DownloadHelper 2.4.2

• Quick specs
• Price: Free
• Operating system: Windows XP/Vista
• Date added: September 26, 2007
• Total Downloads: 57,124
• Downloads last week: 785
• See full specifications

Add to my list Add to my Watch List

Download Now (173.46K)

Tested spyware free

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: CNET Staff

This tiny Firefox add-on helps with downloading items from the Internet, but install suffers from a minor glitch. As soon as we installed it, DownloadHelper immediately directed us to the publisher's Web site to read a message that we hadn't downloaded the latest version. The problem was that the version it was pointing to was the same as the one we'd just installed.

That issue aside, the program could use a less convoluted approach. It isn't a difficult process, but it's not as intuitive as we'd expect. After install, you'll find a new icon on your browser toolbar. When you access a site that DownloadHelper can pull files from, the icon goes from gray to multicolored and becomes animated. However, instead of the expected click on the icon to download files, you place your mouse on the Web page that holds the file you seek. Then right-click to choose DownloadHelper from the menu and you'll see the file listed. Click it to download the file to your computer.

If you just click the program icon, you'll get a hyperlinked list of sites where the program works. Instead of directing you to the listed site, each link sends you to the publisher's Web site. You'll find some user comments about the site that aren't always useful. That final page does include a link to the originally chosen site, but that's a couple of clicks you really don't need to get to what you sought.

DownloadHelper does work, and it couldn't be easier to use once you understand the process, but less-experienced users may give up before they ever get to save a single file with this freeware app.

Publisher's description

DownloadHelper is a tool for Web content extraction. Its purpose is to capture video and image files from many sites. Just surf the Web as you are used to, when DownloadHelper detects it can do something for you, the icon gets animated and a menu allows you to download files by simply clicking an item. For instance, if you go to a YouTube page, you'll be able to download the video directly on your file system.

It also works with MySpace, Google videos, DailyMotion, Porkolt, iFilm, DreamHost and others. When you are on a page containing links to images or movies, you can download some or all of them at once. Moving the mouse over the items in the menu will highlights the links directly in the page to make sure they are the ones you want to pick up. This version is the first release on CNET Download.com.

CNET Editor's Note: The Download Now link will prompt a local download of the Firefox extension. To install the extension directly, open the file using your Firefox browser.

Xcelsius Engage 2008

Create dashboards from any data source with point-and-click ease.

Download Now

More popular Firefox Add-ons & Plugins downloads

1. 5,858 downloads 1. VideoDownloader
2. 2,694 downloads 2. PDF Download for Firefox
3. 1,867 downloads 3. FireTune for Firefox
4. 790 downloads 4. Greasemonkey
5. 785 downloads 5. DownloadHelper
6. See all Firefox Add-ons & Plugins downloads