Sometimes when downloading a file for Windows, the file has a .zip at the end.  That is a file extension and means that the file has been compressed or made smaller for faster downloading.

The process is called zipping the file.

So once it is downloaded you have to uncompress it or unpack it, which is referred to as unzipping.

Windows comes with a program that unzips files but it doesn't always work well with all files.

I like to use a separate program for unzipping.

Right now, my preference is for a program called 7-zip.  http://www.7-zip.org/

For Windows, you need to download the file that ends with .exe .  That file extension means the file can run in Windows.  It is an executable file.

Once you have downloaded and installed 7-zip, you don't have to start it.  It will appear as an option in the menu when you right click on a .zip file.

For instance:

Once I have downloaded a zipped file to the place I want it to be, I unzip it as follows:

1. hover over the file with the mouse
2. right click
3. observe the menu choices
4. observe 7-zip situated somewhere in the middle of said menu
5. hover over the 7-zip words on that menu
6. observe the existence of a new menu with the following choices:
          Open archive
          Extract Files...
          Extract Here
          Test Archive
          Add to Archive...
7. hover over "Extract Files..." and select
8. a window entitled "Extract" will appear
9. I usually accept the defaults and press the "OK" button

The program default is set up to unpack the file in the same directory as the zipped file resides.  Which means that after a short wait, your zipped file should find itself with a neighbour; an unzipped directory of the same name as the zipped file.  Click your way through the unzipped directory and find an .exe file of the name of the program you want to install.  You should be able to click and install.

Of course, once you have an md5 program installed you would check the md5 sum of the new download prior to unzipping the file.

I hope this lesson was useful for you.

Thanks,
Anita.