Downloading Advice

[chiangrai]

Hi,

I"M new to computers and need some advice.

My laptop has windows7 and both firefox and internet explorer browsers.

I want a generel download manager,for Utube,direct sites e.c.t

for the harder to find things i want to get bittorent

any advice on the best and fastest manager

thanks in advance

[RKASA]

Not sure about bit torrent in windows but makes it easy to just use the firefox addon for downloads - use tools> add ons> from the menu bar and search downloads- it will install them into firefox. They work as good as most and just right clicking and save as works well to.

[handydog]

google star downloader

it may be alng the lines of what yyou are looking for,

Thee are also plenty of add ons available to do the same thing in firefox

[BB1950]

Free Download Manager works well with Internet Explorer and Firefox. It can also do Bit Torrents. However you need to download version 3.8 Beta build 1041 or above to integrate with Firefox 5.0.

You can download it here.

I have been using it for years!

Edited June 30, 2011 by BB1950

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Use the Opera Browser's built in Torrent Client.

[Spoonman]

I use IDM (Internet download manager) works a treat for everything except torrents which I dont bother with anyways.

[chiangrai]

O.k I got free firefox downloader.

looks good,

now youtube is saying that i need to upgrade flash player

I can't find it anywhere

any tips please.

so far so good,

thanks for the help

[Dancealot]

http://www.downloadhelper.net/

good luck

[BB1950]

O.k I got free firefox downloader.

looks good,

now youtube is saying that i need to upgrade flash player

I can't find it anywhere

any tips please.

so far so good,

thanks for the help

http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

[endure]

For downloading torrents in Windows get hold of uTorrent. It's small and light and very good www.utorrent.com.

[astral]

Some torrent sites are very fussy about the client that you use, and the version number.

Do check the FAQ's at the site(s) you want to access.

I agree with Endure, utorrent is very good.

[chiangrai]

O.k.

Lots of download helpers to try.

so far I've got as far as getting Firefox free helper but I

can't start a download

i've got the flash player sorted and youtube is playing

but how do I start a download.

thanks to all who helped

[Tywais]

I recently installed Realplayer that was part of a package. Besides the player it installed a plugin that allows you to download a video quite easily. Here is an example of how it works on YouTube videos. Moving your cursor over the video pops up a Download tab. Just click on the Download and it starts it. Realplayer - download video

[justsumhelp]

Jdownloader is very good, just copy the link and it will download it (not torrents though). Also it does a pretty good job at solving the captcha's and it will automatically un-rar the files for you.

[BB1950]

O.k.

Lots of download helpers to try.

so far I've got as far as getting Firefox free helper but I

can't start a download

i've got the flash player sorted and youtube is playing

but how do I start a download.

thanks to all who helped

RTFM

http://www.downloadhelper.net/manual.php

[chiangrai]

O.k.

I will check all these downloders out but at the moment

I'm stil stuck with the first one I've downloaded

I have freedownload manager from firefox on my desktop

but cannot go any further.

For example when I go to youtube how do I start downloading.

so close but yet so far

[BuckarooBanzai]

DownloadHelper is a free Firefox extension for downloading and converting videos from many sites with minimum effort. Install the extension and it automatically brings up an icon that you can click to download from Utube and other video sites. I use this in addition to Free Download Manager and think it works well.

[BB1950]

O.k.

I will check all these downloders out but at the moment

I'm stil stuck with the first one I've downloaded

I have freedownload manager from firefox on my desktop

but cannot go any further.

For example when I go to youtube how do I start downloading.

so close but yet so far

You really need to clarify exactly what down-loader you are using (word for word). Also what is the version you are using?

Earlier you were discussing download helper and Firefox free helper. There is no such thing as Firefox free helper. Now you mention freedownload manager from Firefox.

Free Download Manager does not come from Firefox. It is a separately installed program. However it does add a plugin to Firefox to integrate with Firefox.

You also need to clarify what version of Firefox you are using.

Proper help cannot be given without these small little details. Everyone is just guessing.

Edited July 3, 2011 by BB1950

[chiangrai]

O.k

Very sorry about the info,thanks for bearing with me,

I've got windows 9,Firefox 5,Free DownLoad Manager on my desktop

and Free Download Manager plugin in my Firefox add ons Manager under extensions.

As you can probably tell this is all new to me so please forgive my ignorance

and thanks again for bearing with me.

[craig]

I used Firefox and the plugins and Free Download Manager and Orbit and Utube downloader and Opera torrent...etc. etc.

However, I recommend Google Chrome as the browser to use..it has a plugin to download Utube. When you go to a video on utube under the video will be a bar that says Download As. Click on the it and it will give you the choice of MP4 & FLV in several qualities (if available). Click on your choice and it all starts automatically...and it is as fast as any I've come across...

Having downloaded massive amounts of Utube videos I think this is the best I've come across.

Now that TOT has a phone line going past my semi-rural place I have a much faster connection and don't download as much as I can see them streaming....

As for torrents I use my main downloading manager which is Flashget...It easily downloads stuff from Piratebay, etc.

with a minimal amount of effort on my part...

Lots of luck

[BB1950]

O.k

Very sorry about the info,thanks for bearing with me,

I've got windows 9,Firefox 5,Free DownLoad Manager on my desktop

and Free Download Manager plugin in my Firefox add ons Manager under extensions.

As you can probably tell this is all new to me so please forgive my ignorance

and thanks again for bearing with me.

Okay, now we are getting somewhere.

With Firefox 5 you must use Free Download Manager version 3.8 Beta build 1041 or above. I mentioned that in a previous post above. You can only download it from here (As of July 2, the current build is 3.8 BETA 2 build 1046).

No other sites have BETA versions for you to download. In the Firefox add-ons manager it will appear as 'Free Download Manager plugin 1.5.3' or above. To see which version of Fee Download Manager you have installed, open the Main Free Download Manager window from the desktop. Click Help>About FDM.

Any previous versions of Free Download Manager are not compatible with Firefox 5.0! In fact, in the Firefox add-ons manager, the plugin should be disabled and tagged as not compatible with Firefox 5.0.

Once you have a compatible version of Free Download Manager installed, to download the video, simply place the cursor over the video window. A popup window will appear (Download with FDM). Click on it or position the cursor over the video window and right click. There will be an option in the context menu 'Download video with Free Download Manager'.

If this does not happen, the you need to turn on Firefox monitoring. To do this, in the main Fee Download Manager click Options>Settings. Then in the Download section click Monitoring. Tick the Firefox check box under Monitor and restart Firefox. It should work then.

By the way, if you enable Internet Explorer monitoring, it also works in with Internet Explorer 9 even though the check box is labelled version Internet Explorer (7, 8). Remember, for changes to the browser monitoring to take effect, the browser must be restarted after making changes.

Goto FDM's Homepage (http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/) for more tutorials on how to use FDM with various other sites.

Edited July 3, 2011 by BB1950

[chiangrai]

bb1950,thank you.

I'm up and running with Free download manager.

I have downloaded from youtube,a direct download site and

am waiting for a torrent download from thepiratebay to finish.

Now I can't play what I've downloaded.

I've just got this laptop back from the shop with windows 7,

origonal copy i think,updated to windows 9.

I stil haven't got a media player sorted out.

we're nearly there.....

[BB1950]

bb1950,thank you.

I'm up and running with Free download manager.

I have downloaded from youtube,a direct download site and

am waiting for a torrent download from thepiratebay to finish.

Now I can't play what I've downloaded.

I've just got this laptop back from the shop with windows 7,

origonal copy i think,updated to windows 9.

I stil haven't got a media player sorted out.

we're nearly there.....

There is no Windows 9. I think you are referring to Internet Explorer 9 on Windows 7.

I just did a test and I could not get the files that were downloaded from YouTube using the Beta versions of FDM with Firefox 5.0 to play.

However if I downloaded them with the Beta versions of FDM in Internet Explorer 9, they would play just fine.

I suspect there is a problem still with Firefox 5.0 and the FDM interface that needs to be ironed out. All the other downloading functions of FDM seem to work well with Firefox 5.0.

Instead of using FDM to download YouTube videos, I'm using Download YouTube Videos as MP4 and FLV 1.2.1. You can install it from:

https://addons.mozil...nload-youtube/.

It uses the built in downloader of Firefox, so there is no resume or accelerated downloading. But at least it's simple and does work reliably with Firefox 5.0.

Firefox 5.0 is very new, so there's still problems with addons. Also there are major changes to the internals of FDM.

By the way, if I recall, Windows 7 does not have a CODEC to play .flv files using Windows Media Player. You can install a CODEC or use another Media Player that doesn't use the installed CODECS in Windows 7.

Since I only like to use Windows Media Player rather than having several Media Players installed. I downloaded and installed Windows 7 Codec Pack. You can download it from:

http://www.windows7codecs.com/

Let me know how things worked out for you.

Edited July 3, 2011 by BB1950

[BB1950]

Correction: I use Windows 7 Codecs from http://shark007.net/win7codecs.html

Sorry the CODEC packs have a similar name, but are from completely different providers.

Both will handle flv files. Your choice.

Edited July 3, 2011 by BB1950

[Supernova]

To keep things simple, the OP should just use an 'all-in-one' media player.

Get:

Daum PotPlayer

Edited July 3, 2011 by Supernova

[chiangrai]

BB1950,another great step for mankind.

I'm not sure exactly what I've done but I can play

what I've downloaded with windows media player.

Not on the FDM page but on the windows file page.

different downloads seem to be going to different places,

All the windows 7 filles are compleatly new to me and empty

on this computer.

If I could get Fdm to send compleated downloads to a comvenient file

I would be laughing.

Thanks again.

[Supernova]

...... Daum PotPlayer ....

Good one Super,

it could be a spinoff from VLC, but again good one. Thx for that

PotPlayer is created by the same author as KMPlayer. Both are vastly superior to VLC; use whatever works best for you.

For me,

MPC-HC + ffdshow + CoreAVC = best playback quality

[chiangrai]

o.k.

So I've got a heuge empty fileing system and can't find where the filles are going

I want to get all downloads going to a file on my start menu

As for media players,what can the others do that windows media player cannot.

I've got cyberlink power dvd,nero,winamp and gom player on my desk top,free with windows.

I've had downloaded media players before wich wouldn't fast forward and such.I don't want that again.

Thanks again too all

[Supernova]

As for media players,what can the others do that windows media player cannot.

Windows Media Player doesn't support popular media formats such as AC3, DTS, FLAC, FLV, MKV, OGG out of the box. Installing codec packs will allow WMP to playback these formats, but in doing so, you run the risk of breaking other media decoders installed on the system. Also, unlike other players, WMP doesn't offer many customizable options to enhance overall playback experience, nor does it support subtitles.

I use Media Player Classic Home Cinema (see post #29) to playback video. Some prefer 'all-in-one' media players like PotPlayer or VLC. In the end, it boils down to personal preference. Use whatever works best for you.

Edited July 4, 2011 by Supernova

[BB1950]

BB1950,another great step for mankind.

I'm not sure exactly what I've done but I can play

what I've downloaded with windows media player.

Not on the FDM page but on the windows file page.

different downloads seem to be going to different places,

All the windows 7 filles are compleatly new to me and empty

on this computer.

If I could get Fdm to send compleated downloads to a comvenient file

I would be laughing.

Thanks again.

Good work!

I'm not quite sure what you all telling me about pages and files. So we need to clarify some Windows basics (windows, pages, folders, files, and file types).

• In MS Windows every application uses a window of some sort to display information to you or for you to enter information into through the use of menus, drop down lists, radio buttons, check boxes, and dialog boxes (the windows that you type text into).
• Pages are web pages that you view and enter data for a web site through some sort of browser.
• When you use Windows Explorer the main window is a window you can view drives or other storage areas, folders and files. Folders are a storage container areas that can contain other folders or files.
• Files are storage areas for data or executable files (programs). The characters after the last dot indicate the file type sometimes refereed to as file extension) and are associated with specific application for example 'My Movie.mov' is a mov type file that by default is played through a Windows Media Player.

One very nice thing about FDM about there are many ways of doing something and it's very customizable. Here's a link to an online manual for FDM:

http://www.downloada...al/overview.htm

I think this is deals with what you are asking about:

When you open FDM from the desktop you open the main 'window' that has other windows within it. There is one window on the left that has drop down list of groups. There is another window that shows list files within the selected group.You cannot open or launch a file in the list by just clicking on it. To open or launch a file, you right click on the file and click 'Launch file' the file will open with the application associated with that file type.

For example:

• Let's say you downloaded 'My Movie.mov' If you right click on 'My Movie.mov' and click 'Launch File' the file will play in the media player associated with mov file type. By default that would be Windows Media Player.
• If you downloaded 'My Downloaded App.exe' that would start the 'My Downloaded App' application.

By default in FDM, when a download is complete a window will appear with the name of the file and offer you two options: Launch File or Open Folder. Again Launching File will open the file associated to the file type. Or start the application if it is an exe file. Open Folder with open the Windows Explorer window to the folder that contains the file.

One really nice thing about FDM is groups. By default and depending on the file type, files are automatically grouped and are stored in different folders depending on the file type.

This becomes really handy if you download a lot of files. You don't have one huge folder containing all your downloaded files nor do you have to browse to a folder to which you want to save it in when adding a new download. For example your downloaded videos can automatically be save in a folder with just videos. Software can be saved in a folder containing just software. Music can be saved in a folder just containing music. Etc...

Again this is totally customizable depending on your preferences.

You can add more groups, delete groups, or modify groups. I've added a lot more groups that what came by default. For example: One group that I added is 'Archives' to contain archived files (zip, rar, etc...). Another group I added is 'Icons' for icon files (ico, png, etc...).

• To add a group just right file on the 'All Downloads' folder in the group tree and then 'Create Group'. Then enter the group name, folder to save the files for the group, and the file types to associate to the group.
• To edit a group (ie change the group name, destination folder, or file types associated), just right click on the group and select 'Group Properties'
• To delete a group just right click on the group and click 'Delete Group'

Any file type that is not associated to a group. gets placed in the 'Other' group.

This automatic grouping can be over ridden in the download window that appears prior to starting the download.

Again if you don't like the automatic grouping features. You can change the settings. From the FDM settings window under Downloads>New Download, change the options to suit you.

To find out where your file was saved to, you can right click on the file in the download list. Select 'Open Folder. An Windows Explorer window will open with your file highlighted.

I hope this addresses your issues.

Edited July 4, 2011 by BB1950