This page provides guidance for downloading files found on the SLOCO Data Web site, using popular Web browsers such as Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Note: If the file is compressed, you must decompress it before using it. See details below.

Many documents on our site are available in different formats. Generally you will find portable document format (PDF) files, Corel Draw, Microsoft Word, Publisher, WordPerfect files, ASCII files, compressed files (also referred to as zipped files), and zipped self-extracting files. Some documents/forms must be used exactly as originally distributed. Please refer to the appropriate guidance:

• Downloading Process
  • Saving Files that Open Automatically
• PDF
• ASCII
• Compressed Files

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Downloading Process

Windows
Using Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer, the basic procedure for downloading a file to your hard drive is as follows:

1. Locate the link for the file you want to download.
2. Move the cursor so that it is over the link.
3. Right-click the mouse button once and release.
4. In the menu that pops up, select Save Link As... or Save Target As..., depending on which browser you are using.
5. In the box that pops up, select the directory where you want to save the file.

Macintosh

1. Locate the link for the file you want to download.
2. Move the cursor so that it is over the link.
3. Click the mouse button and hold.
4. In the mini-menu that pops up, select "Save this Link as..."
5. In the box that pops up, select the location where you want to save the file.

Saving Files that Open Automatically

Because of the way software may be configured on your computer, the file may automatically open when you click on the link to it. You should be able to save it after it has opened by selecting "Save As" or "Save" underneath the "File" menu or an equivalent menu in the software that opened the file.

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ASCII Files

ASCII files are typically plain text files that can be created by most software programs. Typically they are plain text, but may be database files in an ASCII delimited format. The plain text files should be useable in just about any program you have, even DOS. The ASCII delimited files contain information usually from a database where each field and record is separated by a marker character. Because the information contained in the file varies, the delimiters should be presented in the file description.

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Compressed Files

To conserve disk space and reduce downloading time, some of the larger files on the SLOCO Data Web site are posted in a compressed format. Before a compressed file can be used, it must be decompressed.

Many different compression formats are used on the Internet, including variations for the DOS/Windows, Mac and UNIX operating systems. The SLOCO Data Web site employs the widely-used DOS/Windows format known as ZIP. Zipped files can be recognized by their filename extensions of .ZIP or .EXE

Format	Description	Example Filename	Note
ZIP	Compressed using PkZIP	MyArtwork.zip	Must be decompressed using an unzipping utility such as Pkunzip, WinZip or GZIP.
EXE	Compressed using PkZIP, then converted to a self-extracting archive. This means that the unzipping utility is not needed to decompress the file. To decompress the file, simply Run it (Start, Run in Windows 95/98).	MyOtherFiles.exe	EXE files can also be decompressed using Mac unzipping software such as Zip for Macintosh.