Cannot download .pdf file using hyperlink on thankyou.html page

[Ronald Matusek]

I have just uploaded my pages and all seems to work with one exception. I am selling a book which is a pdf file zipped ie: (book.zip)When payment is made via main page the user is directed to the thankyou.html page where user will click on hyperlink (http://book.zip) to get pdf file. I would expect a file transfer dialog box to come up give user download save options but instead we see a directory structure where the pdf/zip file resides. The zip file is in the same directory as the thankyou.html page. Need some examples to resolve this problem.

[MannInc]

For starters, the zip file would never be at http://book.zip, it would have to be at http://yoursite.com/book.zip

Another idea would be to passprotect the zip file. This way, if someone gets the address where the zip file is, they will be able to download the file, but not unzip it.

[Ronald Matusek]

I should have stated the complete hyperlink. It is http://www.domainname.com/blackbelt/blackbelt.zip

I have tried several formats but none give me a pop up download option. Just shows the directory of the files. I could protect the zip file as you stated but still do not get the download pop up option. Isn't this some host feature that needs to be set ie: "dirlisting" off or does the thankyou.html page need to be a thankyou.shmtl?

[MannInc]

What you should do is head over to http://www.schlabo.com and grab DL (Download Counter). This should assist you in what you want to do.

Hope this helps!

[alphadesk]

Hi Ronald,

I have some downloadable zip files on my site and it works without any added coding.

Make a temp page with just the full path download zip link on it and put them in the same directory. See if it will give the download popup then. If it does, you know it will work.

Then you can start troubleshooting from there.

Is your thankyou file generated by a script?

[Ronald Matusek]

My Thankyou.html page was generated with a free download copy of Frontpage editor. The zip file is in the same directory as the thankyou.html page. I have given it full path and still just see the directory structure. Interesting however, if I move the zip file to another host provider (one of my other sites) and create a hyperlink on my thankyou page to that location then the download pop up options come alive. This is something unique to this host. Thats why I was asking earlier on if there was some feature that needs to be activated on this host site like "dirlisting" off. Anyway I'll keep taking suggestions and work the problem. I am determined to fix this one. Thanks for the help.........

[Rick_E]

You might just use the PDF without zipping it. That has the added advantage that your users wouldn't have to unzip it. I believe you can password protect a PDF file.

Alternatively, use the ZIP to EXE conversion and have them download an EXE.

Also, check to be sure you haven't mistakenly created a FOLDER named blackbelt.zip.

[Ronald Matusek]

UPDATE...I don't get it but if I take the .pdf file and convert it to an .exe file then when accessing the hyperlink in my thankyou.html page I do get the download pop up save options. I can then click on the .exe file on my local system and it expands back into the .pdf file. Unbelievable!!!! I hope this will work for for my video files as well. Thanks everyone for the help at least I am on the way to functionality....

[Rick_E]

You shouldn't have to do that for video files.

[Ronald Matusek]

Thanks Rick. Ya the video files work fine. I converted the audio (real audio) files to .exe and they work fine. By the way someone menchioned unzipping files to .PDF instead of accessing .zip files but that did not work until .PDF was converted to .exe. I really appreciate all the help from everyone. Thanks!!!

[MannInc]

Ronald,

Try zipping the pdf file and then converting the zip into a self extracting exe file. If you'd like, I can help you with doing this.

[Rick_E]

The PDF may be not working because there's no file association set up on the user's computer. In any case a user should be able to right-click on the link to any file and choose Save Target As...

Shouldn't need to go to all of this trouble of zipping PDFs etc.

[SimCoWeb]

You should take about 10 mins. and set up a downloader program to manage all of your downloads. That way it won't matter what the end user's setup is and you'll be able to administrate your downloads much easier.

www.schlabo.com

Try that. Slick program :D