Windows 95 - FTP (File Transfer Protocol) Client

"How to update your ISP, Internet Service Provider,
web pages if you have Windows 95."

I'll use my old The Dance of Shiva ISP account as an example. Note: ISPs may vary slightly. For example, after logging onto your account, a UNIX server may require that you upload your files to the "wwwpages" directory. Most Internet Service Providers have a helpfile or help desk that can give you specific directions for their server. I created this file because my old ISP didn't have a helpfile or helpdesk at the time.

1. Connect to The Dance of Shiva (or your ISP) by clicking the "Start" button on Windows 95 taskbar, then "Programs", then the "MS-DOS prompt" icon.

2. The MS-DOS window will pop up and read: C:\WINDOWS>, type in:
ftp www.shivasys.com Shiva (or your ISP)

and hit ENTER and the Windows 95 "dialer" will pop up for you to connect to Shiva, choose "connect". (This is assuming that you have configured. See Uploading Your Web Page Using FTP.)

3. After the connection to Shiva is made, the following messages will appear:
"Connected to www.shivasys.com.", then
"220 www Windows NT FTP Server (Version 3.5).",

4. then "USER (www.shivasys.com: (none)):" type in your Shiva INTERNET USER NAME, and hit ENTER (i.e., Susan).

5. The message, "331 Password required for" USER NAME, then
"Password:" Type in your Shiva INTERNET PASSWORD, and hit ENTER.

6. The message "230 User your Shiva" INTERNET USER NAME "logged in." You will now be in FTP mode as indicated by "FTP>" or FTP prompt.

7. At the "FTP>" type dir, to see the entire server directory or simple type cd YOUR DIRECTORY NAME (i.e., cd sue) , and hit ENTER to change to your directory on Shiva’s server. The message "CWD command successful." will appear. The "FTP>" will appear throughout the remaining session ready for your FTP commands.

8. To place an updated file from your home computer to Shiva server, you need to type the following command: lcd c:the directory name where the updated file exists (i.e., lcd c:\sue … note: the "\" is not the same as "/"), then hit ENTER. The message "Local directory now: c:\the directory name where the updated file exists (i.e., c:\sue). At the FTP prompt, type put index.htm and hit ENTER. The following message will appear, "PORT command successful.’, "Opening ASCII mode data connection for index.htm.", "Transfer complete.", "16384 bytes, etc. ..".

9. At the FTP prompt, type: rename index.htm index.html and hit ENTER, to rename the file on the server. This write over the existing index.html, so deleting it first isn’t necessary. The message, "File exists, ready for destination name." And "RNTO command successful.".

10. If it is necessary to delete a file, type delete old.gif (or, whatever) and hit ENTER.

11. See the "Microsoft Windows 95 Resource Kit" book by Microsoft Press (p. 1137 - 1140) for a list of FTP commands. Here’s a few:

"?" or "help" displays descriptions for FTP commands used by the remote computer (the server);

"dir" displays a list of a remote directory’s files and subdirectories;

"cd" changes the working directory on the remote computer (the server);

"lcd" changes the working directory on the local computer;

"type" sets or displays the file transfer type;

"ascii" sets the file transfer type to ASCII, the default;

"binary" sets the file transfer to binary;

"put" or "send" copies a local file to the remote computer, using the current file transfer type (ASCII or Binary);

"rename" renames remote files;

"mput" copies multiple local files to the remote computer, using the current file transfer type (ASCII or Binary);

"get" or "recv" copies a remote file to the local computer, using the current file transfer type (ASCII or Binary);

"mget" copies multiple remote files to the local computer using the current file transfer type (ASCII or Binary);

"delete" deletes files on remote computer;

"rmdir" deletes a remote directory;

"disconnect" disconnects from the remote computer, retaining the FTP prompt;

"bye" or "quit" ends the FTP session with the remote computer and exits FTP.

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URL: http://www.PatMcClendon.com/windows95.html

This page was last updated on 08/09/99.

Copyright © 1995-2004 by "Pat," Patricia D. McClendon

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August 1999 photo by Jim Wilkinson, Courier-Journal photographer.

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