I wanted to know how many if any (probably so..) of you archive (or store) your downloaded files, mainly program install files. Program install files include .rar/.zip/etc archives/installers, .exe installers, etc., the files that setup/install/unpack programs/files.
If so, do you have a certain way of archiving them? Do you spend a lot of time archiving them? Or just dump them into a "installers" or similar directory/folder?
Some reasons why I archive install files:
The most obvious reason is that if you ever need the install file for some/what ever reason, you have a local copy - You do not need to download the file again. This can be great for large (10mb+) & rare files. And a chore for small files, because if you need a small installer file, you probably just end up redownloading it, but this time the later version - I archive all downloaded installers.
Also some times when you want to download a file, you try to download it from the web, but some times it takes a very long time just to download a small file, either due to problems or what ever - now you either try to look for a mirror (another server/place where you can get the file) or, if you have a local copy, resort back to your local copy.
Another reason is, you may not have internet access, but you need an installer for what ever program.. your archive to the rescue 
Some problems with archiving them:
Organizing them! If you are fussy then organizing can take up a lot of time.. too much time infact. One thing I've come to dislike is installer files without the version in their name.. some of you probably like this, but for me, it's extra work since I archive every download [Side note: I don't download a lot, but when I do download some thing I want to make sure I don't have to go thru the trouble of downloading it again, for what ever reason.]
For instace, let's say last month I downloaded skype.exe, and the version is at 3.00, now today I update my skype, and also save the .exe installer to a temp dir, ready to be sorted later.. So now I am free to do some clean up, so I go of to store skype.exe 4.00 to my Archives > Software > Messengers > Skype directory.. but hmm.. there is already a previous version of skype here with the same name (the old version).. What to do? Overwrite it with this newer version? Rename the older version? Rename the newer version... Rename both versions!? Sing the national anthem and hope they sort them selfs out!? Some of you would probably just overwrite the old version - fair enough. But myself, I like to keep versions in case I need to roll back to any one if I am having problems, missing features, disliking any version, etc. So I am left with two choice.. Rename the old, and rename the new.. Or create directories for each version.. The later is my preferred method of archiving the versions. [Mainly because searching for filenames can do wonders 
] Now if the installer was named skype_4.0.0.exe, this saves me from having to create extra directories for each version.. makes sense right? I can just dump them in the Skype directory, and have a nice listing of the different versions.
Disk space is another problem - ok, not really a good enough problem, especially in todays times 
Any thoughts, tips, remarks?
-mitzevo
I am a vicious of software. Specially of the wonderful freeware.
I kept by categories all download and link in Goldmine to the web where come from that soft.
Usually I make trees about the use of that program.
Why ?
Because I am turning conservative. If a program does what I need I don't like to change and follow the rules of Bill Gates.
So I try to locate my soft and use as long as i can under a virtual machine and so on.
I take a bad step when windows 98 SE to xp. And now I continue with xp, not with vista, not with seven, not with eight, not with nine.
In the most recent pc I have seven in multiple startup, but I really use windows xp.
My dream some day is use multiple virtual machines under a machine with a 64 bit system and 32 GB RAM aprox......
Best Regards
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