Create a Download Folder
A download folder is a folder where you save files that you download through your computer. Many programs create a default download folder to save downloads when they are installed, however the default location of the download folder can sometimes be difficult to access or remember, which is why you may want to create a new download folder in a location that is more convenient for you. The steps used to create a download folder are very similar to creating any type of new folder except you just rename the folder to "Downloads" in order to indicate that you are saving downloaded files in it.
Contents
Steps
Windows Users
- Go to the start menu by clicking on the "Start" button at the bottom-left of your screen.
- Select "Computer." For other windows version like Windows XP click My Computer.
- Choose the drive where you want to create the new folder. Most people choose the "C:" drive, since it is usually the primary drive. This is more reliable because it is the same drive used to run the Windows operating system. However, you can choose any drive that you want including external hard drives, depending on your storage needs.
- Double click on "Drive C" of the "Computer" window.
- Hover your mouse cursor over "New Folder" and click it.
- You will see the new folder appear in the main window. The new folder will be highlighted.
- Type "Downloads." This will change the folder name from "New Folder" to "Downloads."
- Press the Enter key on your keyboard to save your changes. You can now start saving your downloads in the download folder that you have created.
Mac OS X Users
- Use the Mac Finder to browse to the location where you want to create the new download folder.
- Push the gray cogwheel button in the taskbar at the top and select "New Folder" from the dropdown menu. You will see a new folder appear named "untitled folder."
- Type "Downloads" to change the folder name so you know it is the folder that you are using to save downloads.
- Click on an empty area anywhere on your screen to deselect the download folder. The folder is now ready to be used for saving downloaded files.
Tips
- Consider creating subfolders inside your download folder to organize your downloaded files. For example, you can create subfolders named "Movies" and "Music" so you can see the movies and music files that you have downloaded in separate folders.
- After you create a new folder you should change the default download folder for the software that you use for downloading to make sure that the new files that you download are saved in the new download folder that you have created. Otherwise, the software will continue to save files in the old download folder.
- Download folders can become quite large in size if you frequently download large files. Try to create a download folder on a drive that has a lot of free storage capacity so you have enough storage space to save downloaded files.
