Microsoft Download Manager

The Microsoft Download Manager has been designed to provide Internet users with a faster and more reliable way of downloading files from the Internet. It has specifically designed for downloads from Microsoft pages on the Internet but can be used for every http based download.

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.