Web Maintenance Windows FTP

Transferring files between the local site and the hosting site

04/20/23 [email protected]

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a network protocol used to transfer files over a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) computer network, like the Internet. An FTP client may connect to an FTP server to manipulate files on that server. This is accomplished using FTP software.


You are about to learn how to move files between your local site and the Remote site.

If the Remote site you are working with is a live website, such as, your Flotilla’s website, be very careful about moving files to the Remote site.

The file structure of the Remote site may be a little different than you are used to within your own computer

If your Flotilla website is hosted by the Auxiliary and most are then your web address will look something like this, http://a0700502.uscgaux.info/

If this is your situation then first move all files to your local site from the Remote site

This will give you a backup of the entire site prior to moving any files to the Remote site

How to create your local site and move all files from the Remote site to your local site will be the first slide after you finish familiarizing yourself with the FileZilla software


If you don’t have FTP software, you can download a free copy from numerous sources. Two are listed below: http://filezilla-project.org/download.php?type=client http://winscp.net/eng/index.php

The following slides describe how to download Filezilla FTP software for windows. To start you can click on the Filezilla link above, then come back, and go to the next slide.


Click the Windows “.exe” version of the product

When you click on the link from the previous page, this page should appear


If this message appears, click where it says, “Click here for options”

Then click on “Download file” in the dropdown box that appears

Download File…

What’s the Risk?

Information Bar Help

Finally, if the following message appears again, click “Yes”

If the following message appears, click “Yes”


The pop up below will be displayed, click on “Save”, when the pop up below appears, click on “Save”

Note: Make sure you writedown the folder and saved file name


After the download completes this will pop up, click “Run”

Depending on the Operating System that you are running (XP, Vista, etc.), you may get an additional pop up that asks whether you want to allow or cancel this operation, click on “Allow”, then when the pop up below appears click on “Run”


When the License Agreement pops up, read it, then click on “I Agree”


Choose your Installation option (either one will work depends on your situation) then click “Next”


Check all components,then click “Next”


The default destination folder will work for most users,Change it if you need to and then click “Next”


Choose Start Menu Folder, your choice, then click “Install”


The product is now installed and ready for use, click “OK”

Click on “Finish”


Your FTP software is now installed The following slides will give you a flavor of

what it is like to do a “put” of files to the remote site and a “get” of files from the remote site

We will start by setting up the software The next page shows the FileZilla screen

and is intended to help familiarize you with some of the buttons on the menu bar


This is the native FileZilla screen with no site opened


Before you start transferring files, you might want to familiarize yourself with some of the buttons on the menu bar.

First try the buttons on the menu bar. The 4 that are circled change the way items are display. Try toggling (clicking) each one to see what happens, then click again to return the display to the way it was originally.

The button next to the 4 toggles refreshes the file listings. You will note that when you click on this button there is activity in the message log.

Feel free to try each of the buttons before we get started, but get the screen back to the way it looked before going forward.


If you are using a “Firewall” you may have to give permission to FileZilla to access the internet

Next we will set up a new site. NOTE: If you are setting up a current “live” NOTE: If you are setting up a current “live”

Flotilla site, then you must download all Flotilla site, then you must download all contents of the Remote site to your local site contents of the Remote site to your local site right after setting up the New Site right after setting up the New Site

There are two ways to initiate this process◦ Start by clicking on “File” in the upper left corner – see

screen on next page, or◦ Use the shortcut button on the left side of the menu

bar (will show later)


First click on “File” then click on “Site Manager”

This is the Site Manager screenClick on “New Site”


This is the New Site Screen, you will notice that FileZilla has already filled in some of the fields for you, such as, Servertype, Logontype, User, and Password


First click on “New Site” in the upper left corner of the screen and enter the Site name. Use a name that will be meaningful to you.

Now click on the box next to Host and fill in the Host name that was given to you. It will generally look like a typical internet address

Unless you were told otherwise, leave the servertype as FTP

Change the Logontype to “Normal”

Enter your User and Password

Enter any comments that might be helpful to you (Optional)

Finally press “OK”


Once again, click on “File” then click on “Site Manager”

You have now created a new site, if you have additional sites to create simply click on “New Site” and add another.

Once you have added your site(s) select one from the list in the “Select Entry” navigation pane and click “Connect”


You have downloaded the FTP software Installed the FTP software Created a new Site to manage, and If this is a “live” site, then the first thing

you are going to do is copy all files from the Remote site to your local site.◦ If you have not yet done so, then create a directory (folder)

for your new site. Place it somewhere that is convenient for you. If the site is a Flotilla site, then name the folder something like

Flotilla 23 where 23 is your Flotilla number.


We are now connected to the New Site: Flotilla 52

Created a New Site and labeled it Flotilla 52

And just clicked on the “Connect” button

By typing the path to the directory on the Local site, you bring up the directory in the directory listing

Now you are ready to transfer the entire site from the Remote Site to the Local Site

Then when you click on the actual Flotilla52 directory, you see that the directory is empty


NOTE: Be careful here. Click on “+” on the Remote Site.

The following screen will appear

Click on “Download”

Files will start to be copied over to the Local site (your computer), when done, all directories (except empty ones) will be copied to the Local site from the Remote site giving you an exact copy of the web site on your computer


Your local site and the remote site are now in sync

It is now safe to start copying files from one site to the other

Since both sites have all of the files nothing will be changed during your practice session

Let’s proceed, first if the connection has been lost, reconnect to the Remote site


You are now connected to the Remote Site and are ready to transfer files

List of FTP commands generated by the software when you clicked on “Connect”

File listing of the files on your Host AKA Remote site

File listing of the files on your local site (i.e.: your hard disk)

Click on the “+”


Note that the file list has been expanded, but there is a “?” to the left of the folder names, the software has discovered the directory but does not yet know what is in the directory, when you clicking on one of the “?” , the directory contents will be discovered


Continue to open all directories and the “?” will disappear


Now the focus will be on the Local Site.If you do not have a local directory set up, create one. In this case the local directory is c:/Operations. To find it, C: (OS) will be expanded by clicking the “+”, then using the right hand scroller, scroll down to Operations


You are now ready to transfer files

Simply double click on the folder name to open it


To transfer a file from the local site to the remote site, click on the file name to highlight it, then click and hold the left mouse button, drag the file to the corresponding directory on the Remote site, and release the mouse button.

Now might be a good time to note that there is a time-out feature built-in to the software for your protection. If this happens to you, simply click on the “Open the Site Manager” Down Arrow” and up pops your sites. Click on the site you want to open and it will reconnect you.


Immediately prior to transfer the file 2005AUXco.. is highlighted , the _documents folder is also highlighted, and the cursor with a plus sign is positioned over the _documents folder. All you have to do now is release the mouse button.


This shows the results of the transfer of 2005AUXwsCOMDTNOTE.PDF, which was successful and that is all there is to it.

To move or “Put” a file to the Remote server, you reverse the process. Open a directory on the Remote site, “grab” a file, drag it to the Local site, and drop in the directory where you want it.


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Web Maintenance Windows FTP