FTP Help

It is probably something genetic causing your FTP phobia. Wrong DNA. Bad FTP genes.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

CuteFTP - especially the cheapest version - is a bit easier than Filezilla.

In CuteFTP there are three sections to the screen. The bottom part tells you how much of the file or files have been uploaded. The real work on your part is just with understanding the left and right hand parts of the screen.

It works just like Windows Explorer. The window on the left shows what is in your computer. You can look at your C:\ drive, your desktop, or any folders in your C:\ drive or D:\ drive, or E:\ drive. The tiny up-arrow on at the top of the left hand window takes you up a layer just like in Explorer.

The window on the right shows the contents of your space on the hard drive at your web host's server. But before you can see that section on the web host's drive you need to tell CuteFTP where to connect to your web host and the password to get into that section of your web host's computer. (Your Website.)

When you bought hosting, you set up a user ID and a password to enter the hosting company's site. Once you bought a hosting package, you also set up another user ID and password to get into your place on the host's computer. You will need this ID and password to let CuteFTP get into your site.

To set this up, you go to top left of CuteFTP and click "New." You then give a name to this new connection you are making. Next you tell CuteFTP the name of your website (your URL) and the password you have that will let you into your site.

Close, and restart CuteFTP. Now you will see the name you gave to this new connection listed in the right hand window. Click it, and all the files at your website will be listed in this right hand window.

Now the fun begins. The place on your host's computer to which you will upload all the files of your website will have a folder. The name of this folder will depend upon whatever your hosting provider calls it. Usually it is called "publicHTML," but one of the hosting companies I use calls it "HTDOCS." And another hosting company I use doesn't give it a name! Weird.

To upload all the files of your website to its place on your host's computer, you open that folder (publicHTML) by clicking on it in the right hand window.

You then go to the left hand window, browse and locate all the files of your website, highlight each (holding down the ctrl key). There are two green arrows pointing each way between the two windows in CuteFTP, select the one pointing to the right, and your files will begin transfering from your computer up to your website.

Try it. If this doesn't help, let us know where you get stuck. Or send me a PM and I can give you my cell phone number and talk you through it. Or I can call you. Or are you on Skype?

BTW With Filezilla the process is basically the same, except if I remember correctly, there are 4 windows. One is where you browse your hard drive, and the one to the right of it is the space on your host's server. There are no green arrows. Once you connect to your hosting site (after putting in the ID and password), you just select the files on the left hand hard drive window, and click enter. Up they go.

:-Don

One good resource is to watch the Hostgator Cpanel videos, they have several on how to both setup your FTP accounts in Cpanel as well as use an FTP client to connect to your server. They can be viewed online for free at http://www.hostgator.com/tutorials.shtml. Keep in mind that the hostgator Cpanel has a slightly different skin, however if your host uses Cpanel (most do), than you should have similar icons.

"It is probably something genetic causing your FTP phobia. Wrong DNA. Bad FTP genes."

Don-you don't know how right your are about the DNA and I have proof to back it up!
Thanks to all of the Warriors who responded, as soon as I get done with some other little projects I am going to try these suggestions.

As my son tells me repeatedly when I get befuddled at the computer-man up!