And ummmm, how much downloaded software do you have that came with a "manual" to read? That's a rhetorical question...thanks for giving it some thought though...
I have however exhausted the "HELP" sections of the software I listed...
The second sentence is the answer to your question; the help section IS the manual; it contains detailed information about all of the functions of the program. In general, even when you buy software in a box, the printed manual is just the quick start guide, and all the detailed information is in the help file. I also find it curious that you claim that you've exhausted the help sections of the programs, yet regarding Photoshop you say "I have to admit I just haven't gotten around to using this software or even become familiar with it yet...much less updating it..." If you had truly exhausted the help sections you would have discovered that Photoshop's help file is the digital equivalent of a fairly thick book.
When you say outright that you haven't really put much effort into trying to solve your problem on your own, you're not going to get much response to your question. It's a bit rude to expect others to take time out of their busy lives to solve your problem for you when you admit outright that you have put little effort into solving it yourself. If your first post had indicated that you'd put a reasonable effort into solving your problem and you were still stumped, you'd probably have had half a dozen people post suggestions already, like in the thread I referenced in my previous post.
Speaking of which, that thread does have most of the answer to your question, specifically the suggestion regarding the File / Automate / Fit Image menu item in Photoshop. For the rest, look up "Optimize To File Size" and "Recording An Action" in Photoshop's help.
