Please Help - Just a Housewife

[Tiggy]

This journey on how to get my own forum started quite a while for me.  I shan't bore you all with the details, but I decided in the end to get my own host and domain name.  My host is Zen, which has a good rep in England and I did tell them that I wanted to download the SMF 2.0.2 package and they assure me that this would be fine.  Unfortunately though, it's up to me to get SMF downloaded to my computer and then they will be quite happy to talk me through downloading it to my website.

Now, as I have stated in several of my previous posts....I am not computer techie.  My computer knowledge is very limited and all I have going for me is stubborn determination.  I found this tutorial on You Tube:  hxxp:www.youtube.com/watch?v=cou8s1XuQg0 [nonactive] which I thought could act as a pictorial guide for a dumbo like myself.  Although I do respect it's not the latest package.  However, I encountered problems following my download of SMF.  Namely when I tried to open the file, my computer screen flashed continuously and several web browser windows opened up.  In order to calm the computer down I then had to switch it off and then back on again.

Also, going by the video tutorial, I tried to look for WinRa on my computer, but i don't appear to have it.  Now I swear to you I have read the manual, but I can't make out what I am doing wrong.

Please advise. 

[Colin]

You are going to need a very basic understanding of computers to get this up and running. If you want to have someone install it for you consider purchasing a charter membership or posting in the help wanted board. Here are the step by step instructions http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Installing.

Regards,
Colin

[kat]

To open the file, you'll need a dearchiving program.

If you want someone to hold your hand, whilst you do this, Tigs, send me a PM and we'll work summat out, OK?

Us old crumblies can help sort you out, I feel sure.

Dunno what timezone you're in. I'm in ol' Blighty. But, wherever you are, I feel sure we can work something out, between us and my wife's hospital appointments.

How's that sound?

(PS... I don't charge)

[Antechinus]

Namely when I tried to open the file, my computer screen flashed continuously and several web browser windows opened up.  In order to calm the computer down I then had to switch it off and then back on again.

Sounds like something is up with your computer. Do you have a good anti-virus running at all times? Have you ever run a security scan on your computer?

[kat]

It may be that the file was the tar/gz and her OS doesn't have a default program defined, for that?

[Antechinus]

Usually that wont make the pooter throw a wobbly though. It just wont open the tar.

[kat]

My mate's does. It does that "Flash and make a weird "DOINK!" noise" thing that XP does, so well.

[Tiggy]

   Thank you so very much everyone for being kind enough to respond. 

I managed to work out what was wrong.  I downloaded SMF with my Internet Explorer which doesn't save it to the hard drive, so in order to open it I had to open it with a zip application and lo and behold Simple Machines had one you could download.  It appears they thought of everything.    

Hope this is useful if anyone else has the same problem.  Oh, by the way, it took me about 6 hours to work out what was wrong,  but I got there in the end.  Still, I don't mind it's all a great learning experience.

Meanwhile, I'm curious to know does the charter membership take learners like me only I'm seriously thinking about joining?

[Colin]

The charter membership is used to support SMF. It costs $45 and anyone can join. Once you join an SMF support member will manage forum installs and upgrades as a thank you for your contribution. You also receive a little badge on the forum. But most importantly you are helping to keep the SMF project alive.