Windows 7: Downloaded files not saved to library?

I can't believe I'm asking this about version 7 of the world's most popular operating system, but here goes.
I am trying to save certain files from the internet; I get the option to specify a location on my pc and I select the location. The browser (IE8) saves the file (apparently) but when I go to the library on my pc the file ain't there. If I go back to the internet and do file save as again, it shows the files which it believes are on my hard disk.
Where are these files I've downloaded?

I believe the default download location is C:\Users\(your user name)\Downloads. There should be a link to it in your start menu.

Thanks, but I think that is the default location for program files. Regardless, I had saved the file (a jpg file) to a folder within "my documents". But it's not there.

The weird thing is that in the "file save as" box within IE8 I can see the files in the folder. But when I navigate there on my pc there's nothing there. Also nothing in recent places, also windows search doesn't find them.

There are duplicate folders for documents, pictures, music, etc in C:\Users\Public\. These folders are linked to your libraries by default too. If you open say your Pictures library, it probably says "Includes 2 locations" at the top. I remove all the public ones as I never use them. If I right click and "save as" a picture it ends up in my Pictures folder.

Is it here: C:\Users\]USERNAME]\AppData\Local\VirtualStore ?

The files have not saved to my pc - they aren't found in any search. They're not in users\public nor in virtualstore.

I'm running the IE9 beta, so it might be slightly different for you. Try following these steps:

1. Download the file in Internet Explorer.
2. When the download is finished, you should see a window with a few options in it.
3. Click on Open Folder.
4. A Windows Explorer window will pop up displaying the folder where you saved the file. The file should be selected.

Thanks Brice. I may have misled folks when I described this as a download problem. The website I am using offers the opportunity to save jpegs from their site - effectively using a "save as" function. I click on save as, it opens a Windows Explorer page and I navigate to where I want to put the file, and click "ok".

But after the dialogue box closes and I open Windows Explorer to open the file, it's not there. Yet when I go back into the website to re-run the file save routine, the file save as Windows Explorer box is showing the file.

Unfortunately, there is no way to sugar coat this. You are not looking in the same place when you save the file and when you go back to look for it. Please give the EXACT full path of the file save location. I'm certain you will shortly see that you have made an error when going back to find the file.

I am using the window 7 , I want to reload my Os, is there is any free version of window 7 online...