(IDG) -- Downloading files with Microsoft's Internet Explorer 4 can try your patience. The process of getting files from a server to your hard drive appears simple at first blush. But a number of seemingly arbitrary roadblocks can hold you up. Here are a few tips and tricks for making better connections.

It's not a bug, it's a feature...

You may notice that IE4 sometimes doesn't display the Save This Program to Disk option until the previously selected download finishes.

This annoyance isn't a bug. IE4 allows no more than two keep-alive connections at a time on a given server. Microsoft generally recommends that you not try to initiate downloads of more than four files at a time.

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Know where they've been

If you'd like to know exactly where a file that you're downloading comes from, here's how to get the information. You may want the address so that you can pull the file down again, or to send to a friend.

Begin the download. Go through the usual procedure: Select Save This File to Disk, locate a folder, and so on. When the file starts to download you'll see the word "Saving" followed by the file name. Move the mouse pointer over the file name and a Tooltip will appear displaying the complete address of the file.

The long good-bye

Many people tell us that they used to get a prompt to disconnect from the Internet service provider when they closed Microsoft Internet Explorer 4, but they no longer do. In most cases, it's because the automatic disconnect feature has been disabled.

To restore this function, click Start and choose Settings, Control Panel. In the Control Panel, locate the Internet icon and double-click it. When the Internet Properties dialog box opens, click the Connection tab. Click Settings and select the check box labeled "Disconnect If Idle for [X] Minutes." Click OK and, when you get back to the Internet Properties dialog box, click OK again to close the dialog box and record your change.

This option controls the number of minutes of inactivity required to automatically disconnect, and it tells IE4 to prompt you to disconnect when you exit the program.

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