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How to Extract Files and Install A Skin
What’s a ZIP file?
Without going into technical details, a zip file is simply holds several files within one file. You can place as many files as you want into a ZIP file but it’s size will get larger and larger with each additional file. The zip file tries to combat this problem by compressing the files so the total file size is smaller.
Zip files were really handy in the days of dialup internet access. Now for the most part, people use them to store files for tutorials, website design, and pictures.
Downloading a Zip File
In this screenshot you should Click inside the pink border area
Next, choose the Desktop location to find files easier!
There are several zip files on this site, the best place to save them is to desktop. You can right click a download link and press “Save Target As…” if you are using Internet Explorer or “Save Link As…” if you are using Mozilla Firefox.
A new window will pop up which we refer to the save dialog window. Click the top of the window that pops up after the words Save In: and choose Desktop.
Saving a file on your Desktop makes finding files much easier. However, you should clean your desktop if it is cluttered with icons.
Depending on what operating system and browser you are using, you will have a new window which will either ask to save or open a file. In Firefox all downloads enter a downloads window which you can double click a file to open. Open the zip file you saved to begin the extraction process.
Open A Zip File
In this example we are going to use 7zip. A highly respectable zipping program. Be sure to download 7zip before continuing!
Take a look at the program, there is a lovely button called EXTRACT. This will put all or selected files into any folder you specify. In the first part of this tutorial we will just extract all files to your desktop.
This is a program called 7zip. It can open zip files with ease!
Extract a zip file
Extracting is the process of taking files out of a zip and placing them onto your computer.
You can extract a single or multiple files by clicking the left mouse button then immediately drag the mouse to cover the amount of files you want. To extract all files and folders, drag the mouse so that everything is highlighted then click EXTRACT.
We can select which files we want by click+dragging
Note the dotted rectangular box.
On this blog, the potential stumbling block for those who are new to zip files is choosing where to extract. Click the ellipsis (or also known as “…”) button and choose Desktop then click OK.
All files will automatically show up on your desktop. This does not mean the skin is installed but hopefully the concept of extracting a file has now become more clear.
This is the extract dialog box!
If you click the button with the ellipsis you can select a folder!
19 Comments to “How to Extract Files and Install A Skin”
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the ‘read me’ file won’t show up for me!
The readme file is gone in the bumpxseries.zip . But you can use this as a guide for the upcoming skins later this year.
it really helped me in extracting and overwriting!!!!!
i need help.i am really good at computers but i couldnt get this one.can you help me please?
Huh that stuff is really confussing.
ok i did everything and HOW DO I CHANGE IT THE AIM its the same COLOR!!!!! i really wanted it.
Keep in Mind that these instructions are outdated, but they do show you how to extract a file. You can use this as a guide on how to do it, but you will have to not use the examples listed on this page as the directories will be wrong. So for the main part, follow the instructions that were given in the skins section and not this page. You can change skins by clicking on the Color Wheel after you sign onto Aim 6.5
Thanks! This worked with the Mac theme and i lerv it! (^.^)
kk im lost ur missing steps…i need more detailed.. cause im lost on where do u ut in da file? where is da file.. idk
Information is old, just a general guide on what you can do.
What the Fuck.. i understand up till step 5 other then that this shit seems point less
The readme file is gone, can I still install this?
Is there anyway you can explain this to me? It’s hard for me to understand the whole thing
Just like above, you basically download a file, unzip it using WINZIP or Windows Compressed File Extractor. The instructions on where to put each file is actually on the skin’s page and not this page. All your basically learning from here is how to extract a file. And how to move these files to specific folders. Since each skin has different instructions it’s kind of unnecessary to show each step for each skin.
Just realize that most other websites won’t give you a step by step on how to extract. Its something that you need to know if you surf the internet.
Ok so I did the overwrite thing for the red skin where you extract it all and I still don’t have the colors. What do I do now?
i used the original long ago and it went perfectly. Now it seems hes just half assed it. The instructions are outdated which usually wouldnt be a problem but the file doesnt include the readme anymore so now your reading his backwards instructions. Aim has most the colors, think we’ll live
Comparing any particular site including WordPress themes, javascript files, and whatever package that comes in a zip file, these sites do not give you instructions on how to open an FTP, how to extract a file, how to click a folder to reach a particular directory.
Most of them say, “extract whatever file at this folder and you are good to go.”
When it came to writing instructions with these skins, it seems people with very little computer knowledge were attempting to install a skin when even they could not tell the difference between the functions of Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer.
The Installation instructions went through several changes until I could find one that included a short 3 step process. This would be easily understood by those who know zip files, and confuse anyone who did not know them.
So for the most part if you are fine with the skins included in AIM continue to use them. I don’t recommend attempting to install skins if you have little to no computer knowledge since you can easily mess things up.
–July 28th
Anyways, the instructions were rewritten from scratch to include support for Aim 6.9 skins. I should hear no more complaints regarding how to do this or how to do that. This tutorial covers almost every topic and issue you can come across while attempting to install a skin. I will count the Downloads to Complaints ratio to see if this new tutorial is effective.
OK, So a few years back there was this website created called youtube. make a instructional video and post it their. please.
Then you might want to youtube search how to extract a zip file..