The Guide - Detailed Guide - The Different Views

The Different Views

There are six different Kazaa views. They are: ‘Web’, ‘My Kazaa’, ‘Theater’, ‘Search’, ‘Traffic’ and ‘Shop’. Each view has a different function. The easiest way to switch between the views is by clicking on the corresponding button in the tool bar. Find out more about each view.

• ‘Web’ view
• ‘My Kazaa’ view
• ‘Theater’ view
• ‘Search’ view
• ‘Traffic’ view
• ‘Shop’ view

Kazaa v2.5 (and above) includes a built-in web browser that allows you to surf the Internet within Kazaa. The web browser operates in the same manner as Microsoft Internet Explorer. To begin browsing the web using Kazaa click on the ‘Web’ button in the toolbar, type the URL of the website you would like to visit into the ‘Address’ bar and press enter.

There are five buttons on the ‘Web’ tool bar. They are; ‘Back’, ‘Forward’, ‘Stop’, ‘Refresh’, ‘Home’. These controls work in the same way as they do in Internet Explorer.

Favorites
The ‘Favorites’ menu is a list of your Internet Favorites. The ‘Favorites’ listed in Kazaa are the same as your ‘Favorites’ in Internet Explorer.

Adding a new favorite is easy. Simply go to the ‘Web’ view, type the URL of the site you want to visit into the address bar and click ‘Enter’. When the site appears, click on Favorites > Add to Favorites.

A new ‘Favorite’ added in Kazaa will also appear in Internet Explorer and a new ‘Favorite’ added in Internet Explorer will also appear in Kazaa.

Open the 'My Kazaa' view by clicking on the ‘My Kazaa’ button in the toolbar. The ‘My Kazaa’ view is a place for you to manage and access your files. You can manage your downloaded and shared files inside the 'My Media' folders. Here are some of the available options:

1. Play/View/Use Files
   Double click on a file to activate it. Or, right click on a file for a full list of options.
   
2. ‘Add to Playlist’
   Create your own compilations of audio and video files by selecting ‘Add to Playlist’, or by dragging files into Playlist folders.
   
3. Categorize Files
   Put your files into organized groups by dragging them into the relevant folder(s), or right mouse click and ‘Edit Details’ to ensure the file data (metadata) is accurate.
   
4. Rate Files
   Give each file an ‘Integrity Rating’ based on its technical quality and the accuracy of its file data (metadata).
   
5. Find More Files
   Search for similar files from the same artist, album, publisher or user by right mouse clicking and selecting 'Find More From Same'.

The ‘My Media’ Folder

Location
A file will appear in multiple 'My Media' folders even though there is only one copy on your computer. Each file is located in:

• The 'All' folder - every file type, every file.
• The relevant media folder (Audio, Document, Image, Software or Video)
• A category folder within the media folder (e.g. Audio/Group by Category/Jazz)
• A descriptive folder within the media folder (e.g. Document/Group by Type/Poem)

Organizing
Some files will appear in the 'Other' folder because Kazaa does not recognize their file type.

Manage your files
Once you've downloaded a file, you will want to play, view or use it. Selecting a file with a single click will bring up the file information at the bottom of the screen, including a thumb nail (small version) for images. Double-clicking activates each file as follows:

• Audio - will play in the Media Player.
• Document - will open the file within Kazaa if the required software is installed.
• Image - will open the file at full size in Theater. (Windows Media Player version 7 or higher must be installed)
• Software - will execute programs. We suggest you virus check them first.
• Video - will play in ‘Theater’ view, or with other specific software if installed. (Windows Media Player version 7 or higher must be installed)

File Data
We encourage you to right mouse click on the file, select 'Edit Details' and fill in the fields. Sometimes files will be organized into folders based of their file data (metadata). For example, if you add ‘Rock’ into the ‘Category of the track’ field the file will then appear in your ‘Rock’ audio folder, within the ‘Group by category’ folder. When you drag a file into the correct folder the relevant data field will be updated. This will help you organize the files and will also make your files more useful to other Kazaa users as they will have more information on its content.

Integrity Rating
In order to guide other users who may be interested in the files you are sharing, you are encouraged to rate the integrity of your files. File integrity is based on its technical quality and the accuracy of its file data (metadata). It is not how much you like or enjoy the file, just its technical merits.

Importantly, before you assign a low integrity rating to a file, consider:

• Changing the file data (metadata) to improve its integrity.
• Deleting it so that other people will not download a file which is virus infected, unusable due to poor technical quality, or illegal.

This helps to improve the quality of search results using Kazaa.

Add Files to Playlists
Create your own compilations of audio and video by dragging files into Playlist folders - or use the right-click menu. You can add the same file into as many Playlists as you want.

Find More Files
If you like a file’s artist, album or publisher, then you can search for similar files by right mouse clicking and selecting 'Find More From Same'.

Locate File
If you are wondering where a file in My Kazaa is situated on your computer system, simply right mouse click on the file and select 'Locate file'. An explorer window will open showing the folder in which the file is kept.

Save As
If you want to make a copy of the file somewhere else on your computer, then right mouse click and select 'Save As'.

Categorize Files
Put your files into organized groups by dragging them into the relevant folders, or right mouse click and ‘Edit Details’ to ensure the file data (metadata) is accurate.

Rate Files
Give each file an integrity rating based on its technical quality and the accuracy of its file data (metadata).

The 'My Kapsules' Folder

The Kapsules files that you download are stored in this folder. The individual files contained within kapsule files are stored within the folder relevant to the file's type; music is stored in the 'Audio' folder, games in the 'Software' folder etc. Right mouse click on a Kapsule in 'My Kapsules Folder' to 'Play' (if audio/video) or 'View in Purchase Mode'.

The ‘My Playlists’ Folder

Ways to Create a New Playlist
Click on 'New Playlist' in the left hand pane and complete the details screen. You will then have a new Playlist folder ready for you to add files.

Right mouse click on a Folder or File(s) within the 'My Media' Folder, and select 'Add to Playlist/Make New Playlist'. The New Playlist Details screen will be displayed. Complete the details and the New Playlist will be created when you click 'OK'. Collect files in your Now Playing folder by playing them. Right click 'Now Playing' and select 'Save Playlist As...'

Right mouse click on an existing Playlist and select 'Save Playlist As...', this will create a new copy of the same Playlist that you can modify as desired.

How to Add Files to a Playlist

• Drag a file from 'My Media' into the Playlist of choice. This doesn't remove the file from 'My Media', it just creates an entry in the Playlist.
• Right click a file in 'My Media' and select 'Add to Playlist'.
• Select multiple files in 'My Media' by holding the Control key down, while clicking on additional files, then right click ‘Add to Playlist'.
• Right click a file in the Search Results window of the Search screen and select 'Add to Playlist'. When the file is played, it will be downloaded.
• Right click on a file in ‘Traffic’ view and select 'Add To Playlist'. When the file has finished downloading, it will be ready to play.
• When an Audio or Video file is being played, you can click on the jukebox icon on the Media Player panel and select 'Add to Playlist' and then select the Playlist you want to save it in.

Sharing Playlists
You can also use Playlists as a way of discovering and sharing files. By doing a search for 'Everything' or specifically for 'Playlists' you can find Playlists that have been created by other Kazaa users. Playlist files will be identified by their file data (metadata), like other files, so you will be able to search by category and keywords. Playlists are a great way for you to promote your own content. Any music or video files that you have created and own can be placed in Playlists in 'My Shared Folder' to be found and discovered by other users.

How Do I Get the Files?
Initially some files in a Playlist that you have downloaded from another user may be ‘Remote’. When you play your new Playlist, Kazaa will automatically start to download any ‘Remote’ files it contains.

Playlist Details
Make sure you Edit Playlist Details so that other Kazaa users can find your Playlist. To help you keep track of your Playlists and files, make sure you edit and maintain 'Playlist Details'. If you share your files, this will also help other users to find your Playlists.

The ‘My Kazaa’ Toolbar

There are four buttons on the ‘My Kazaa’ toolbar. Here's a brief explanation of what each button does.

Share
Clicking on the ‘Share’ button either turns on or off sharing for the file you have selected. If you are already sharing a file but want to stop sharing it, select the file and click on the ‘Share’ button.

If you are not sharing a file and want to start sharing it, clicking on ‘Share’ will enable sharing of the file. Read about all Sharing Options here.

The Red ‘X’
Clicking on the red ‘X’ will delete the file you currently have selected.

Folders
Clicking on ‘Folders’ will hide or display the folder column that appears on the left hand side of the screen.

More Info
Clicking on ‘More Info’ will hide or display the ‘More Info’ window that appears across the bottom of the screen.

Use the ‘Theater’ view to watch video files and view images you have downloaded. There are several buttons at the bottom of all views, including Theater. These buttons are the Media Player control buttons. They are; ‘Play’, ‘Pause’, ‘Stop’, ‘Previous’, ‘Next’ and ‘Mute’.

Full Screen
Click on ‘Full Screen’ button to make your video/image display across the whole screen. Press ESC to return to normal mode.

Use the ‘Search’ view to search for files. For a detailed explanation of how to use the ‘Search’ view and how to improve your search results go to Searching.

‘Traffic’ view

After you have selected one or more files to be downloaded, you can monitor their progress through the 'Traffic' view. Open the 'Traffic' view by clicking on the ‘Traffic’ button in the toolbar.

There are several buttons on the ‘Traffic’ view tool bar. Here is a brief explanation of what each button does.

Hold
Pauses the download of the selected file.

Resume
Resumes downloading the selected file.

Cancel
Cancels the download of the selected file.

Find More Files From This User
If you like the file you have found, you may like other files the user has available in his or her shared folder. Click on this button to search for more files from the same user.

The 'Traffic' view is divided into two main windows, with the top showing downloads and the bottom showing uploads.

• Download window
• Upload window

Downloading and uploading files will affect your Participation Level.

The Download Window

The download window shows all the files that you have selected to be downloaded and shows information on their current status. There are a number of fields per file, and each has a different meaning and use.

Title - the full title, displayed in the ‘Title’ field of the file data (metadata) of the file you are downloading.

Artist - the artist of the file (singer, publisher, developer, etc).

User - the 'user name' of the person from whom you are downloading the file. Please note that we have no control over the user-selected names, and users may change their names at any time.

Progress - a bar showing the current progress of the download. The shading indicates the percentage complete.

Status - this shows the current status of the download and can have a variety of meanings:

• Searching - Kazaa is trying to find the requested file on a user’s computer.
• More sources required - the user from whom you were downloading the file has now gone offline. Kazaa will search for a matching file somewhere else and will continue the download when it finds the file.
• Remotely queued - the user from whom you are downloading has limited the number of simultaneous uploads. When a download spot frees up, the file you seek will be downloaded.
• Queued - you have limitations on the number of downloads you allow at any one time. This could be due to your specification in setup or to having limited bandwidth capacity. When a space becomes available due to another download completing, being paused, etc, then the file download will begin.
• Connecting - a matching file has been found and you are connecting to the other user’s computer.
• Downloading - the file is being transferred from another user to you.
• Complete - the file has been successfully downloaded.
• Cancelled - the file download has been cancelled by you.
• Paused - you have paused or clicked 'Hold' to temporarily stop the download. You can start it again by clicking 'Resume'.

Time Remaining - an estimate on how long the file transfer will take until complete. This is based on the size of the file, the amount left to download and the current speed. This figure will change as the speed fluctuates.

Downloaded/Total Size - shows how much of the file has already been transferred and what the total amount is.

Filename - the actual filename of the file you have selected to download. This can differ from the title.

Downloading Options

By right mouse clicking on a file you get a variety of options. The options available to you will be dependent on what the status of the download is, and file type.

• Preview/Play/View/Use - if a file download is completing or complete, then you can Preview/Play it directly from the 'Traffic' view. Some files will open in the ‘Theater’ view. Not all file types can be executed this way.
• Pause Download - temporarily stops downloading the selected file.
• Resume Download - restarts downloading a paused file.
• Cancel Download - stops the selected download.
• Find More Sources for Download - this checks to see if any other users have the same file so that you can also download it from them, increasing the speed of your download by using multiple sources.
• Cancel All Downloads - permanently stops all downloads that are not complete.
• Clear Downloaded and Erroneous - this removes all files which are 'Completed' or 'Cancelled' from your download window.
• Find More From Same - allows you to do a search based on a particular file's artist or album, or on the user who you are downloading from. Read more.
• Send Message to This User - opens up a dialog box to allow you to send a chat message to the user who you are downloading the file from.

Downloading will affect your Participation Level.

Find out how to use your files once you have finished downloading them.

The Upload Window

The upload window at the bottom of the 'Traffic' view shows all the files that other users have requested to download from you. These files are, therefore, being uploaded by you to another user's computer.

There are a number of fields per file, and they each have a different use in showing what is happening with that particular upload.

Title - the full title, displayed in the ‘Title’ field of the file data (metadata) of the file you are uploading.

Artist - the artist of the file (singer, publisher, developer, etc.)

User - the 'user name' of the person who is downloading the file from you. Please note that we have no control over the user-selected names, and users may change their names at any time.

Participation Level - the Participation Level of the other user.

Progress - a bar showing the current progress of the upload. The shading indicates the percentage complete.

Status - this shows the current status of the upload and can have a variety of meanings:

• Uploading - the file is being transferred from you to another user.
• Completed - the file has been successfully uploaded.
• Aborted - the file download has been cancelled by the user who requested the file from you.
• Cancelled - the file upload has been cancelled by you.

Time Remaining - an estimate on how long the file transfer will take until complete. This is based on the size of the file, the amount left to upload and the current speed. This figure will change as the speed fluctuates.

Uploaded/Requested - shows how much of the file has already been transferred and what the total amount is.

Speed - indicates the current speed of the transfer in KB/s (kilobytes per second). There are 1,024 kilobytes in a megabyte, and 1,024 megabytes in a gigabyte.

Filename - the actual filename of your file which has been selected to be uploaded. This can differ from the title.

Uploading Options

By right mouse clicking on a file, you get a variety of options. The options available to you will be dependent on what the status of the upload is.

• Cancel Upload - permanently stops the selected upload (cannot be undone).
• Cancel All Uploads - permanently stops all uploads that are not complete (cannot be undone).
• Clear Uploaded and Erroneous - this removes all files which are 'Completed' or 'Cancelled' from your upload window.
• Find More From Same - allows you to do a search based on a particular file's artist, or album, or on the user to whom you are uploading. Read more.
• Send Message to This User - opens up a dialog box to allow you to send a chat message to the user to whom you are uploading the file.

Uploading will affect your Participation Level.

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‘Shop’ View

Kazaa includes a built-in online store for your convenience. Open the 'Shop' view by clicking on the ‘Shop’ button in the toolbar. ‘The Shop’ view functions in the same way as a standard web browser.

There are five buttons on the ‘Shop’ toolbar. They are; ‘Back’, ‘Forward’, ‘Stop’, ‘Refresh’, ‘Home’. These controls work in the same way as they do in Internet Explorer.

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