A few other suggestions for new GAOTD readers:
1) Be sure to look at the thumbs-up vs. thumbs-down rating on the download page. That will give you a very quick idea of whether the software offered for the day is worthwhile or not.
2) Once you've glanced at the ratings, then read some of the comments. Especially if there is a high number of thumbs-down and it otherwise seems like a good download.
For example, the other day I saw an Apache Web Monitor program. Looked great, and I was excited. However it was (at that time) 45% thumbs-down, which surprised me. I checked and found out that it was of limited use, and only for Apache installations running on Windows boxes (a very small minority). While I was one of the few who had an Apache running on my box, the comments also said it had problems with large log files, it crashes occasionally, and there were other open-source alternatives. So I passed.
Use the ratings and the comments; they're usually right on.
3) When installing the software, make sure you install it first, run the activation program (if one is included; see next note) and THEN run the software. Sometimes if you run it before activation, it tries to get you to register, and that will result in a failure.
4) Some of the installs use the "new" method, which installs and activates in one step. Some use the "old" method, which has two executables in the zip file. In this case, consult the previous note to make sure you install things in the right order.
All Game GAOTD downloads use the "new" method where there is only one activation. However, right now, the Game GAOTD (GGAOTD!) is on vacation. It should come back in late September, and then you have two sites to visit. ;-)
5) Some activations come as a text window that opens up and gives you the registration code. Just copy-n-paste it into the registration window once you start the app.
6) Every GAOTD download must be downloaded and activated in the 24 hour period. If you miss the deadline and a new offering comes up, you are generally out of luck on activation. Even if you have already installed the software, you have to activate it before the deadline.
That being said, there appears to be a loophole in this, related to timezones. Out here on the west coast, I can download one of the offerings and as long as I install it and activate it before 2am my time, the activation works. Even if there is a new offering on the main GAOTD page. I've done this a few times, when I didn't make it home before midnight, but a cool program was out. As long as I do the activation before 2am, I'm good. Note that you STILL must download the software before midnight though, or you miss it. I don't know if this is the same in other timezones, BTW.
Don't tell anyone else about #6. :-)
7) Some of the downloads are really big. There was one a while back that was over 600MB. Use the mirror site if you see performance problems on the main download site. Start your download early in the morning, so that you can come back later and install and activate it. Use trick #6 if you run out of time and are near the deadline.
8) As you can never activate a program after the deadline, once you've installed and activated it, you might as well delete the download file. If you want to buy more of what you got for free, you can always contact the manufacturer through Help->About. For all practical purposes, the original download file won't ever be useful to you again, and just takes up space.
thanks,
bruce
Edited: 2 Sept 2007, 11:14 a.m.