Download files

Where do I find files my course posted in Moodle?

Although instructors and/or courses may organize their Moodle courses differently, most often files can be found in the central course content area in the middle of your Moodle course page. You can often find the files you need in a Section of the course page labeled for the current week or the specific topic you are covering in the course, but this will depend on how a specific course is organized. 

How do I open files?

In Moodle when you click on the name of a file such as a PDF or Word Doc, the file will generally download to your computer. How and where files download will depend on on the Web browser you are using and how the browser is configured. Your computer may be set to automatically alert you to open downloads, or you may need to find and open the file.

If you're not sure whether a file has downloaded, look to see if your browser has opened a downloads task bar or separate downloads window, which may be hidden by another window on your screen.

Many browsers are set to prevent files from downloading automatically unless you approve. You may need to confirm the download in a notification window or pop-up or alert bar. Where this notification appears will vary from browser to browser. Check the bottom or top of the page, as notifications may appear there.

Where did the file go?

Every browser has a setting for where it downloads files by default. You can typically change this on the browser’s Preferences or Settings page.

I still can't find or open a file. What should I do?

You may want to try a different browser, and make sure you have the right software to view the file. Check Browser Recommendations for Moodle for alternate web browsers and software to open common file formats like PDFs.

Your course may not have set files to download to your computer. They may open in a new browser window, or be embedded into a Moodle page.