how to use a download?

[rootbeer]

Oka-a-a-ay......

Well, that did nothing. I did not see the word "Extract" anywhere in the drop-down once I right-clicked on the folder for that particular unzipped airplane. I saw three instances of Add, two of Zip and one of Configure. I am using WinXP Home with SP2. Hagar, you look to be using Win98 or something a little earlier, like Win2000 or Me.

[WebbPA]

I did not see the word "Extract" anywhere in the drop-down once I right-clicked on the folder for that particular unzipped airplane.

The "extract" option will only appear when you right click a .zip file, not an unzipped file.  Delete everything you have unzipped and start over by unzipping (extracting) one .zip file.

[rootbeer]

It was pain like unto being eaten by a shark to get those .zips into the Unzipped folder and it hurts me to do it, but you are the Master. Deleting five or six unzipped airplanes now...

[rootbeer]

OK; all unzipped airplanes gone and Unzipped Downloads folder is empty. So I go to the FS Downloads folder, right-click (once or twice?) on any one of them and I'm supposed to get somewhere? I tried that; I got nowhere. I DO NOT SEE ANYTHING ABOUT "EXTRACTING" ANY FILES!!! I am at a loss as to about what you are talking; I just don't see it. It's not in this copy of Windows. The only "E" there is "E-Mail with YaHoo!" and "Explore."

Hey, I'm trying...

Something new... When I right-click, I get a drop-down. One of the items is WinZip and a little carat to the right.

[WebbPA]

Now you have a folder we'll call "Downloads" with a subfolder we'll call "Unzipped".  The Downloads folder has a file in it we'll call Aircraft.zip.

Open aircraft.zip by double clicking on it.  A box should pop up that says WinZip - aircraft.zip, and it will have several files in it.  If you see a box that says WinZip Wizard you are in the wrong interface.  Click the box that says WinZip Classic.

What we now want to do is Extract all files to Downloads/Unzipped so they will be all by themselves in a separate folder (the Unzipped folder should be empty before we extract).

There should be a button at the top of the box that says Extract.  Click it.  If you don't see the Extract button click on Actions and a drop down menu will appear.  One of the options will be Extract.  Click it.

A second box will pop up.  Now you need to tell WinZip where to extract the files to.  Make sure the All Files and Use Folder Names boxes are checked and use the Extract To box to extract the files to Downloads/Unzipped and click on the Extract button in the second box.

The second box will close after your files have been extracted (a few seconds at most) and you can now close WinZip.  You might want to tell it to open in Classic mode next time.

Now you can navigate to your Unzipped folder, which should look look something like the pictures in the tutorials.

[Hagar]

Well, that did nothing. I did not see the word "Extract" anywhere in the drop-down once I right-clicked on the folder for that particular unzipped airplane. I saw three instances of Add, two of Zip and one of Configure.  I am using WinXP Home with SP2. Hagar, you look to be using Win98 or something a little earlier, like Win2000 or Me.

I don't think the OS (version of Windows) makes any difference to those right-click options. What does make a difference is the version of WinZip. I use WinZip 7.0 which I recommended in another thread. I assumed you were doing the same. Maybe there's too many of us trying to help. I'll keep out of it for now.

[WebbPA]

Hagar,

I don't know whether WinZip integrates iteslf into the shell by default or whether shell integration has to be manually activated.  It dawned on me that WinZip starts in Wizard (useless) mode until the user affirmatively activates Classic mode - that may be why rootbeer couldn't see any of the options.

[Hagar]

Hi Jim. I've been using WinZip for years. I noticed some differences in the right-click options of the different versions. Later versions have the separate WinZip menu that rootbeer describes. I recommend WinZip 7.0 as it's a fully functional free trial version with no time limit (unlike the latest WinZip 9.0). Mine is the registered version but the only difference is a few more advanced options. I've tested it carefully before entering the registration key to make sure it works as advertised in my tutes.

While I always set WinZip to open in Classic mode by default this should make no difference to the way the files are extracted with the right-click menu options. This does not involve the main user interface at all which is why I recommend it.

[WebbPA]

I don't have the right click options that you have because I use WinRar's shell integration instead.  It has an "extract" option but it's "extract with WinRar", not "extract with WinZip".  I didn't want to confuse rb by talking about things I couldn't do myself.  Either way should work - right click, extract or open the file, extract.

[Hagar]

If necessary I'll update to WinZip 9.0 to sort this out. I think by far the best option is for rootbeer to uninstall whichever version he has & install WinZip 7.0 from here.
http://www.oldversion.com/program.php?n=winzip

Then we'll both be on the same playing field.

[rootbeer]

Yes; I am using WinZip 9.0-SR1. Maybe this is why we are not communicating.

I had along, tiring, miserable day. I will most likely not want to fight these .zip files much tonight.

As an aside, I got abacus' Extreme Warbirds in the mail yesterday and installed it. WOW!!! The F-15 and F-16 are so much fun to fly. They make the Extra 300 look like a Radio Flyer wagon with flat tires. Combine these two jets with the abacus terrain package and it's fun, fun, fun! I had to dumb-down the controls almost to the maximum just to keep it in the air. Not for noobs...

Ping soonest. Thank you, gentlemen.

Webb, I have two discrete folders. One is FS Downloads and contains .zip files. The other is Unzipped Downloads and is empty. UD is not a sub-folder of FSD (to my knowledge). I created each one separately; I have to assume they are not inter-related.

[rootbeer]

Just blew away WinZip9.0-SR-1 (I think...). I hope I didn't waste WinZip7.0, which I just downloaded from Hagar's link.

I have WinZip high up in the list on the left side of All Programs. I don't know which version it is, but it has obviously been there all along.

Must have wasted both of them; no WinZip anywhere in All Programs...

7.0 is in My Documents. OK; at last we are speaking the same language.

[rootbeer]

Just looked in the FS Downloads folder. All the files that had the little C-clamp by them do not have the clamp anymore; they are denoted just by text with file size.

[WebbPA]

Open WinZip.  There is a tutorial built in. If you can't find it Google "WinZip tutorial".

I'm sorry - I understand your frustration but it's late and I don't know how much more Doug (Hagar) and I can tell you.

WinZip 7, 9, it doesn't matter - it's a basic Windows tool that you will have to learn how to use.  I'm at the end of my rope.

[Hagar]

OK. Let's try & make this easy. This is all I was trying to do but I seem to have complicated matters by interfering.

First, I assume you downloaded winzip70.exe from my link. This file should be in your usual download folder wherever that might be. I download files to a folder named C:\Downloads. To install WinZip 7.0, find winzip70.exe , double-click on it & follow the instructions just like installing any other program. This should only take a few moments. Select the Classic option if & when prompted during the install process.

When WinZip 7.0 is installed all those zipfiles you downloaded should have the WinZip clamp icon. To extract them use the right-click option from my earlier reply. The files will be automatically extracted into new folders in your download folder alongside the zipfiles. They should appear in front of your eyes. There's no need to create multiple folders for unzipped files or to go searching for them. The whole process is automatic & it should take a few seconds to extract/unzip each file.

Please tell me this worked. Extracting zipfiles should be a piece of cake. This is when your problems are likely to start.