is unable to use the memory spacethose programs are using too,( think of trying to park a car moving at 60mph, without stopping it )-Defragging can be stressful to your Harddrive if you do it too much, once a month is usually sufficient.


As for Tecc24'squestion, i believe mjc has it answered, after reading the post, it seeems that this " programme" was probably the file (de)-compression program used, you can get a freee program at Enzip (http://www.cpam.freeserve.co.uk/).

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iisbob
"640K ought to be enough for anybody. - Bill Gates, 1981"
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." --Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

[geebee76]

Hi Guys, I can't seem to find any definitive answers on the defrag questions (there are many conflicting views) but the main point seems to be.
All unecessary programs should be closed.
Defrag will still work if there are programs running in the background, just as long as they don't attempt to read or write to or from the disk.

Defrag logs the process to a file called OPTLOG, which resides in the hidden folder WINDOWS/APPLOG.

http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

------------------
You are making progress if each mistake is a new one!

Sig from Here (http://www.oneliners-and-proverbs.com/)

geebee76@hotmail.com

[tecc24]

thanks everyone for your help, think I now have it sussed at last! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif