Downloading Free Software

Microsoft and its partners are continually developing tools, utilities, and other items that make it possible for your computer to work better, run more effectively, and just do more things. Many such items are available as free downloads from the Microsoft Web site. True, you'll need to wade through listings of many technical downloads, but it's worth ityour search can yield some pretty interesting items related to just about any Microsoft product, including trial versions of many of Microsoft's games.

Download the Software

Use your Web browser to go the main Microsoft Web page (microsoft.com), and, in the Resources section, click Downloads to display the Microsoft Download Center Web page.

Click a download or a category, and then click a download in the Web page that appears.

Review the information about the download and the instructions for downloading and installing the item.

If you receive a warning in the Information bar, click the bar, and select the action you want to take. In most cases at these Microsoft sites, the warning asks you to install the ActiveX control required for the download.

Click Download, and follow the directions on the screen.