Using FTP

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General Instructions (for users of a PC. Mac users contact me):

  • If you do not have FTP on your computer, you must download it either from the University (free) or some commercial source ($$$$$). If you have never downloaded a software program on your PC before, you must first download a " WinZip95" program. This program unpacks any future software packages you may download. Once this winzip program is downloaded and unpacked (you do not need a program to unpack "WinZip95"), you may download the FTP program to your computer. The FTP program is unpacked and placed in a location of your choosing.
  • Once you've downloaded and installed WS FTP LE or some commercial FTP program, you will need to setup/configure your connection to your account.

To do this:

    • Start the WS FTP LE program
    • The Session Properties window will appear
    • Setting up ws ftp 95 le on your personal machine
        You can download WS-FTP LE from http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Software/win95.html

      Once you’ve downloaded and installed WS FTP LE, You will need to setup your connection to your account.

      To do this:
    • Start the WS FTP LE program
    • The Session Profile window will appear
      WS FTP needs to know what account you want to connect to. Each account can be saved as a session. Here is the information you need to create a session
  • Profile Name: Whatever you want to name the session. I called this one Stony Brook. It should be something that identifies the account. For example, if you have a sparky account, you would want your profile name to be either Sparky or Ic.
  • Host Name/Address: The address you need to connect to your account. This is the address that you ftp to. Host = sparky.ic.sunysb.edu
  • User ID: Your login name for that account - generally it's the first letter of your first name and the first sever(7) letters of your last name.
  • Password: Your sparky password
  • Click Save - * You should not have to do this again. From now on you should be able to choose this profile *
  • Click OK


The new window will divide in half, vertically: One half (left) is the Local System (your PC), the other half (right) is the Remote System (Your sparky account). The top portion of each half lists the directories on the system; the bottom portion lists the files in the selected directory.


On the Remote System side (right), you might see a directory called www. If not, you have to Insert a www folder in your account.

  • If you do not wish to create a www folder (beleive me, it's easier to create the folder) you must change the directory in the remote window (on the right). Click on the ChgDir in the remote system half. Type, in the window that appears, the following : /usr/www/Stu/userid (whatever your userid is). click OK
  • Double Click on that www folder (Open it)
  • On your computer side (left) your have to navigate to the location where you are saving your htm files. In this case, I am saving all my web files in a Webfolio folder on my hard drive located on the C drive. Click on the file(s) you wish to upload to the www folder on the romote side.
  • If, and this depends upon the person creating the web accounts, we created an account for you, you will see an index.html file listed in the right (remote) window in the www folder. This is the Under Construction page you see when you click on your name on our roster page. When you are uploading your first page, it must be titled index.html and it will override the existing file.

  • Navigate, scroll or click, in the widow on the left , for the file(s) you wish to upload. In this above picture I navigated to my Webfolio folder on the C drive,
  • Click on index.html to highlight,
  • Double click on the www folder in the right window to open it up.
  • Click the transfer (upload) arrow in the center of the two windows to move the selected file from your PC (local system) to your www folder on the Remote System.
  • You can also click the button or arrow to download selected files from your web account to your PC .
  • When done, click on close, then exit
  • You can check on your work by going to your url: http://www.ic.sunysb.edu/stu/your username here/. If you have been at this site recently be sure to click on the refresh window in your browser as the browser holds on to recently visited sites and you want to make sure you get the most recent version, i.e. the file you just uploaded.
  • Future files are uploaded in the same fashion.

    FTP information: http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Help/winftp.html
    Shortcut for getting to web directories:     Inserting a www folder in your account,

    Happy FTPing !!