NOTE: Although the focus in these guides deals with IBM®-compatible computers, please note that more technical guides for the above and Apple® or Macintosh® computers can be found in: CCS Technical Notes and Tips (Univ. of Chicago)

More information about specific questions can be found in subsequent sections (especially Find more information/Support).

Software titles listed in this document and other links are written for specific computer platforms, so you have to know what operating system software is installed on your computer before downloading available titles (some titles are available in separate versions for separate platforms). For the PC, the older one is for Microsoft® DOS, Microsoft® Windows® 3.1® (a 16-bit architecture), a newer one is Microsoft® Windows® 95® & up (a 32-bit architecture), although there are some sites for IBM® OS®-series platform, Microsoft® NT® platform, a FREE LINUX platform, and other very specific systems. With few exceptions, these operating systems are commercial software packages.

SPECIAL THEMATIC NOTE: Throughout these guides, I will describe command statements issued at the Microsoft® DOS prompt in a Pentium/160Mhz system using DOS 6.2 with Microsoft® Windows® 3.1® (later versions are now recommended). (Refer to DOS 6.2: Advanced online tutorial). Other steps will be explained using the Netscape® 4.0 browser. Hopefully, this is typical of many of the computer configurations being used in many of the schools across the country.

* Back to Guides *

See the following links for building, upgrading, or buying a new or used computer:
• Build Your own PC, Server, etc.
• Build a computer by PCWorld
• Using and Upgrading PCs - Online book by Joe Kraynak
• Folk Computing for the New Millenium: How to acquire cheap hardware and what to do with it once you've got it. -includes information on RAM, dealing with errors on C: drive, etc.(Scrounge.org)
• Designer Lady's PC How To's
• Home Network Technologies and Strategies (extremetech.com)

  SETUP:

• For discussion's sake, let's assume that you are viewing this page from computer "A" and you want to download the free software programs listed throughout this document to copy to computer "B" (say at home or in a lab). In order to make computer "B" ready for Internet access, it has to have some minimum specifications (with the understanding that your Internet access will be severely limited if you will be working with a slow 386 version); a Pentium I (or II) definitely is recommended minimum, operating at least 160 Mhz speed, with a minimum of 32 MB RAM). Let's also assume you have installed a 28.8 kps modem and have secured a dial-up account from your local Internet Service Provider.

• Next follow the sequence of my "How-To" guides to find, download, install, and use the software programs appropriate for your system based on the factors discussed in the preceding guide section.

• Guide to PC Hardware (illustrated) (Karbosguide.com)
• Boot and Dual Boot Solutions (for multiple operating systems)
• Autoexec.bat And Config.sys Help and Instruction (Computerhope.com)
• DOS Memory (and dual booting)- by knowplace.org
• Under Computers: click on Operating System Basics (eHow.com)
• Also under Computers: click on Internet and Networking (eHow.com)
• See FREEWARE SECTION for free Internet browsers and related FREE software
• Browser Plug-in Listing by BrowserWatch
• Introduction to the Internet: Using the Internet (tutorials on getting connected, downloading, exploring, etc. (Sofweb)
• Cyberwalker - Computer Advice (How-tos, FAQs, etc.)
• CSOnline Help offers beginner's corner up to advanced
• How to help someone use a computer. Phil Agre
• Windows: Millenium Edition: FAQs (WMEWORLD.com)
• Lycos Computers: Help And How-to
• Virtual Computer Library (Univ. of Texas)
• Computer Lessons for Kids and Small Adults
• Computers Made Easy for Seniors

* Back to Guides *

• It is NOT advisable to download or copy files directly to your hard drive unless you have some virus-protection program in place. Also check floppies often (especially if they are shared between different computers) - See
• About.com Guide - Antivirus Homepage
• Zdnet article
• Freeware Home: Virus Protection software
• DataFellows.com FTP site F-PROT DOS version for Download (PC Virus checker/fixer - free for personal use)
• Trend Micro's HouseCall: Free Online Virus checker

* Back to Guides *

• Common Internet File Formats
• ILC Glossary of Internet Terms
• Intranet topics
• Multimedia File Formats
• Technical Dictionary by Ora.com
• NetLingo: The Internet Language Dictionary
• The Online Reference Desk

* Back to Guides *

Search engines/tools make it very easy to find any information on the Internet (and they are compared in some of the following links). In Altavista's advanced search block, for example, typing all the words in the following compound search string:
"free software" AND Windows
(NOTE the quotes around two or more words and the capitalized Boolean AND)
would yield somewhat limited hits of free software for Microsoft® Windows®.

A power-user hint to find related information at a given site is to use the directory-climbing method: Click twice on the URL address in your browser. with the cursor at the end of the address and then backspace to remove the last sub-directory in that address, one at a time: (http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/) becomes (http://www.microsoft.com/education/). Press enter for the new directory.

OTHER SEARCH STRATEGIES:


• Effective Search Tutorial by brightplanet.com (with examples)
• The Web Tools: See summary or full search tutorial (PDF version)
• Understanding and Comparing Search Engines
• W3 Search Engines - Various types of engines plus some free ones
• Internet Search Tools Quick Ref Guide
• Online WWW Software Tools and Resources

  SEARCH ENGINES: (Just a sampling!)
  Look for "EDUCATION" (or keyword) in these subjects-by-category or indexed websites.

• Ask.com: a kid-safe search engine
• Beaucoup Indexed Search Engines
• Clearinghouse Rated indices
• Dogpile: A multsearch Engine
• Excite Includes Gopher/telnet sites.
• Galaxy Includes Gopher/telnet sites.
• Infoseek Reviewed sites.
• Librarian's Index of the Internet Berkeley Public Library
• Onekey.com - another kid-safe search engine
• Starting Point Mainly business information.
• My Virtual Reference Desk Access information easily.
• Web Central Good meta site.
• WWW Virtual Library Great collection.
• Yahoo One of the first indexed sites.
• BIG Search Engine Index
• HandiLinks®
• Ixquick.com: A multsearch Engine with advanced features

INTERNET TOOLS:


• See INDEX for WEBTOOLS SECTION and TUTORIALS SECTION to learn more
• Reference for Beginners from About.com (Internet information also)

OTHER INTERNET FREEBIES:


• Free E-mail service by JUNO
• Free E-mail service by MSN HotMail
• Free Yahoo E-Mail Account
• My Virtual Ref Desk Free Stuff

• If you want to make a copy of an online document displayed in your browser, select SAVE AS under the FILE menu function. When prompted for a name, rename it to something that makes sense to you so you can find it later.

• NOTE: You will lose the contents of an old file if you use the same filename for any new file (in the same directory)!

• If you have located an underlined file to download, move the pointer to the file you want and click the left mouse button to activate the download process (and choose the SAVE button).

• Introduction to the Internet: Using the Internet (tutorials on getting connected, downloading, exploring, etc. (Sofweb)

* Back to Guides *

To save online transmission time, many files are compacted (compressed or "zipped"). There are many formats you will encounter and you must use the tool which is appropriate to your downloaded file based on its extension. Some files are conveniently compressed into an executable file (*.exe) which, when run, will unzip one or more files in your working directory. That is why it is important to create a temporary directory and copy the downloaded file to that directory before unzipping.

See free tools at:

• Unzipping, Unstuffing & Extracting Software on the Net

* Back to Guides *

NOTE: You should use diskettes which are compatible to both the computer you copy the programs/utilities from and the one you will copy them to. If they are not preformatted, follow the instructions in your DOS manual or
How To...Format DOS Diskettes

A free PC utility Directory Control - by Peter Esherick (based on PC Magazine's CO and DR: view, copy, delete files and more in DOS) will simplify marking multiple files to copy to other media.

Programs larger than what will fit entirely on one diskette may be copied piecemeal by free DOS utilities See hjspldos.zip at HJSplit home page. There is a Microsoft® Windows® version there also.

* Back to Guides *

• Many software authors include an install program to automate the process or they provide instructions on how to perform the installation by a README file or other documentation.

• If any Microsoft® Windows® 3.1® program has its own install program but no associated uninstall program, it is strongly advisable to use a separate pre-installation utility such as PC Magazine®'s PC Magazine's InCtrl4 1.1 (823KB) Install/Uninstall utility to log system/file changes in case you ever want to manually reverse them.
• Browser Plug-in Listing by BrowserWatch

USEFUL FILE RETRIEVAL UTILITIES

Sometimes a file may not be where you thought you saved it:

• If you forgot what it was named, you might try adding a DOS utility called SINCE.EXE to the root directory of your hard drive: Typing the following command will find all files added to your hard drive in the last 5 days: SINCE 5 A | MORE

• Secondly, try another DOS utility called WHEREIS.COM - a File Finder Utility. Typing the following command will find the location of all files starting with my__: WHEREIS MY*.*

• If you want to find every file in a given directory on your hard drive that has the word "holiday" and put the results into a file called found.doc, use the DOS utility called Bfind - Finds file strings and type:
  BFIND "holiday" *.* > found.doc