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Download documents
Most Department for Children, Schools and Families website pages will contain documents for you to download in a variety of formats. Sometimes there will also be a web page version.
The Department tries to ensure as many users as possible have access to and can open these documents. If you are unable to open a document the following may be of help.
Below is also help on saving files, and provides links to free software to enable you to upgrade your computer.
Document types
The following are the most common forms of documents available on the Department's websites, with links to web sites where free software can be downloaded.
Adobe Acrobat files - Portable Document Files (PDF)
PDF documents can be opened on PC and Macintosh machines.
Adobe provide a free online tool which converts PDF files to text.
To open a document in Adobe PDF format, you may first need to download a free copy of the Adobe Acrobat reader.
Microsoft Word (doc) and Excel files (xls)
These documents can be opened by many but not all programmes.
If you are unable to open a document it could be that you do not have the appropriate software.
If you are a PC user you can download a ‘viewer’ from the Microsoft site for free to check the software on your machine
Microsoft Viewers
Macintosh users who do not have Microsoft Office programmes installed can either download a different version of the document, if available, or order a hard copy to be posted.
Rich Text Format files (RTF)
These files are an alternative text file to Word. They can be opened by a much wider number of text editors on PCs and Macintoshes.
One disadvantage of these files is that they take longer to download for multiple page documents.
Saving documents
Internet browsers save documents in a variety of ways which can often be confusing. If you want to guarantee saving a document you can do the following:
For PC users
Right click on the document link (a pop-up menu will appear);
Scroll down the menu and click on 'Save Target As';
You will then be prompted to choose a folder where you want to save the file;
When the file is saved and you want to next open it, go to the folder you selected and double click on the file name.
For Macintosh users
Hold down the mouse button until the menu appears and then follow the instructions as for the PC user above.
Browser upgrades
The Department endeavours to make its' websites compatible with all browsers. However, if you are using an older browser, eg a level 3.0 browser, then you may see inconsistencies in the presentation of pages.
It may help to download a newer version of a browser to improve your general Internet experience.
The following browsers are available to download for free:
Mozilla
Microsoft Internet Explorer
If you are still unable to open documents, then an alternative copy may be available to order by post. See ways to contact the Department.
Report a technical problem
