Downloads help needed, how to allow d/l of html file?

Hangin' Around Joined: Jan 18, 2006 Posts: 42

I have a car enthusiast site running Raven Nuke. I want to put downloads in the downloads module that people can actually save to their computer.

The problem is that the file are .hta files. If I upload them to the server, and then click on the download link, it just opens a page of code. I could save as from there and have it on my computer, but users don't want that.

If I point them to the original link that I got the file from, it will open the file in the same window, thereby again, not saving it to the users computer.

Here is the page that I got one of the files from. http://racingdownloads.com/racing_software-20.html
If you click on download it simply opens the file for using, it doesn't actually download it. I can right click and save link as, but this doesn't work in the downloads module.

What can I do?

registered · Site Admin Joined: Jun 04, 2004 Posts: 6437

Two options:
- explain to your users that they must view the source in their browser and / or save the page
- compress or rename the extension and instruct users accordingly

Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 3:27 pm

Ahh, I didn't think about compressing it to a zip file and then uploading it. Good idea.

registered · Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:27 am

You can actually get your server to recognize that .hta file extension as a download rather than a text file. I'm not sure what the proper way to do it is right now, but it is an option if you're running the server

Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:23 am

Unless you have other .hta file that you want to display, rather than download. However, it might work through an htaccess directive that could be place only in the downloads directory...

registered · Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:58 am

Look for "MIME" or "mime" in the Apache docs. It might be "AddType" directive, but not sure if there is an .htaccess directive equivalent. May very well be.