when i download the .zip files, then go to open up the .exe file on the inside, it tells me that it has been damaged, or that an unexpected error occoured. can you help?

It sounds like the .exe file has been damaged in the compression stage of putting it into the .zip format. the only thing you can do is to try redownloading the zip file and hope you get one that the exe file has not been corrupted in. Or you could possibly write to the suppliers of the zip file and tell them that you are having these problems and they might look into it for you.
First though I'd try re-downloading the zip file and hope you get a good one without the corrupted exe file.
Good Luck

no help! i couldn'y find one that was uncorrupted