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Using JDownloader with Rapidshare, Hotfile, Megaupload, YouTube and more
File hosting sites such as Rapidshare, Megaupload, HotFile and others store terabytes upon terabytes of files that are available to download. These sites can be used easily through a web browser to download the files, but they are handled much better with a good download manager. Whether you have premium accounts or you are downloading from these sites for free, JDownloader is suitable for you. It even has the ability to extract from RAR and ZIP files automatically, recognize captchas and handle waiting times while downloading for free. It is well worth looking into.
Introduction & Requirements
 | Software you must download and install |
 | JDownloader |
| Required: You need to download JDownloader from AfterDawn and install it. You may need to install the Java Runtime Environment as part of the installation. Download |
JDownloader is a free application written in Java. On this page we just briefly cover some things you might run into on installation and on first run of the application. Then we will take a look at how well it handles premium accounts for dozens of different websites. After that we will download from megaupload without a premium account and without having to enter a captcha. Finally, we'll top it off with downloading YouTube videos easily with JDownloader. Along the way there are some things about the application to pick up, so don't skip over anything.
Java Runtime Environment Setup
As part of the JDownloader setup, you might need to install the Java Runtime Environment if you do not already have it installed. This is an essential download or else JDownloader simply cannot run. The JDownloader installer will handle this if required as seen above.
I decided to mention this in case the installation was canceled by a user and also because Windows Firewall will undoubtedly pop up a warning after installation when JDownloader is run for the first time.
Complete the JDownloader installation and run the program at the end of it.
Windows Firewall Warning
Windows Firewall will block Internet access in most cases. Luckily, all you have to do is click Unblock and this should not be a problem again. Do not worry, your computer is not at any risk from JDownloader or from the Java Runtime Environment installation.
The first thing you should see when you run JDownloader is language selection.
JDownloader Language,Download Folder & Firefox Plug-in
After selecting your language, it is wise to select a default download directory for JDownloader that is easily remembered and accessible. I have set mine in the picture to C:\Downloads which is pretty easy to remember.
Additionally JDownloader will also offer integration with Firefox.
This is not necessary and so you can just cancel the installation of the plug-in if you so wish. When you are done, JDownloader will load its main interface and it is almost certain to have a whole heap of file updates waiting for it.
JDownloader Initial Updates
JDownloader constantly has new updates to retrieve. This is due to the very wide selection of extended support it offers for file hosting websites. If anything on the sites change, then JDownloader's developers will have to send out updates so that users do not lose functionality.
An update to Rapidshare packages for example, could see JDownloader misreporting the amount of download capacity left on a premium account, or when the account is due to expire. It is always important to let JDownloader get its updates.
JDownloader Connection and Simultaneous Download Limits
At the bottom right-hand corner of the JDownloader interface you will see an area where you can set a limit for the number of simultaneous connections for a file download, as well as a limit on the number of simultaneous downloads. The default is set to 2. However, if you have a very fast connection and a new-ish computer, you can easily handle much more than this. In my example I have allowed for 20 concurrent connections and up to 10 downloads simultaneously.
You might need to tinker with these settings a bit over time to see which gives the best result. Also note that you can set a limit on the speed that JDownloader can download files at too. This can be helpful if JDownloader kills your browsing while downloading.
Now that we have set some basic settings, it is time to see how JDownloader handles premium accounts. Move on to Page 2 - Using JDownloader with Premium Accounts
| How to use JDownloader as a Download Manager | Viewing Page 1 -- Go To |
Written by: James Delahunty
