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I am new to computers, and I just don't understand how this thing works.


Answer:  
Reading this may take you a few minutes, but if you are new to computers it will be well worth the time. This overview will help you understand a little more about computers, and will really help you understand how our site works.

Point 1: What are Pattern Files
First, understand what you download from our site is a "computer file". The point to understand is that a "computer file" is simply the way computers store "stuff". You could look at a file like a drawer in a filing cabinet that you put "stuff" in. The drawer could hold all different kinds of stuff. Likewise, A Computer File could contain a picture, a letter, or any other type of information ("stuff"), even a cross-stitch pattern. The "Stuff" in one of our files is a cross-stitch pattern.

Point 2: Files vs. Programs
There is a difference between a FILE and a PROGRAM. Look at it like this: A file is the "Stuff", and a program is the thing that can figure out what to do with the "stuff". A PROGRAM teaches your computer how to do something…. In our example, the PCStitch pattern file is the "stuff". If you don't have a program installed on your computer that understands how to use the "stuff", then the file is no good to you. So, you need two things to make this work. You need a file that contains the information you want (a PCStitch Pattern File) and a PROGRAM that understands how to open and use the “stuff” in the file.

Point 3: Different types of "stuff"
Windows (the operating system on your computer) tries to keep track of the different types of files on your computer. When you open a file (by clicking on the file, or by downloading one), Windows tries to hand the file off to the program that knows what to do with it. Windows does this by the file extension (the letters following the "." in the file name). Here is an example: Lets say I have a file named "Troy.DOC". The .DOC extension is important because it tells us what kind of "stuff" is in the file. Windows knows that any file ending in ".DOC" is a "Microsoft Word" document. When you double click a .DOC file, or download one from the Internet, Windows (your computer) says "Hey, this is a .DOC file, which is a Word document, so I will automatically start the Word PROGRAM, and tell Word to open, or use this file." What you see is Word automatically starting up, and the document displayed.

Let’s take this example to PatternsOnline.com. All our patterns are "PCStitch Pattern Files" (Extension is .PAT). Basically, all that means is that they are files (not programs), and the "Stuff" inside each file is a cross-stitch pattern. When you download a pattern from PatternsOnline.com, what you are actually doing is copying your "PCStitch Pattern File" from our server to your computer. That is how you save on all shipping charges, and get instant access to your purchase. The Internet lets us copy the file, containing your pattern, directly to your computer. To use it, you need a PROGRAM installed on your computer that can open, and use a "PCStitch Pattern File".

So How do I Teach my computer about Pattern Files
This is where the PCStitch Pattern Viewer or PCStitch comes in. These are PROGRAMS that can be installed on your computer. They Teach your computer what to do with a PCStitch Pattern File. When one of our programs is installed, it tells your computer "Hey, next time the user (that's you) wants to open a PCStitch Pattern File (that's a file with the .PAT extension), give it to me because I know what to do with it." After you have one of our programs installed, what you seen when you try to open or download a PCStitch Pattern File, is our software automatically starting up and showing you the pattern.

So, to make this whole thing work, you need to download and install one of our software products. If you already own a copy of PCStitch, great, but if not you can install FREE software to do the trick. The PCStitch Pattern Viewer will open and print any PCStitch pattern file.

This was a long answer to the question, but if you took the time to read it, it will help you understand a little about how computers work. The more you understand, the less confusing and frustrating computers will be.

Click Here to go to the software section of our site. Here you will find step-by-step instructions to download and install the FREE PCStitch Pattern Viewer. You only need to do this once. Afterwards, you can download, open, and print all the PCStitch pattern files you want.

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