Re: How to use IEwhatever for direct FTP file link?

(cross-post added to IE General)
"Phil Smith" <phil@nhs-inc.com> wrote in message news:uuKzj%23g5JHA.4672@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>I typically use Firefox. I will often send someone a link such as:
>
> ftp://ftp.server.com/thisfile.pdf.
>
>
>
> When I hit that link within Firefox, I am presented with a name and
> password dialog box, and then I get thisfile.pdf in my browser. No problem.
>
> However, I recently found out that this does not work with IE. The same
> link which works fine in FF fails with "Cannot find server or DNS Error."
>
> I can go to ftp://ftp.server.com, get my login dialog box, and am then
> presented with a list of files in the target directory, and I can click
> on any of those and open that file, but this is going to be used by busy
> impatient computer unsavvy individuals, and there will be thousands of
> files with nothing but a numeric filename to go for. This is not going
> to fly with them.
>
> Is there anyway to get the behavior I am looking for out of IE, which is
> a direct link to a filename residing on my FTP server, or is Firefox
> simply superior to IE in this respect?


You can't just talk about "IE" without also referring to its version
and the version of the OS it is running under.

For example, after XPsp2, FTP URLs in links or entered from
the Address bar worked differently in IE6
than in earlier versions...

(ignore title)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/834489

(BING search for
ftp "internet explorer" featurecontrol site:support.microsoft.com language:EN
)

<quote>
If the Web site uses the basic authentication method, Internet Explorer
automatically prompts users for a user name and a password.
</quote>


and in later versions of IE a lot of FTP support moved to the OS.


<title>You cannot log on to an FTP site or you are redirected to the root folder of the FTP site in Internet Explorer 7</title>
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/941896/

(BING search for
ftp "internet explorer" IE7 site:support.microsoft.com language:EN
)

<quote>
This issue occurs because of a design change in Internet Explorer 7.
</quote>


So one recommended way of dealing with authentication after IE7
is using a Network Places implementation. I don't know how applicable
that would be to IE6 though.


HTH

Robert Aldwinckle
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