How to install a downloaded file

Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article Steps. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Author Info Last Updated: December 4, Find the file you just downloaded.

Hopefully you paid attention to the location that you downloaded it to and the name of the file. Scan the installer file with your antivirus program to ensure that you're not about to destroy your pc. Double click the icon for the downloaded file. This will typically either open the installer automatically, or decompress the file s needed to install the program.

Locate the executable file, if files were only uncompressed in the previous step. Close Window. An example package may look something like this: In these cases, you can use the Setup Information file.

INF to manually install the driver. How to install the driver. Note You may need to have Administrator privileges to install drivers and software. Right-click the. A window will pop-up saying: The operation completed successfully. Note You can select multiple INF files at one time, then right-click any one of them and select Install to proceed.

These files can also be downloaded in the same way and then imported into a spreadsheet program, like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. By default, any link that points to a text file is opened in the browser. To save a text file to your computer to edit in a text editor , right-click the link and choose Save link as , Save target as , or Save linked content as. You can try this now by right-clicking the link below to download a readme. Home Help Internet Internet Help.

What is a download? How to download on a computer using different browsers. How to download on a smartphone or tablet.

How to download on a Chromebook. Examples of popular download types. Warning Files on the Internet may contain viruses or malware. Android phone or tablet iPhone or iPad. Apps or programs. Hardware drivers. Compressed files e. Audio files e. Movie files. YouTube videos. Pictures or images. PDF files. Word processor documents. Spreadsheet or CSV files. Today, the most common way to get new software is to download it from the Internet. Applications like Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop can now be purchased and downloaded right to your computer.

You can also install free software this way. For example, if you wanted to install the Google Chrome web browser, you can visit this page and click the Download button. The installation file will be saved to your computer in.

Pronounced dot e-x-e , this is the standard extension for installation files on Windows computers.