KB / FTP / Using FTP clients / Microsoft Windows
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WS_FTP
I'd like to use my Windows-based PC to update my web site. How exactly do I do this?
About WS_FTP
WS_FTP is an extremely popular FTP client for the Windows platform, and is well suited for use with your Dreamhost account: In fact, hundreds of other Dreamhost customers use it to update their sites on a regular basis.
You can get a copy of WS_FTP at the following location:
How To Connect
The first thing you'll want to do with your FTP program is connect to your account. Assuming your account is completely set up and its DNS information has propagated throughout the 'net, you can connect by starting the program, after which you will be presented with a 'WS_FTP Sites' window. From there, simply click on the 'Quick Connect' button. You will be presented with the following dialog box:
The first item on the list is where you should enter your site's hostname/domain name. Usually, this is in the form 'mydomain.com'. In the example above, the user is attempting to connect to 'marimbasandmartinis.com' - presumedly, an online store selling both marimbas and martinis. Note that if you have a subdomain, ie. 'subdomain.domain.com', you would use that instead.
The second item - a popup menu - should be set to automatically detect the type of host. The third and fourth items should contain your username and password, respectively (remember, both your username and password are case sensitive - upper case and lower case letters are completely different).
Once you have filled in all of the fields, click on the 'OK' button. If all goes well, you should be connected to your site. On the left side of the window that appears, you will be presented with a listing of the files stored on your hard drive. To the right, you'll find a directory listing for your Dreamhost account.
To upload a file stored on your hard-drive to your account, simply select it from the list on the right (navigating your way through your drive's directory structure if needed) and click on the button which appears as a right-facing arrow. The file will appear in the current directory being viewed to the right. If you wish to upload a file to a certain directory within your account, make sure to open the correct directory on the right side of the screen before you perform the transfer.
Generally, your site's contents will be stored within a directory bearing its domain name at the root of your account's directory. In this case, the 'marimbasandmartinis.com' site would be stored within a directory with that name. For your files to show up on the web, you will needto ensure that they are uploaded to the correct spot.
Changing Permissions
Those users who need to change permissions for a given file can use WS_FTP to do so without having to use a Unix command line. Simply right-click on the file you wish to change permissions for and select the 'chmod (UNIX)' menu item. You will be presented with this dialog box:
Simply make the needed changes and click 'OK' when finished.
CuteFTP
I've been looking around for a good FTP client to use with my Dreamhost account, and have heard some good things about Cute FTP (which is available for my Windows-based PC). How do I use it to connect to my account and upload files?
About CuteFTP
CuteFTP, like WS_FTP, is a very popular Windows-based FTP client that you can use to upload and download files to and from your account here at Dreamhost. Many users use this client on a daily basis in order to manage their web content, and it has proven to be a very valuable tool for many.
If you would like to get a copy of CuteFTP, you can visit the official website here:
Connecting
First, start CuteFTP by double-clicking on it from the Windows Explorer. You may be prompted by a window entitled 'CuteFTP Connection Wizard'; If so, simply click on the cancel button in order to get into the program.
On the toolbar, you will see a small icon that looks like a lightning bolt. To connect, click on this button. A dialog box will appear that prompts you to enter the necessary information used to connect to your server.
In the field labeled 'host address', type in the domain name of your web site. Usually this is in the form 'mydomain.com' or, if you are hosting with a subdomain, 'subdomain.domain.com'. In the example above, the user has entered his domain 'bachelorpadmusic.com'.
Next, type in your name and password in the 'User ID' and 'Password' fields, respectively. Remember to type them in with the correct combination of upper and lower case letters, and the fields are case sensitive.
Make sure that under the Login Type heading, 'Normal' is selected. Also, under the transfer type setting, you should ensure that the 'Auto-Detect' radio button is chosen. Host type should also be set to 'Auto-Detect'.
Click the 'OK' button. This will initiate a connection to the server. Once connected, you will be presented with a directory listing of your hard-drive (to the left) and the remote server (to the right).
To transfer files between your hard-drive and the server, simply drag the icon of the file from one listing to the other. You may need to navigate through your hard-drive or the remote server to find the directories and files you wish to work with. If you wish to select multiple items at the same time, hold down the control key as you click on each file or directory.
Remember that to show up at your domain, files for your site must be placed in the correct hosting directory, not in the root directory of your account. Generally, your site is stored in a directory with the same name as the domain it is hosted under (ie. the directory 'bachelorpadmusic.com' would hold the contents of the site at that domain).
Changing Permissions
Some users, notably those who are on a plan which includes CGI capabilities, may need to change the permissions of various files. Normally this would require the use of a telnet application, but some FTP clients (including CuteFTP) include this capability. To change the permissions of a file or directory, right-click on whichever file you wish to change and select the 'Change file attributes' function.
This will present you with the following window:
You can specify the read, write, and execute permissions for each user classification (owner, group, and public). This is analogous to the Unix 'chmod' command that you would use after using telnet to connect to your account.
