Using WS_FTP For Windows

Willie W. Webfoot shows you how to use WS_FTP, a
windows ftp program

Using WS_FTP For Windows

"Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work."

—Thomas A. Edison

Using WS_FTP For Anonymous FTP
For this examples, we're going to get the e-mail program Eudora from EnterAct.

Run WS_FTP.
Click on the Connect button on the toolbar. This will bring up the Session Properties window. (The window may pop up automatically depending on your version of WS_FTP.)
Click on the New button.
In the Profile Name enter an easy to remember name: EnterAct.
In the Host Name enter shell.enteract.com

Remember, you are using anonymous FTP, so you do not need to enter a User ID or a Password. Check the Anonymous box. The user name "anonymous" is entered automatically, and your e-mail address becomes the Password. If you have not yet entered your e-mail address, you may be prompted at this point to do so.

Initial Directories
Windows 95 Note: The Initial Directories options are under the Startup tab, so you may not see them. Everything you've done so far is listed under the General tab.

You don't have to enter any information here. If you know either the directory on your home machine where you plan to save the files you are about to download, or the directory you need on the remote computer, you can enter it here and save yourself a few mouse clicks.

When we connect with EnterAct, we see that one of the options is software. We then go into the windows directory. Let's also say that we want to save to program on our machine in our TEMP directory.

Entering Directory Locations

In Remote Host, enter /software/windows
(NOTE: If the directory or file name contains uppercase letters, you must use the uppercase letters as written. You may be connecting to a UNIX system and UNIX cares about these things, even if we don't care about UNIX right now.
In Local PC, enter c:\TEMP (or whatever directory you choose.) This is where the program will go on your computer.
Click on the Save button.
Once you configure an FTP site with WS_FTP, you never have to do it again. You'll just select it from the list you are creating. (NOTE: newer versions of WS_FTP may not require you to click Save. Just proceed to the next step.)
Click on OK.

When you're connected, you'll see two little windows. The left is your TEMP directory and the list of files and any subdirectories. The right is the windows directory at EnterAct, and all the available files. (NOTE: some versions of WS_FTP use a 4-window configuration. In that case, your computer is still on the left and the remote computer (EnterAct in this example) is on the right. The only difference is that the files and directories each have their own window.

Finding The Program You Want

You now see a number of file names, including the one we want - eudor154.exe
Single click on the name of the file you want to highlight it.
Make sure the BINARY button is checked (programs, graphics, sounds and the like are always uploaded and download as Binaries. Only text files are transferred as ASCII.) If you check the box marked AUTO, WS_FTP will switch from binary to ASCII automatically so you won't have to worry about it.
Click on the arrow pointing at your directory (the left window.)
Congratulations, you are now downloading Eudora.
Click on Close when the download is finished, and you're ready to connect to another FTP site.

Ready To Upload Your First Web Page?
If you need to upload and download things from your account on a local Internet provider, then it's time to take the next step in your WS_FTP studies. You will also use this next lesson to connect via FTP to any computer where you need to enter a login and password to transfer information.

Ready? Let's move on to Connecting to your Home Directory

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