Thread: Protecting Files

Another Question,

I have a password protected subdomain with audio files in it, but everytime I open a file online I have to put in my username and password. This could get pretty anoying to anyone who wanted to view to a few files. Is it possable to have them protected but only have the username and password thing pop up if your going straight to the file from a different site? (just like the .html pages)

it somehow anoying everytime been asked for password.

Instead of protecting everyfile you can put all in one folder may be you can log in once to access the whole folder.

All the best.

Originally Posted by jahnsele

it somehow anoying everytime been asked for password.

Instead of protecting everyfile you can put all in one folder may be you can log in once to access the whole folder.

All the best.

There is a folder under my public.html in CPannel for my subdomain. I have just password protected that folder.

Originally Posted by xlrsound

There is a folder under my public.html in CPannel for my subdomain. I have just password protected that folder.

This is fine providing you intended for your entire subdomain to be protected. Meaning everyone who accessed it would need a password, if this is not the case, put the files you want to protect into a subfolder of this sub-domain and password protect them that way ... as it is now you have your entire sub-domain protected ... not sure if that is what you want or not ....

Keep in mind if you move files around you will have to republish to those pages again ...

Originally Posted by LadyEye

This is fine providing you intended for your entire subdomain to be protected. Meaning everyone who accessed it would need a password, if this is not the case, put the files you want to protect into a subfolder of this sub-domain and password protect them that way ... as it is now you have your entire sub-domain protected ... not sure if that is what you want or not ....

Keep in mind if you move files around you will have to republish to those pages again ...

Can I put the audio files somewhere where they aren't password protected? or will some computer geek be able to access them than.

Originally Posted by xlrsound

Can I put the audio files somewhere where they aren't password protected? or will some computer geek be able to access them than.

lol ... if you place all your audio files into the password protected directory, they will all be protected, even from those cg's ... if you don't place them in a password protected directory they are then public accessible, as in your public_html directory, everything is for the public ...

If you do not want your entire subdomain password protected ... make a new password protected directory within your subdomain, to hold your audio files only ... have a page leading from your subdomain that they will go to to enter into the password protected area ... know what I mean ...

Originally Posted by LadyEye

lol ... if you place all your audio files into the password protected directory, they will all be protected, even from those cg's ... if you don't place them in a password protected directory they are then public accessible, as in your public_html directory, everything is for the public ...

If you do not want your entire subdomain password protected ... make a new password protected directory within your subdomain, to hold your audio files only ... have a page leading from your subdomain that they will go to to enter into the password protected area ... know what I mean ...

So is there no way to have files protected, but like the .html pages you wouldn't have to type in a password unless your coming from a different site?

Originally Posted by xlrsound

So is there no way to have files protected, but like the .html pages you wouldn't have to type in a password unless your coming from a different site?

No unfortunately, there is no system in place to be able to stop or allow access to these pages dependent on where you are coming from that I know of ... there are a few people on here like Navel, Race and David who do scripting, I don't know if this is something that could be done or not??
You could contact them through their sites and ask if this is possible if they didn't respond here ...

Are you selling your music? If you are not, it's a good thing to have your music around, it may promote you ... just a thought ....

Hi .. As far as I know there is no way to protect your music files.. You really can't have it both ways.. open listenership or protected... But by invitation to certain people to a specific protected file where they can listen... may work... Other than that it is open to the public... Doug

OK,

If I have files under public.html but have no links to them does someone have access to them?

Originally Posted by xlrsound

OK,

If I have files under public.html but have no links to them does someone have access to them?

yes they do, even though there are no links, access can be found, perhaps someone posts a link to that page on a blog, or maybe you have an image, and someone does an image search and your page comes up, or even the title of your page could fall into a search for any given category ... who knows, the scenearios are endless.

That is the meaning behind that directory ...

public_html - directory means accessible by the public

protected directory - means protected from the public ....

Isn't it awful when you can't have the best of both worlds, lol ...

I have a plan!

THANK YOU!!!!

Or, create a password protected page, with links to download the files through a php script, and store the files in a database. This way they will be inaccessible.

If you sell music, then you could have an automated Instant Download Cart, which would allow download as soon as the customer has paid through PayPal.

Originally Posted by navaldesign

Or, create a password protected page, with links to download the files through a php script, and store the files in a database. This way they will be inaccessible.

If you sell music, then you could have an automated Instant Download Cart, which would allow download as soon as the customer has paid through PayPal.

No i'm not doing music, but thanks anyway.

If you want 100% protection for your files (whatever they are) but you don't want them in a password protected directory, the only way to protect them is to store them in a database instead of saving (uploading) them on your site. Of course, you will need a script be able yourself to download them.

It would hep if you specified what kind of files these are

Ey naval, when you tell Store them in a database, you are talking about save the link path of the file (something like: "http://wowmusic.com/music/adfjaf784jksgyua4/asjewsyfkl4/kjafnaosuifeh.mp3") or directly store the file inside of mysql?

Originally Posted by Ogeid

Ey naval, when you tell Store them in a database, you are talking about save the link path of the file (something like: "http://wowmusic.com/music/adfjaf784jksgyua4/asjewsyfkl4/kjafnaosuifeh.mp3") or directly store the file inside of mysql?

I meant storing the files straight into the database. However, storing the path is also efficient, as long as the files are not PDF. PDF files get indexed, mp3s don't. So, if the files are PDF the MySQL storage is the best, if they are mp3s, storing the path of the file and using a download script to retreive the path and allow the download, is better. I.e. , our Instant download manager uses this second method.

Hi Naval... Your Instant Download Manager/Cart works great; for downloads.
Could I utilize that same data base to Preview the mp3 on my site? So when visitor clicks a link to hear a preview the database delivers it to the player??
Thanks Doug

Yes, it could be done, but would require a script to retreive the file and deliver it to the player. But why ? Ι mean, since the preview files are to be freely downloaded / listened, why should they be in the database ?

What you say is true ... but..I'm just wondering... because the mp3 files address (link) can be called on by anyone/anytime for any purpose...Doug

If the file is freely available on your site (for preview purposes), it is by definition available for anyone / at any time / for any purpose:

Ok then... that's that..... thanks for clarification...Doug