I hope this is in the correct forum. I am new to Tonido and have not yet purchased the Plug. Is the plug needed to download files, in my case photos from my desktop to my remote laptop? I am able to clik the download button and a messages says that a zip file is being created but I am unable to locate the file. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!!

No. You don't need TonidoPlug.

Make sure your download is not being blocked by popup blockers.
Which browser are you using? Also check the download file folder list in your browser. You can also try downloading a single file just to check everything is ok.