1. I often see the advice to "close all Windows applications" during a download. Is that just for the download part or run and installing it after the download or both?

2. Even after I close all applications shown on my task bar, a Cntrl-Alt-Del shows about eight things are running. I read several years ago that only Windows Explorer and ? (something else) were truly important and the rest could be closed. Is this important in a download?

3. I have been creating a folder labeled "Download XYZ" (to more readily be able to identify the download in the future) rather than put everything in one big folder called "Downloads." Do you think this is advisable?

4. Do you discard your downloads after they have been run and installed or do you keep them?

As far as I know the closing of all applications does only concern the installation of a program. I'm not sure how important it is though, because I usually neglect the advice and install a program with everything else left running. I think it might be more of a disclaimer. A download itself can be done simultaneously with other running programs and processes. When you view multiple websites at the same time those pages have to be downloaded temporarily to your pc as well in order for you to see them, and that goes fine simultaneously as well. The only thing that may happen is that it slows down your pc. Or if you download multiple files at once, your internet connection may lose its speed.

I tend to keep downloaded files on my pc until eternity, just because you never know when you need them again (you should see my room, same policy there ). I do however rename them as soon as I download them, because the names they're given originally aren't usually the clearest ones and you may not be able to remember what a file's for after some time has passed.

Downloading won't be affected by programs running. Other jobs can even be done on the computer while downloads are taking place.

I haven't read anything specific as to why other applications/Windows should be closed down during a program installation but experience tells me it will be to keep computer resources and memory as free as possible. This would help the installation procedure to run smoothly. Since it's only a question of a few mouse clicks to turn off programs such as a screen-saver, browser, the e-mail program etc. it might as well be done.

I usually disregard any instruction to turn the firewall off though. It's pretty essential to always have that running while connected to the Net. Most program installations should be happy with that.

I never go as far as turning off any background programs shown in the Task Manager list (the one that shows when CTRL+ALT+DEL is pressed). Never had any program installation problems so far by leaving them running.

My downloads go to the Desktop, Then they are transferred to a separate drive. Each one gets put into a new folder with it's name on. I sometimes wonder why I do that with some of them though. As ladymacb says, they go out of date by the time they are needed again and there's usually a later version of the program available for download. There are those that have been bought though and I save these not only on my spare drive but also on CD. They have the e-mail receipt containing the key numbers stored with them (I keep a list and print-out of the key numbers as well).

I had just decided, after seeing the huge size of My Downloads folders in Sequoia view, to be ruthless and delete most of the downloads there except those I paid for. I thought that the others would be easily accessible to download again if required and would probably be a more up to date version. I have kept service packs though. I started a text file on each My Downloads folder, explaining what they are.

It is so true that the names of files downloaded often give no clue as to what they contain. I hadn't thought I could rename them in case they didn't work afterwards, but that would have been a lot easier than typing a list. Still I've done it now.....................

If you have a CD burner, you could always put all the downloaded files onto it and burn them onto a disk then delete from harddrive.

Also, for the download file names, if you want to take the lazy approach, you could just double-click on them as the title of the program comes up in the program and then just choose not to install.