What is the best way to allow visitors to download PowerPoint presentations
from my website. (security, bandwidth, etc.)

If you're serious about Bandwidth and Security:

ZIP up your presentation to cut down on file size and reduce bandwidth.

Password protect the ZIP and ask people to mail you for the password. Therefore only legitimate users can open the ZIP. This could also work by placing the files in a password protected directory.

Other ways of doing this is to use an IFRAME so that you embed the file within a web page. This can reduce the simplicity of stealing your files.

Just remember that any security measure you will take; a determined user will break them. You might as well just post the files up to an FTP server (in binary mode !) and link to the FTP server off your web site. FTP was designed for this purpose, and is still the best methods of transfering files.

- wil

Okay, I'm a real dummy...er...inexperienced web master.

How do I find an FTP server to use and then how do I link to it once I do?

OK. The easiest way to do this is just to upload the file to your web space (the same place you post your HTML, GIF, JPG files to). Upload your power point presentation in BINARY mode and then create a link to this file from your web page. If the file is in the same directory as the web page it's linking from, code like this would do the trick:

<A HREF="powerpoint.ppt">Download PowerPoint</A>

Obviously replace powerpoint.ppt with the exact filename of your presentation.

If you want to go down the FTP route, try asking your service provider if you have FTP capabilities. You will need to ask him if he allowed anonymous FTP connections to your account.

But if I was you I wouldn't bother. Just go with the first option, as I mentioned above and you should be fine.

Hope this helps

- wil

Okay, I'm close. Sorry to be so dumb

I created a page to test it and a dummy PowerPoint to try it.

I inserted:


I uploaded pres0.ppz in BINARY with FTP.

I went to the test page and clicked the link. It just opened the file in my browser.

The good ol' rᑶ“Ò}1×κ%_dàH‘v»’â¼Ö#Mg½'òA]‘Üy)1©éÃc›*Òjò=©> stuff for a whole page.

Since it did open a BINARY page I think I got the link to point to the right place.

And, since it did open a page in my browser I think I must have uploaded the file and it was in BINARY.

What did I do wrong?

Thank you for your patience.

Hi

OK. This is to do with how your web browser is set up. You will see in your options about "Helper Applications".

What you can do to avoid this is to right-click with your mouse on the link and choose save target-as from the drop down menu. This then will allow you to download the file to your hard disk and will stop your web browser from trying to execute the file.

It could be a good idea to tell your visitors this too.

Cheers

- wil

It is the servers MIME config.

Okay, I think we're on to something.

I was using Netscape 4.77 when it opened the file.

IE 5.5 downloaded the file just fine.

What do I need to do to have it work in ALL browsers?

And what is this about MIME types?

Thank you all so much for you help.

You need to make sure (if you you use Apache) that MIME.types is setup to recognise ppt files and then they will download properly.

You used ppz above - maybe that's the problem.

Huh? MIME types will control how the server displays files. Your web browser controls what helper applications it uses to download files??

?

I once had this problem with a file showing to the browser instead of downloading. I added the MIME into MIME.types and it downloaded properly.

The server and browser have to work together.

Alrighty then, try adding that to your .htaccess file and see if that works. I doubt that he has access to the server's configuration files.

And why would it work under IE but not NS?

- wil

Quite a few hosts allow MIME types in .htaccess so there is a chance it would work.

You can try the "AddType" directive.

Therefore if you are saying that it's purely down to the configuration of the server; why did this work for him in IE but not with NS?

- wil

I said the server and browser must work hand in hand

Yep. That's why I am asking why do you think it worked for Server/IE and not for Server/NS?

- wil

OK, get the boxing gloves on. I want a fair fight. NO hitting below the belt, NO Mike Tysons, ... You are both right. You can do it client side with "Helper Applications" like you mentioned, Wil, or you can do it server side like Paul says. I have set MIME types in .htaccess before, it depends on the server. Some will allow it while others don't.

Regards,
Charlie

Ding Ding. End of round 1.

< No need for the gloves. Just trying to understand the situation. >

If your server allows you to place control files within directories then definitily go down this route. However, maybe it would be a good idea to also state by the side of your link, right-click and save-as to download this file. This always helps a few confused soules.

- wil