VCCCD College Catalogs
Help Info
Abstract
- Typical use(s):
- Obtain directions on downloading, installing, and using software needed to view descriptive information about classes offered at any of the three sister colleges of the VCCCD
- Available data:
- Explicit, step-by-step instructions for Windows-based users who desire to access these records
- File format(s):
- (Not applicable)
Introduction
This page addresses the topics listed in the next paragraph. It assumes that you understand basic Windows procedures, such as pointing, clicking, opening and closing windows and dialog boxes, navigating through folder (directory) hierarchies using Windows Explorer or My Computer, and accessing Internet content with a popular browser. If you do not possess these skills then you should seek the assistance of a more experienced computer user.
- What are the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) and the Adobe Acrobat Reader?
- Do I need to download and install the Adobe Acrobat Reader software on my computer?
- How do I download and install the Adobe Acrobat Reader software?
- When I know that the Adobe Acrobat Reader is installed, how do I download college catalog excerpt files?
- How do I view and print college catalog excerpt files?
If you have a specific area of inquiry, please click on the appropriate question in the preceding list. If you would like to read all the help topics in sequence, simply continue reading this page, scrolling down as needed.
Click here to return to the main college catalogs page. If you came to this page from a page other than the college catalogs main page, use your browser's Back button or command to return to that page, or use the site map shown in the blue area at left (on graphical browsers) to select another link.
Questions and Answers
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What are the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) and the Adobe Acrobat Reader?
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The Portable Document Format (PDF) is a standardized electronic file format that allows many types of data (text, graphics, spreadsheets, and so on) to be recorded together in a single file. The resulting file is called a PDF file. PDF files are frequently used to share information among networked computers (including computers connected to the largest network of them all, the Internet). This is because the PDF file format was designed so that PDF files created on one type of computer could be viewed and printed on many other kinds of computers and printers. For example, a PDF file created on a Macintosh can be viewed and printed on a Windows or UNIX machine (as well as other Macintoshes, of course). Few other document formats offer this flexible interoperability between machine and operating system types. In particular, the PDF format preserves page breaks and other formatting, a feat that ordinary word processor software cannot match. (For example, if you have ever "squeezed" an examination file to fit exactly on one page using the printer attached to your home computer, only to find that the last line or two spilled over onto a second page when you printed the same file on a different printer, then you have first-hand experience with this problem, which the PDF document format solves.) Therefore the PDF format has become very popular on the Internet, because there are so many different computing platforms that can access this global network.
The Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free program distributed by Adobe Systems, Incorporated, that allows people to view ("read") PDF files at their computers and/or print them out. (Your word processing software and Internet browser, as originally configured, generally do not know how to view PDF files, so this special-purpose program is needed.) Adobe distributes the Acrobat Reader for free, most likely hoping users will enjoy the convenience so much that they will then willingly spend hundreds of dollars to purchase Adobe's full-featured Acrobat program that converts other file types into PDF files. (If you want to make your own PDF files, note that there is at least one free utility available on the Internet that has much of the functionality of the expensive Adobe software; go to your favorite search engine and seek "PDF freeware" for additional information.)
One drawback of the free Acrobat Reader program is that it cannot edit or annotate PDF files; it can only view or print them. To modify a PDF file, it is necessary to edit the original file from which the PDF file was created, then re-convert the modified source file into a new PDF file. Another disadvantage of the PDF format is that non-visual web browsers (for example, programs that read web pages aloud to visually impaired operators) generally cannot access the contents of PDF files directly. Adobe claims at its website to be developing new functionality to make these files available to a wider range of "user agents" (Web browsers).
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Do I need to download and install the Adobe Acrobat Reader software on my computer?
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Figure 1. The Windows desktop.
The red arrow indicates the My Computer icon.
The appearance of your computer screen may vary.
Figure 2. The My Computer window.
The red arrow indicates the View drop-down.
Figure 3. The Folder Options window.
The red arrow indicates the File Types tab.
Figure 4. The Folder Options window.
The red arrow indicates the line that should be present if Adobe Acrobat Reader is installed.
Installing the Adobe Acrobat Reader software normally needs to be done only once on a given computer. Many campus computers (especially those located in the student computer labs) have this software installed by default. However, the machines in many faculty and staff offices and homes do not yet have this software, and so you may need to download and install it on the machine that you wish to use.
It is fairly easy to determine whether you need to install the Adobe Acrobat Reader on your machine. The following steps should work on most Windows machines:
- Locate the My Computer icon on the Windows desktop [Figure 1 at left]. (You may need to minimize this browser window, and any other windows you have open, temporarily to view the Windows desktop.)
- Double-click the My Computer icon using the normal (left) button on your mouse or other pointer device. (If it is difficult or impossible for you to double-click, then click once on the My Computer icon so the text changes color, then press the ENTER key on the keyboard. This combination (single click plus ENTER) has the same effect in Windows as a double click.)
- A window will open that displays the names of the hard drives and a few other files on your computer [Figure 2].
- On most systems, there will be a thin blue horizontal stripe across the very top of this window that reads My Computer in white text. Locate and identify this stripe. On some systems the stripe and text will be different colors; the precise colors are unimportant.
- Immediately below this top stripe is a thin gray horizontal stripe with black text. The black text should include the words File Edit View. Locate and identify these words. Again, on a few systems the colors will be different. Ignore the colors and concentrate on the words.
- Use the normal (left) mouse or pointer button to click (once) directly on the word View. The word View will change color and a drop-down menu will appear directly below View.
- Move the pointer indicator all the way down the menu to the phrase Folder Options... (or just Options... in some versions of Windows). When this word changes color, click the left mouse or pointer button once again.
- On most systems, a rectangular gray dialog box will open up [Figure 3]. Near the top of the box will be a row of graphical index tabs. (These are called "index tabs" because they resemble the tabs placed on folders in a filing cabinet to indicate the folders' contents.) Click the left mouse or pointer button after moving the indicator to the index tab that says File Types.
- A new dialog box will become visible [Figure 4]. Look for a medium-sized white rectangular box near the upper left corner of the larger gray dialog box. The phrase Registered file types may appear just above this white box.
- Inside the white box is an alphabetical list of file types that Windows recognizes. Look for the phrase Adobe Acrobat Document at or near the top of the list. (Fortunately, the word "Adobe" appears near the beginning of the alphabet, so if it is present, you will probably see it almost immediately.) You may also see a small gray, white, and red icon immediately to the left of this phrase.
- If you see the phrase Adobe Acrobat Document, then the software is already installed on your computer. However, before deciding that you do not need to download or install the software, please read the New virus note below.
- If you fail to see the phrase Adobe Acrobat Document, then you probably need to download and install the software from the Adobe website. In this case you may benefit from reading the next help topic.
New virus note (added 12 August 2000): Adobe has recently acknowledged that it is possible for malicious content authors to transmit virus-like executable programs inside of PDF files. Adobe has updated the Acrobat Reader software to prevent such executable programs from damaging your computer. Be sure that you have installed version 4.05c or later of Acrobat Reader on your machine. Even if you have previously downloaded the software, you should obtain a new copy if your existing installation is earlier than version 4.05c. Please read the next topic for detailed instructions.
If the Acrobat Reader is installed on your computer but you would like to check the version number, open the program from the Windows Start/Programs menu, then use your mouse or other pointer to select the Help option from the top of the window. From the drop-down menu that appears, select About Acrobat Reader.... In the large white box that pops onto the screen, the version number will appear in small black print near the top of the box. To close the box, click the left button on your mouse or other pointer anywhere within this white box.
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How do I download and install the Adobe Acrobat Reader software?
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There are three basic steps to downloading and installing the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. First, navigate to the Adobe website using any web browser. Second, download the Acrobat Reader installation file (that is, copy this file from Adobe's computers to your computer via the Internet). Third, install the program (note that this installation step is required to make the Adobe Acrobat Reader functional, and is a separate procedure from the download). Experienced users will already be able to follow these steps without more detailed instructions; if you are such a user and are ready to initiate the installation process, you may go directly to the Acrobat download page. If, however, you would like detailed instructions, please continue reading.
Detailed instructions for downloading and installing the Adobe Acrobat Reader software appear below: These steps should work on most Windows machines:
- Navigate to the Adobe website:
- When you are ready to visit the Adobe website (that is, after you have read and understood these instructions), click here. Helpful hint: If you use the right mouse button to click on the last two words in the previous sentence, you will not be taken directly to the Adobe website. Instead, a pop-up menu will appear. If you then left-click on the phrase Open in New Window, a new browser window will open up, so that both this instruction page and the Adobe page are simultaneously active. You can manuever the mouse pointer in the Windows taskbar (usually located in a gray strip across the bottom of the display screen) and left-click to switch back and forth between the window containing these instructions and the Adobe window. The simultaneous keyboard combination ALT+TAB also allows selection of the desired window. (Hold the ALT key down continuously and press and release the TAB key repeatedly to select from multiple windows if more than two are open.)
- Download the Acrobat Reader installation file:
- When you reach the Adobe website, you should be able to see three gray boxes, labeled Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3. You may need to scroll down a bit to see the boxes. If you do not see these boxes, temporarily disable any ad-blocking software you may be running, and reload or refresh the page in your browser. If this does not help then obtain assistance from a computer-knowledgeable person.
- In the box labeled Step 1, use your mouse or other pointing device to select your favorite language and the correct Windows or other operating system version you are using. Again check with a knowledgeable computer person if you are not sure what version of Windows (e.g., 95, 98, 2000) your machine is running. Also select the location nearest you (probably USA). If you would like to be able to search for words or phrases within PDF documents, click on the check box next to the phrase Include option for searching PDF files (longer download); otherwise leave the check box blank.
- In the box labeled Step 2, click on the name or email address fields, then use the keyboard to type the requested information. Unless you wish to receive commercial junk email from Adobe and its corporate friends, use the mouse to de-select (uncheck) both of the two check boxes below the email address field. A single click on the left mouse button will toggle the selected box between the checked and unchecked states.
- In the box labeled Step 3, click once on the red button labeled DOWNLOAD.
- What happens next depends to some extent on your Web browser (Netscape or Internet Explorer) and your system's configuration. In most cases, a pop-up dialog box will appear asking whether you would like to copy the requested file to your computer's hard drive, or execute the requested file directly. Select the first option (copy), but before you do so, make a handwritten note (yes, this is quaint, but necessary) of the file's name and folder location. (There is usually a special Windows file folder reserved for the purpose of copying files from the Internet, but you may actually copy the file to any folder you desire. You may use this dialog box to select a different folder if you wish.) Depending on your Internet connection speed, the download-in-progress dialog box will remain on your display screen anywhere from a minute or two (on most campus computers) to an hour or so (on most home computers unless you have a DSL connection). Try not to use the computer for any other tasks while the installation file downloads. (To avoid boredom, play with your children or read a good book while waiting.) If you are running anti-virus software, it may take a few additional minutes from the time the dialog box disappears at the end of the download until the installation file is actually written to your hard drive. If you are using certain configurations of Norton AntiVirus, it may be necessary to click the Windows taskbar (the gray stripe across the bottom of most Windows screen displays) on the virus checker box in order for it to complete its work. Obtain assistance from a knowledgeable person if you encounter difficulties.
- Install the program:
- Use either the Windows Explorer, My Computer, or (if necessary) the Find/Files and Folders command (located on the Windows Start button) to locate the installation file you have just downloaded. (Use the quaint handwritten note you made at the beginning of the download to remember the installation file's name and location.)
- Temporarily disabling your anti-virus software may significantly speed the installation process. If you do this, first break your Internet connection so that nasty people in cyberspace do not install a virus on your machine while it is undefended. If you have a DSL, cable, ISDN, LAN, or similar "always on" Internet connection, you should physically unplug your computer (temporarily) from the telephone jack, cable connection, or network to be absolutely sure of virus safety. Do not accidentally unplug the computer's power cord! Carefully note how you break the connection so you can plug back into the same place later to restore your Internet service. Dial-up users, you need only close your connection (there's nothing to unplug). Verify that you are disconnected by picking up any telephone on the same line; if you hear a normal dial tone, then you are disconnected.
- When you have found the installation file, double-click on its name (or click once and then press the ENTER button on your keyboard). Several dialog boxes will open and close as the installation begins.
- Respond to any questions that arise in dialog boxes during the installation process. If you don't know the answer to a question, try pressing the ENTER button on your keyboard, as there is usually an adequate default answer provided.
- As appropriate, re-enable your ad-blocking and/or anti-virus software when the installation finishes, and restore your Internet connection (in that order). If your computer behaves oddly after this installation, shut it down, plug everything back in while it is off (you did remember, right?), and reboot or restart it.
- Navigate to the Adobe website:
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When I know that the Adobe Acrobat Reader is installed, how do I download college catalog excerpt files?
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If you are using Netscape or Internet Explorer, the easiest way to download a document to disk is to jump to the forms file downloads page, find the desired document, and click (once) on its link. If a dialog box pops up and gives you a choice between Open the file and Save it to disk, then select the "radio button" next to Save it to disk. If necessary, click on the OK or Save button to complete the download.
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How do I view and print college catalog excerpt files?
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After downloading the file as described in the previous topic, you can then minimize or close your browser and navigate to the downloaded file's folder using either Windows Explorer or My Computer. You should then be able to open (view) the file by double-clicking its icon (or by clicking once and then pressing the ENTER button on the keyboard). As an alternative, you may open the Acrobat Reader program first and then use the File/Open dialog within that program to view the downloaded college catalog excerpt file.
To print a catalog excerpt file, open it using the Acrobat Reader, then click on the printer icon near the top of the program window. A print dialog box will appear; select the printer and other options desired and then click on the Print button.
