Getting Started

The Zip file package contains the documents you downloaded from the claimant’s electronic folder. In order to view these documents you must first extract the contents of the Zip file package and save them to a desired location on your computer. Depending on the Operating System (i.e. Windows or MAC) and unzip program you are using, the process of extracting files may vary. However, the following instructions may be used as a general guide:

  1. From the toolbar, Extract all files/folders in the Zip file package into one folder on your computer
  2. Extract To the desired location on your computer
  3. Go to the location on your computer where you extracted/saved the file
  4. To view the documents, open the index.html file

Zip File Contents

The Zip file package contains several folders, but only the index.html is of interest to you. Once opened, the index.html:

  • mirrors the format of the claimant's electronic folder
  • displays the electronic files you requested
  • contains links to helpful information in the upper right corner- Getting Started and FAQs

Viewing Documents

Go to the location on your computer where you saved the extracted files and open the index.html by double clicking on it.
Click on a Document Name to see an image of the document. The image you see you is identical to the document stored in SSA's records. Once you have opened one document, you may return to the index.html to open another. To view multi-page TIFF images, your computer must have the appropriate software installed. Test your computer's ability to view multi-page TIFF documents by clicking this Sample Document. You should be able to see both pages of the two-page sample document. If you cannot view both pages of the sample image, you will have to correct this by checking the following:

  • You have a multi-page TIFF viewer installed on your computer. See examples listed below.
  • The file extension TIF is associated with your multi-page TIFF viewer.
    - Check "associating files" or "file extensions" in your Operating System's Help for more
       information on changing the program associated with TIF files.

Examples of Multi-page TIFF viewers

SSA does not endorse any software products. We have listed the software we know about below for your convenience. We encourage you to visit the web pages of the companies that produce them for additional information.

Some examples of TIFF viewers: