A system for distributing flies and transmitting/receiving the distributed
files includes a file distribution/transmission/reception module
depending upon an application program executable in a client computer and
is performed in a background process of an application program execution
module. The file distribution/transmission/reception module receives the
files designated by a host computer from a network and then stores the
received files, while the application program is executed. The file
distribution/transmission/reception module transmits corresponding files
to another client computer if the corresponding files exist, in response
to another client computer's request for transmission of files designated
on the host computer. The system distributes a load of the network and
increases a file transmission rate by receiving and storing distributed
transmission files while the application program is executed, and reduces
the network load associated with a file storage computer by receiving the
transmission files from the file storage computer and from oilier client
computers.