Download error for .zip files

Question

I got this:
'Download Error - /Users/beth/Desktop/8tracksUploader.zip could not be opened, because an unknown error occurred.
Try saving to disk first and then opening the file.'
When tried to download this uploader.
I also get it when I try to open jpeg photos from my mom. She also has a Mac.
My DVD drive is dead so I can't save them to a disk. I do have an external CD drive.

Answer 1

'Download Error - /Users/beth/Desktop/8tracksUploader.zip could not be opened, because an unknown error occurred
If you are using dialup or satellite for internet, latency in the internet connection can cause downloads to fail part way. For those, you'll want smaller segmented archives to be sent to you. Same if the sender has such a connection. Cable, DSL, and FiOS this is much less likely. Data corruption on your hard drive is more likely to fail extracting of a zip file on Cable, DSL, and FiOS connections. What kind of connection do you have? Is your data backed up so we can analyze why this is happening?
http://www.macmaps.com/backup.html
My DVD drive is dead so I can't save them to a disk. I do have an external CD drive.
From the sounds of this statement, it sounds like you are assuming having a DVD or CD drive that works would make a difference in being able to save to disk.
CDs and DVDs don't allow direct saves like a hard disk. They require a separate burn command to burn to disc. Except for DVD-RAM, all optical medias for CD and DVD drives allow only limited rewrite capability, and require special steps to write to disc. If a disc is -R or +R, it can be written sessions until it fills up but again requires the use of disc burning software at the operating system level, or third party. If a disc is -RW or +RW you can erase the disc and write whole new blocks of files as a rewrite of the disc. But you can't selectively write over existing blocks with either.
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