Making zip files available for download

[Guest]

I have added a .zip file to one of my web pages (using FrontPage 2003) using a hyperlink which I hoped would allow visitors to my site to click on to initiate a download of that file to their PC. However, when I preview the site and click on that hyperlink, it just opens a new window listing all the files in the zip ... so either I don't have hyperlink properties set up correctly, or I should be using another function besides hyperlink to make the file downloadable. So how do I create a "link" in FP2003 that will initiate the download when a visitor clicks on that link?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

Just create the zip file, import into your current open site, then create a
link to it.

Make sure you are testing the site via your browsers, not the preview tab.

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Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
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I have added a .zip file to one of my web pages (using FrontPage 2003)

using a hyperlink which I hoped would allow visitors to my site to click on
to initiate a download of that file to their PC. However, when I preview
the site and click on that hyperlink, it just opens a new window listing all
the files in the zip ... so either I don't have hyperlink properties set up
correctly, or I should be using another function besides hyperlink to make
the file downloadable. So how do I create a "link" in FP2003 that will
initiate the download when a visitor clicks on that link?

 

[Guest]

Nathan,

When you test go to File > Preview in Browser

You should not have any problem linking to a Zip File.
1- Just open the page you want the link on,
2- Insert your text > Highlite / Right Click > Hyperlink Properties > Select the zip file.
3- Test using File > Preview in Browser

 

[Guest]

Yes, did all of this ... when I click on the link after opening "Preview in Browser", a new Internet Explorer window pops up listing all the files contained in the zip file instead of giving me the "You are about to download ... would you like to save this file to a specific location ... or run it from current location ..." message.

Might this be because I haven't actually published the website yet (all of the website pages and files are still on my local hard drive) or should I still get the "You are about to download..." message even if it's not published to the web yet?

Thanks again.

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

Check your file associations to see if you have IE set to open Zip files.

--

==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, Forums, WebCircle,
MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

Yes, did all of this ... when I click on the link after opening "Preview

in Browser", a new Internet Explorer window pops up listing all the files
contained in the zip file instead of giving me the "You are about to
download ... would you like to save this file to a specific location ... or
run it from current location ..." message.

Might this be because I haven't actually published the website yet (all of

the website pages and files are still on my local hard drive) or should I
still get the "You are about to download..." message even if it's not
published to the web yet?

 

[Terje Trane]

I have added a .zip file to one of my web pages (using FrontPage 2003)

using a hyperlink which I hoped would allow visitors to my site to click on
to initiate a download of that file to their PC. However, when I preview
the site and click on that hyperlink, it just opens a new window listing all
the files in the zip ... so either I don't have hyperlink properties set up
correctly, or I should be using another function besides hyperlink to make
the file downloadable. So how do I create a "link" in FP2003 that will
initiate the download when a visitor clicks on that link?

This is a client thing . You provide the file on the server, then it is up
to the client to decide what to do with it. In IE you can right-click and
select Download.

 

[David Baxter]

If he's using XP, it would do that by default... you have to right click
the link and select "save" to download it - you might want to put
instructions to that effect on your page for your visitors as well...

 

[Jack Brewster]

I don't think XP's behavior is to just open .zip files, though. With XP's
support for .zips, I haven't installed a .zip utility in ages. I also
haven't futzed with my associations and IE's default behavior appears to be
to prompt for download whenever I click on a link to a .zip.

I have seen helper apps in the past that will automatically open linked .zip
files, though. Maybe he has one installed?

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

My XP Home and Pro always never automatically open .zip file on a web site.

--

==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, Forums, WebCircle,
MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[Guest]

I agree ... my O/S is XP and browser is IE 6.0 and whenever I click on a zip or downloadable file I get the 'File Download' message box. Is it possibly because simply previewing the site on my local drive via IE 6.0 does not create the same 'client-server' dynamic (because it's all running from my local drive), and that my hyperlink *might* in fact work once I actually publish the site to the web?

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

You are suppose to get the download dialog, this is normal.

--

==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, Forums, WebCircle,
MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

I agree ... my O/S is XP and browser is IE 6.0 and whenever I click on a

zip or downloadable file I get the 'File Download' message box. Is it
possibly because simply previewing the site on my local drive via IE 6.0
does not create the same 'client-server' dynamic (because it's all running
from my local drive), and that my hyperlink *might* in fact work once I
actually publish the site to the web?

 

[Guest]

Yes I know it is normal, but my whole problem is that I DON'T get the download dialog when I preview my FP2003 site in IE 6.0 and click on the file I hyperlinked which I want to make available for others to download ... instead it just opens up the zip and displays all the individual files.

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

Did you check your File Associations under folder view?

Under Windows XP, zip should be associated with "Compressed (zipped) Folder"

--

==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, Forums, WebCircle,
MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

Yes I know it is normal, but my whole problem is that I DON'T get the

download dialog when I preview my FP2003 site in IE 6.0 and click on the
file I hyperlinked which I want to make available for others to download ...
instead it just opens up the zip and displays all the individual files.

 

[Guest]

Yep, that's the association I have for the .zip extension, but for some reason clicking on it in FrontPage preview just opens up a new IE 6.0 window with all the files in the zip listed there instead of giving me the download dialog.

 

[Jack Brewster]

Nathan,

Do you get the same thing on _any_ website with a .zip link? If so,
maybe you accidentally cleared "Always ask before opening this type of
file." in IE?

If that's the case, I'm not sure how to undo it, but it should be easy
to find on Google.