Please help an old man.....

[budreiser]

Since installing Windows XP I have not been able to download FlightSim zip files. Guess it has something to do with the XP firewall, which I know very little about. Has anyone else encountered this problem and how did you rectify it? Any and all help highly appreciated.

[drobson]

Two things come to mind.

1. Are you using Internet Explorer?

2. If yes, are you choosing the "Open" or "Save To" option? If using "Open", that would be your problem. Somehow IE will give you a blank, empty file if choosing the open now option.

Next, you may need to go into Tools-->Internet Options-->Security-->Custom Level-->Then scroll down to "Downloads" and make sure that Enable is checked in two places.

SP2 may have turned that off.

Darrell

[Rockcliffe]

Check your menu bar for the message that a download has been blocked. Right click on that and it will give you an option to download the file.
For some reason the SP2 firewall always does this when I try to download from Avsim, although every other site, including flightsim.com, works fine.

[drobson]

But, if you "Enable" the downloads as mentioned abouve, you'll stop receiving that annoying pop-up message. (Even at Avsim).

Darrell

[Rockcliffe]

I don't mean to drag this out too much longer, but I have downloads enabled. Still for some reason, the Avsim (and only Avsim) downloads are blocked and I have to manually override the firewall each time. Go figure...

[budreiser]

Sorry it took so long to get back. Things are a mess here in Pensacola and I spend more time working than funning.

Thanks to both of you for taking time to answer.

Darrell, I do not get an option to Open or Save. When I select I AGREE, that's as far as it goes. I looked into Tools and went to Downloads. File Download and Font Download were enabled. Automatic Prompting for File Downloads was disabled. Tried enabling but didn't do a thing so changed it back to Disable.

If you or anyone else come up with anything, please let me know.

Thanks.

[rservice]

How about your default security level? Is it set to medium or maximum.
Maximum may lock out some sites.I noticed when I loaded the SP patch on my system it now prompts before accepting, but works ok.

[drobson]

In that case, from within Windows Explore---not Internet Explore, click-->Tools-->Folder Options-->File Types. Scroll down to where you see WinZip File under the "File Types" on the right side of the window. Highlight that line-->Click-->Advanced and place a check mark in the "Confirm open after download" box. OK your way back out, and see it that fixes it.

Darrell

[radarmanusa]

Do it the easy way, download Mozilla Firefox and just use it for downloading, use IE for surfing.

It is a small download, you just click on It's icon instead of the IE icon and tell the window that you don't want to make it your default browser.
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

[budreiser]

Darrell, and the rest of you good people. Looks like what Darrell told me about going into Win Explorer tools did the trick. After I hit "I Agree" I now get an option. Thanks to all.