Netscape Communicator 4.0

If you can't download the file without running the plug-in, look for it in the cache:
1. Bypass the plug-in. Press the <Shift> key while clicking on the file link. Even if your browser is set up to run a plug-in when it encounters this type of file, it will download the file without loading the plug-in.
2. Instruct Communicator to download rather than play files. Select Edit--Preferences. In the Category box, under Navigator, click on Applications. In the box under Description, select the kind of file you wish to download, then click the Edit button.
The Edit button will be greyed out if a browser plug-in is installed that displays or plays that file type. For instance, if RealAudio is installed, that program will automatically play sound files that end in .wav or other common sound file extensions. To change these files' setups, you'll first need to uninstall the plug-in. You can find out which plug-ins are activated by heading to Communicator's Help menu and selecting About Plug-ins.
In the MIME Type line of the Edit Type dialogue box, type application/octet-stream. Check the Save to Disk box. If you're asked to specify an application to handle the file, type unknown.
3. Head to Communicator's cache. If all else fails, you'll find in Communicator's cache subdirectory a copy of any file that the browser displayed or a plug-in has played. Look for it at C:\Program files\Netscape\ Users\yourname\Cache. It's going to have a funny name like MV2CC2g1.wav, but the file extension should give it away.

Internet Explorer 4.0

Instead of automatically running a plug-in when you click on a file of a certain type, IE gives you the option of saving it. It also stores the file in a temporary folder.
1. Instruct Explorer to save files to disk. Position the cursor over a filename on a Web page and left-click it. A dialogue box will ask if you'd like to save the file to disk.
2. Look for the file in the Temporary Internet Files directory. When you click on a file link on a Web page, if Internet Explorer attempted to run the plug-in or display the file, chances are it saved a copy of it to C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files. To check, select View--Internet Options and click the General tab. Under Temporary Internet Files, click the Settings button, then click the View Files button. Explorer will present a list of all the files in its Temporary Internet Files directory.
If you save files this way, be sure to give the browser enough time to copy the entire file to disk. Since you won't get any progress messages on the download, you'll need to watch your modem's flickering lights (when they stop flickering, the file has probably finished transferring), or any configured plug-in that may pop up.
- Judy Heim