Download managers today offer a lot more than the programs at the beginning days of the Internet. Internet Download Manager 6 has been designed to give Internet users full control over their Internet downloads. The application can be used to queue and schedule downloads, resume downloads if supported by the server, increase download speeds by segmenting downloads and a lot more.

Internet Download Manager supports all popular web browsers, including Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Opera. The program is compatible with all release channels of those browsers. The Firefox add-on that it installs is however only compatible with stable versions of the web browser (downloads are however captured in all editions of Firefox)

Whenever you initiate a download in a supported browser, you will see the following prompt come up.

The program assigns a category automatically for the download. You have options to create your own custom categories which helps with the management of completed downloads.

The download complete window is displayed in the end. This window displays several interesting options.

You can open the file itself or the containing folder. The small icon in the lower right corner can be used to drag and drop the file to another location or program in the operating system.

It is possible to bypass one or both prompts by making changes to the program’s preferences. You can stop and resume downloads at any time by right-clicking on one or multiple downloads in the queue and selecting the appropriate action from the context menu.

File urls can be added directly to the program without the use of a browser. The program supports single and batch downloads via menu or from the clipboard. Batch downloads can be used to download sequential files to the computer system.

Users who like drag and drop operations can enable a small drop target to drag and drop downloads to that target to initiate the downloads.

Download Monitoring

Internet Download Manager automatically recognizes file downloads when it is running. Downloads are on the other hand not limited to specific file types. The program captures programs, documents, music, videos and other file types that you click on to download. On top of that, it may also recognize files that are streamed to the computer. A test on the music blog HypeM for instance displayed download prompts for all mp3 files that the blog offered on its start page.

The download manager can also be used to download videos from popular video hosting services such as YouTube, Gametrailers or MySpace TV. A small video download link was displayed in Google Chrome. The integration did not work in my version of Firefox (that is Firefox Aurora). The reason for this is likely that the add-on that IDM offers to install during setup is not compatible with that particular browser version (check out how to download YouTube videos for lots of options).

Additional Features

Internet Download Manager ships with many under the hood features that may improve a user’s downloading experience significantly. Here is a short overview of some of those features:

• Speed Limiter: You can limit the download speed at any time, for instance when the bandwidth is needed for another operation. Download limits are configured under Connection in the options.
• Automatic Downloads: IDM will download certain file types automatically. You can configure the whitelist and a blacklist in the program options under File types.
• Virus Checking: You can integrate antivirus software with IDM to automatically check file downloads for malicious code.
• Site Logins: Some servers may require authorization for downloads. You can manage site logins to add, edit or remove usernames and passwords.
• Site Grabber: Download specific file types, e.g. image or audio files, a complete web page or all sites of a domain.
• Interface: The interface can be customized to move, remove or add buttons and interface elements.
• Scheduler: You can schedule downloads so that they are downloaded at selected times of the day.

Developer Feedback

Note that IDM takes over downloads unless

1. You hold download a special key (set in IDM Options->General->Keys…) while clicking on a link
2. The site is in the list of exceptions not to take over downloads automatically on IDM “Options -> File Types” tab
3. The integration to this browser is turned off in IDM Options->General tab
4. The file type doesn’t match any type in the list of file types in IDM Options -> File Types

you can use a special key like “Alt” key to play the file in a browser instead of downloading it with IDM. “Alt” key may be defined as a special key in Firefox, in this case you should select a different key in IDM options, General Tab, Keys… button.

If you hold down the ALT key while clicking on a download link in a browser, IDM will not take over the download and let the browser download the file. (you may change this keys in IDM options, General Tab, Keys… button)

Also IDM takes over a download from any browser if its type matches the list of types/extensions. You may edit the list of extensions in “IDMOptions->File Types”. You may remove any extension/type there.

Also you may add the site to the list of exceptions in Options->File Types tab

NOTE that We support Firefox from Beta releases. Thus IDM supports Firefox 8 and 9. Alpha and Aurora development stage of Mozilla does not allow us doing any integration. the changes they do everyday with Aurora interfaces are significant and if we do integration, it will just stop working in a day or two due to interface development/changes that Mozilla developers may make.

Also IDM can be used to download from file sharing sites like Rapidshare. it’s easy if you have a premium account, you will need to select links in a forum with mouse and click on “download with IDM” button that appears above the links

Verdict

Internet Download Manager is a feature rich download manager for the Microsoft Windows operating system. Compatibility with all popular browsers, the large feature set and options to automate downloads make it one of the top programs in its niche.

Giveaway

We have ten lifetime licenses for Internet Download Manager to give away. You can win a license by leaving a comment below. Please let us know why you’d like to win a license. Winners will receive the licenses after New Year.

Firefox users have basically two options to schedule downloads: They can make use of a download manager that intercepts download requests. This only works if the download manager has a scheduling option.

The second option are extensions that will execute downloads on schedule, and Download Scheduler is one of them

The Download Scheduler add-on for Firefox is a lightweight basic add-on. It does not come with a lot of bells and whistles, which is what some users may prefer and others criticize.

You can use the add-on to set a time period in which downloads are enabled, and a period in which they will be added to a download queue that gets executed once the download period begins.

For that you need to open the options of the extension. Firefox 4 users enter about:addons in the Firefox address bar and then on the Options button next to Download Scheduler. Firefox 3 users click on Tools > Add-Ons first and then on Options once the installed add-ons are displayed.

I see two main applications for Download Scheduler. First for users who need the bandwidth during work hours and second users whose ISP is limiting the bandwidth during certain times of the day.

Both user groups can configure the download scheduler to start downloads at a specific time of each day to avoid those limitations or restrictions.

It should be clear that the extension is not for everyone. Users who need more flexibility will have their problems with the extension as the scheduler is just not flexible enough. It is for instance not possible to configure different downloading periods for weekdays and weekends.

Users who need more customization options should take a closer look at third party solutions like Orbit Download Manager or Free Download Manager for the Windows operating system.

Download Scheduler is available for all Firefox versions from 3.5 on. It can be directly installed at the official Mozilla Firefox add-on repository.

DownThemAll is a built-in Firefox download manager that comes with all the bells and whistles one would expect from a download manager. The only difference to third party download managers is the need to keep the Firefox window open to process the download queue and download files that have been added to it.

The integration as an extension offers options that external download managers cannot offer. It is for instance possible to scan a website for downloads with a click on the mouse button.

DownThemAll installs just like any other extension in the web browser which is another advantage as it means that the extension is compatible with all platforms Firefox is running on. It works right out of the box and integrates into the standard Firefox download window.

A DownThemAll link option is displayed during the first download, the Down Them All OneClick option is added after that initial download. The one click option basically allows the user to use a previously used download profile for new downloads.

A profile consists of a save location on the local hard drive and an optional renaming system. A hash can be entered into the Checksum form to verify a download once it has been completed in the download manager.

Downloads are displayed in a queue manager. The manager lists the name, download speed, size, progress bar and percentage and estimate time left. A button at the right of the header bar can be used to add information like the save path or checksum to the listing.

The footer lists the number of downloads, overall speed of all active downloads and an option to limit the overall download speed.

A right-click on any page, and the selection of DownThemAll displays a window with possible file downloads found on that page.

The download manager displays all links and filtered picture and media urls in a separate tab. This makes it possible to download multiple files linked on the same page at once, or download files like embedded videos that are not linked directly.

Filters are available to mark files for download that match the filter.

The extension preferences offer versatile configuration options, from download alerts, to enabling the recording and listing of Flash videos, interface options for the mouse context menu and Firefox Tools menu, to network and privacy related options. New filters can be added in the preferences as well.

DownThemall is a popular download manager for Firefox. Its feature set and integration in the browser make it one of the top choices for Firefox users. The extension is compatible with Firefox 3.5+ and Firefox 4. It can be directly installed from the Mozilla Add-On Repository.

There is more. The default Firefox download manager is not displaying the folder a file gets downloaded to. Not a problem for users who download all files to the same folder, a problem however for users how store them in different locations.

Download Manager Tweak is a Firefox add-on that tweaks the download manager. It adds a series of improvements and changes that improve the overall usability of the download manager. Among them a slightly different layout with buttons on top to launch, delete or remove a downloaded file and to open the download folder. Those options are also available with a right-click on a file both in the tweaked and standard Firefox download manager.

But there is more to it than that. The web address, the local download directory and the data and time of the download are displayed for a selected download.

There is a lot more under the hood.

Among them the option to open the download manager in a sidebar or tab instead of opening it in an extra window. There are also options to limit the number of downloads to list and to limit the number of days a download is kept in the download manager.

Buttons that are shown in the toolbar or download list are configurable. Buttons can for instance be removed from the listing.

The advanced tab offers several under the hood settings, like the option to automatically launch downloads after they complete, or to remove downloads from the list after completion. It can also change the Delete key functionality from deleting a download to removing it from the list instead.

Download Manager Tweak extends the functionality of the default Firefox download manager. Users who download files regularly with the Firefox web browser may want to give it a try. (via)

Great add-on, but unfortunately only compatible with Firefox 4, or so I thought. The latest version of the add-on is only compatible with Firefox 4, previous editions of the add-on on the other hand are also compatible with Firefox 3.

Previous versions of add-ons can be accessed on a separate page. To go there scroll down to the Release Notes heading on the main page, and click the View All Versions link at the lower left of the screen.

All versions of the add-on that have been uploaded to the Mozilla server are listed on that page. For this particular add-on, version 1.5 is listed to be compatible with all Firefox 3 versions up to Firefox 3.6x which makes it compatible with the latest official release of Firefox, Firefox 3.6.10.

The version seems to offer the same functionality. It contains both the download folder button in the download manager, and a new icon that users can add to a Firefox toolbar to open the download folder.

To add the new icon, Firefox users need to right-click a blank space on a toolbar and select Customize from the context menu. They then need to locate the Open Download Folder icon and drag it to the toolbar to add it in that location permanently. A click on the icon opens the download folder automatically, in Windows in Windows Explorer.

The Open Download Folder button in the Firefox download manager is located in the lower left half of the window. A click on it will open the default download location as well.

Remember to take a look at the previous add-on releases whenever you encounter an add-on that appears to be not compatible with your version of Firefox.

The Firefox add-on is available for download at the official Mozilla Firefox add-on repository.

Download managers have a solution for both problems. They can queue up as many files as the user wants and offer resume capabilities if the web server does the same.

Firefox users have Flashgot, a great add-on that integrates download managers into the web browser. Windows Chrome users now have a comparable solution by the name of oGet which adds support for about thirty different download managers.

Among the download managers supported are popular programs like BitComet, LeechGet, FlashGet, GetRight, Free Download Manager, Orbit Downloader or Mass Downloader. Users who do not find their download manager among the supported programs can add it as a custom downloader.

Once the extension has been installed it displays the options menu. Here it is possible to select a default download manager from the available supported download managers, or configure custom manager. The extension recognizes installed download managers immediately, all others are not available for selection.

All downloads can from that moment on be redirected to the configured download manager. This is done by either pressing Ctrl-Alt and left-clicking on a file download link, or by shift-right-clicking if the option has been enabled in the extension’s options. The Shift Right-click option offers to download only the file the mouse hovers over, or all download links on a page, which is very comfortable.

Specific file types can furthermore be redirected to the download manager directly by configuring the integration mode settings in the options. This sends the downloads of those file-types with a left-click to the download manager.

chrome download manager

The download manager integration works as expected after the initial configuration. Bad news is, that the extension is currently only supporting Microsoft Windows installations of Chrome. The download manager integrater is available for direct installation in the Chrome Extensions Gallery. (via Tech Trickz)

It becomes obvious right after startup that this download manager cannot compete with most other download managers who offer a wealth of functionality that the Microsoft Download Manager does not offer.

Among the missing options is support for different protocols and authentication.

The basic interface enables the user to add, pause, resume and delete downloads. It is furthermore possible to open the download folder a file was downloaded to.

The settings offer configuration options to add proxy support, define the number of simultaneous connections, the delay before retrying a download and the maximum number of retries before a download is automatically canceled.

Microsoft’s Download Manager is a lightweight program which can be attributed to the lack of advanced features. It should be sufficient enough for users who download files occasionally from the Internet. Everyone else is probably better of with a more advanced download manager such as Orbit Downloader or Free Download Manager.

Microsoft Download Manager can be downloaded directly from Microsoft. the software is compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2003 and 2008.

The download manager extension dmextension replaces the standard download manager with an advanced version that provides additional functionality and information to the user.

The download manager window will display relevant information after installation of the add-on. This includes the source url, local download path and date the download was initiated.

The download manager window now contains buttons to access functions that have only been available by right-clicking the files listed in the window. Buttons are available to pause, retry or delete a download or to open the containing folder.

Another interesting feature of dmextension is the ability to change the location of the download manager. It is possible to open the download manager in a separate window or in the sidebar or a tab.

The options offer additional features like the ability to automatically launch downloads after they have been completed, showing alerts when all downloads have been finished, to automatically remove downloads from the list or remove buttons from the advanced download manager’s interface.

Dmextension is available for all Firefox 3.x versions. It can be downloaded from the Mozdev website.

Orbit Downloader 3.0 does that if computer users manage to get it working with their web browsers. The download manager failed for instance when trying to run it with Firefox 3.6 Beta. It did work perfectly on the other hand with Internet Explorer 8.

According to the Orbit Downloader homepage the web browser should work fine with Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer. The forum has quite a few user posts who have troubles getting the download manager to work with a specific web browser.

Orbit Downloader 3.0 will intercept file downloads that are then queued and downloaded from within the download manager which offers features such as the resuming of downloads, the previously mentioned tagging, speed limits, usernames and passwords for sites that require authentication, web proxy support or antivirus checks of files that have been downloaded.

The program additionally supports downloading media from video and audio websites like Youtube or Dailymotion. This can be done either by using the grabit button that can be displayed in the web browser or by using Grab++, a traffic monitor that will display specific file types in its interface that can be send to the download manager.

Orbit Downloader’s greatest problem is the web browser compatibility. It seems to work fine on some user systems while other users seem to have lots of troubles getting the integration to work with many failing along the way.

The new version of Orbit Downloader can be downloaded from the developer’s website. Users who prefer a simple download manager with a better compatibility might want to take a look at free downloader manager instead.

That’s probably the main reason why Auto Shutdown supports the Down Them All Firefox add-on. The Auto Shutdown add-on places an icon in the Firefox status bar that will automatically try to configure the shutdown on the first left-click for the operating system that it detects. This left-click enables the auto shutdown feature which can be easily disabled again with another left-click.

The add-on could be very handy in situations where a large download will finish at a time where the user is not near the computer system. This would mean – without the add-on – to either stop the download or keep the computer running until the return. Main features of Auto Shutdown are:

• Executing user scripts after all downloads are finished or computer is idle for specific time
• Play sound after each/All downloads are finished
• Restore Firefox from last session
• Customizable shutdown/idle scripts
• Supporting DownThemAll

Auto Shutdown can be downloaded from the Mozilla Firefox website.

Update: The author of the add-on has removed the add-on from Mozilla’s add-on repository. The repository lists no comparable add-on at the time of writing.

Yahoo Downloader is another Firefox extension that has been designed to download videos from portals like Youtube, Yahoo or CNN but also music from sites like Pandora, Last.fm or Imeem. Probably the most interesting feature for many users is the ability to automatically download videos from these websites.

The Firefox add-on places an icon in the Firefox address bar. Some users might not like the location of the icon as it is placed on the left side of the address bar. This can however be easily changed by right-clicking blank space on that toolbar and selecting the customize option. The Yahoo Downloader icon can then be dragged and dropped to another location, toolbar or even removed completely as it is not needed for most of the functionality.

A left-click on the icon will display the window of the download that will list all the videos that have been discovered in open tabs in the Firefox web browser.A click on the download it button will start the download. This can be automated if automatic downloads have been enabled in the options of the Firefox add-on. This setting makes it very comfortable to download youtube videos or videos and music from the other supported audio and video portals.

All videos will be downloaded to a location on the local computer system which can also be changed in the options of the add-on. Yahoo Downloader is a great add-on for users who download many videos or music and want to automate the process as much as possible.

Download Sort addresses the Save As problem. It can be configured to store information about file extensions and their download directory on the local computer. A user could for instance select to save zip files on a big external hard drive and mp3 files in his music collection folder.

This also means that the Firefox add-on has to be configured to be of any use. It should also be kept in mind that the extension will only become active if the user right-clicks a file and selects the Save As menu entry. It will however download the file automatically after selection which means that the usual file save dialog will not appear.

Download Sort comes with some interesting options that might make it worthwhile for some users. Besides being able to select a folder for every file extension it can also add subfolders automatically. Subfolders can be created by domain, date, extension or hierarchy. Other options include the management of identical file names.

Besides being able to handle file extensions it can also be used to handle keywords instead. A file that matches the keyword would then be downloaded into the specified folder. Users who download many files might want to use a different application that can handle massive file amounts. The add-on can be a time saver for users who download medium amounts of files and who like their files sorted on their hard drives.

It comes in two versions. A light version which uses less resources but lacks support for Bittorrent, video conversions and uploads and a full version which has those features integrated. They can be separately added if needed which is actually a very nice and user friendly way.

The download manager obviously supports all the features that are required of a download manager. It can download files in parts to speed up transfers, queue up files, resume unfinished downloads, supports password protected downloads, comes with a scheduler and traffic adjustments.

It makes use of a small download area that is floating on the screen which will initiate the download of files that are dragged and dropped on it.

It offers some features that are pretty unique though. It can download selected files from zip archives which comes in handy if you only need one file out of a zip archive. Downloading websites is supported as well as downloading flash videos from several popular video portals.

It’s a great download manager and definitely worth a try. It stands it grounds against my favorite download manager Orbit Downloader. Orbit Downloader has several additional features for downloading files that cannot normally be downloaded including the extremely handy Grab++ for downloading media streams. In the end, both are great download managers and it’s more a question who was downloaded and installed first than which is the better software program.

The download manager has several benefits over manually downloading files from Rapidshare. The first is that you can simply add as many download links to it which will all be stored and processed one after the other. The image verification is filled in automatically by JDownloader which means that you can keep it running in the background all the time without having to actively manage the downloads.

Download links can be automatically added by making Jdownloader observe the clipboard. It offers a reconnect feature which has to be configured, an unpacker, a password list, selecting a favored server from each hoster and much more. There are several options that need some explanation though before you can start using it.

You should first realize that JDownloader needs Java, so make sure that is installed. After unpacking the application you need to execute the file JDownloader.jar to start the installation where you select a download location for the files. Files will be automatically updated during the setup as well.

Before you start to begin downloading files you need to accept the Terms of Service for all file hosters that you want to download from. Open the options, click on Hosts in there and check the TOS of the file hosters.

The language can be set to German and English but even if you select English it looks like a mix of German and English. Not to hard to figure out stuff because the most important elements are well translated.

Actually, two situations can turn up at that moment:

1) Listing the contents of a particular website is permitted and you can simply paste the path to a download manager which should be able to manage downloading the files. Though, it’s not very common.
2) Listing the contents is prohibited and your download manager probably won’t be able to manage downloading the files. You’re not gonna download the files one at a time, are you?

Since in my case a “Access denied” message appeared, my download manager was unable to download contents of the website and I had to find another way. I couldn’t remember any Windows’ built-in utility that could do that job for me so that I checked the net and found a nice tool that can download files from the command-line. File Downloader [via Softpedia] is a useful tool working in command-line mode, able to download files with several parameters. Now, this tool wouldn’t be of much use if we didn’t combine it with the power of command-line itself, right?

That’s when creating loops with the “for” statement comes in handy again. Meeting the two requirements:

• base path of desired files remains the same for each file
• each file is (sequentially) designated with a number

we continue our effort-saving journey. To download those multiple files from a single source, fire up your Command Line Interface and set the working directory to File Dowloader’s home folder. Here we can start the loop with proper parameters:

for /L %i in (#,1,#) do download http://web.site.net/Podcast%i.mp3
the first # represents the number included in first filename
the second # represents the number included in last filename
replace this example URL with the real one, %i substitutes number in filename

Here we go. Hit Enter, sit back and watch File Downloader do that time-consuming process for you. I’ve just finished downloading 329 podcasts for my mp3 player w/o a single mouse click which saved me more than enough time to write this article ;)

To download an element you simply check the box and click on the download button at the bottom of the screen. The download will then be send to the Orbit Downloader where the selected file(s) will be downloaded automatically. You do need the Orbit Download Manager and the Grab++ addition to download the elements.

The following websites and services are currently supported amongst others: Pandora, Yahoo, Myspace, IMEEM, Radioblogclub,Youtube, Dailymotion, Myspace and others. I tested it for instance with Gametrailers.com and it worked perfectly.

Grab++ is currently available as a beta but it worked without problems using the latest version of Firefox. The developers plan to integrate Grab++ into their download manager in the long run and support more sites such as Last.fm and the RTMP protocol.

A slighlty more complex alternative to grab++ would be the freeware URL Snooper.

It adds a small icon to most video download portals in Firefox that lets you download the video that is currently played. Internet Explorer users have to hover over the video to see a menu that lets them download the video. This feature is site independent which means that it should work on new sites that offer flash and streaming media files. That is not the main purpose of the download manager of course.

As I said earlier it supports most protocols and works with many download sites such as rapidshare (queue rapidshare premium downloads) and megaupload as well. You can add proxies and a virus scanner to Orbit downloader and add username and passwords for password protected sites. Orbit downloader displays a small icon that is always on top that can be used for drag and drop operations. Just drag and drop download links into the icon and the downloads will start automatically. The feature can be disabled if you do not like it.

Orbit Downloader does not use many system ressources and integrates perfectly with Firefox and Internet Explorer.

With download managers you simply add all files to it, define the maximum number of connections and do something else in the meantime. Then we have servers that tend to give timeouts or close connections from time to time. Flashget is a download manager that is able to resume downloads. You would not want to download a file for hours only to find out that you have to start over because the download was terminated from the other site.

Most download managers are able to manage file downloads in a better way than browsers for instance. You can download files automatically to categories for instance which helps if you download lots of files at once. You can monitor downloads by looking at server status messages and download progress. Again more information than the normal browser provides.

Flashget is one of those great freeware tools that match their commercial counterparts in many ways and probably excell them in some. I can only recommend this tool if you are looking for a download manager.

Firefox users might want to take a look at the firefox extension flashgot which works well with the flashget download manager.