Thread: Need to have someone download a file

Hello all.
I have created a page with a glass button on it so when the person clicks it the little window will pop up on their computer so they can save it. I have the buttons link www.site.ca/filename.mp4 (I cannot give you the site name as this is a private video editing transaction and i cannot share this video).

I have tried file,with the above name in the filename box
I have tried FTP, but it only asks for a password and user name
I have tried HTTP but it only wants to play in another open tab on firefox

I am at a loss, I want to get this file, which is sitting on my server to this person. How do I go about it?

The link would be www.what-ever-your-domain-name-is/the-real-file-name.the-correct-extension
"no dashes"
You would then have to FTP the file to your server/public_html

Originally Posted by freddy971

I have created a page with a glass button on it so when the person clicks it the little window will pop up on their computer so they can save it. I have the buttons link www.site.ca/filename.mp4
I have tried file,with the above name in the filename box ???
I have tried FTP, but it only asks for a password and user name
I have tried HTTP but it only wants to play in another open tab on firefox

I am at a loss, I want to get this file, which is sitting on my server to this person. How do I go about it?

Files (of any type) that are properly loaded into your hosting account are there to be "re-loaded" via the internet to a specific connection, and are not the same function as storing a file on your hard drive.

For example, take a PDF: you load it onto your hosting account, and when the link to the file is clicked by a visitor (or even in an email), the file "opens" in the appropriate software to display (or "run") as it was configured to do.

The same goes for a video or media file ...... just because you are not "displaying it" on a web page (by linking to it via the shell program, the BV Video Box), it will still by default intend to be 'transferred' or 'opened' whenever it is accessed, which is why you simply cannot click on the link to "see" the file in status on the server (you mentioned it always wants to "play").

To avoid the auto-play of a video file and simply allow someone to "copy" it or "download" it, the person must right-click the link to the file and then select "SAVE TARGET AS" to a destination they specify on their own local system.

You cannot use a dynamic link for this process (a Menu system, Glass button system), as the linking itself is a hidden function: the links should be preferrably "hard" as in a Text Link, a Link applied to an image or object, etc. You may need to simply use a single image of a 'Glass Button' (a single "object") to singly hyperlink to your video files rather than use a Glass Button produced by a script that is ganged in a "system," as you need to "open" the link manually with certain actions pre-applied. Understand?

1. On link to video file, RIGHT-CLICK
2. Select SAVE TARGET AS
3. Specify destination to Save file to
4. Click OK

Found a way to do what needs to be done. I have a link on the page he can copy and paste in a new tab's address bar. It works, that is all that is needed.

Originally Posted by freddy971

Found a way to do what needs to be done. I have a link on the page he can copy and paste in a new tab's address bar. It works, that is all that is needed.

Originally Posted by Vasili

You cannot use a dynamic link for this process (a Menu system, Glass button system), as the linking itself is a hidden function: the links should be preferrably "hard" as in a Text Link, a Link applied to an image or object, etc. You may need to simply use a single image of a 'Glass Button' (a single "object") to singly hyperlink to your video files rather than use a Glass Button produced by a script that is ganged in a "system," as you need to "open" the link manually with certain actions pre-applied.

Glad you "found" a way to make it work!