Discovering Ideas

Troubleshooting FTP

1.  If you can't access the ftp site

    a.  If you don't have Internet Explorer, which has a built-in ftp capability, and would like to use it, it is fairly easy to download from the Microsoft site. (The site is http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/.  Select Internet Explorer 7.)  You can run multiple browsers (Firefox, IE) on your computer without causing any problems.

   b.  If you are sure you are using your correct password and still cannot get in, the ftp settings in Internet Explorer may be wrong.  In Internet Explorer go to Tools in the menu bar at the top of the page. Click on Internet Options. In the Internet Options dialogue box, click on the button at the bottom that says Custom Level. You should get a long list of Security Settings. Go to the very bottom of the list, User Authentication/Logon. Make sure that the bottom option Prompt for Username and Password is checked. If one of the other options is chosen, click on Prompt for Username and Password, then click on OK for all the boxes. Then try to log on to the ftp program again.

2.  Downloading another ftp program

If you have tried everything you can think of and it still doesn't work, it might be better for you to download a separate ftp program rather than trying to rely on Explorer.  One program that can be downloaded for free is Smart FTP.  If you are using it for educational purposes you can download it without licensing it and paying the licensing fee.  Open the program when you have downloaded it.  It will ask you some questions.  If you go to the basic Pluto Web page and click Technical Information (or just go to http://pluto.palomar.edu/TechnicalInformation.htm), you will find a link to a download page that will allow you to download several other ftp programs (there will be a charge for most of these, so check the price).  Notice that on that Technical Information page there is also information you will need to configure the program correctly when you have downloaded it. 

3.  You cannot access your Pluto site from the class links

If you click on your name in the list of Student Web Pages and get This Page Cannot Be Found or an error message the most likely explanation is that you have deleted your Default page and not replaced it with a page with the correct file name.  The link goes to the default page, which provides the links to the other material on your site.  If you don’t have a default page (i.e., one with a file name of Default.htm or some equivalent) then the link has no place to go.  So what you need to do is to create a table of contents page as described in the FTP Instructions and upload it correctly as your Default page.  

Discovering Ideas
Palomar College
jtagg@palomar.edu
This page was last edited: 01/05/09