Fetch Softworks

Can not delete file uploaded by a client (4 posts)

• Started 17 years ago by albright-g
• Latest reply 17 years ago from Scott McGuire

• albright-g Member

  We have clients that sometimes forget to take the "/" out of file names when they upload files to our FTP server. If I (with administrative rights) try to delete the file through Fetch I get an error:

  Fetch could not delte "file/filename.pdf.zip" because the FTP server says that the requested item was not a folder or could not be accesed.
  If you entered a folder name or URL, check that it is correct. Server responded: "File or directory "file" is unavailable."

  Is it something I need to change on the FTP server? Because if I login to the FTP server and manually change the name (delete the "/") I can then go in through Fetch and delete it. The "/" is causing the problem and I can't figure out why Fetch can't just delete the file.

  Thanks for any info I can get on this in advance. : )

  [This message has been edited by albright-g (edited 08-31-2006).]

  Posted 17 years ago #

• Scott McGuire Administrator

  Hi,

  The problem is that "/" is used to denote a change in folder on most servers; so the server is probably interpreting the "delete 'file/filename.pdf' in this folder" command that Fetch sends as "delete 'filename.pdf' in the folder named 'file'" instead, which is why you get the error that it can't access (find) the file.

  It's usually difficult to put files with slashes in their names on servers (Fetch makes it hard for users to do this, because of the problems it can cause), and even if a user succeeds, Fetch will usually not show the name with a slash in it, but instead will try to show it as a folder.

  Which all a roundabout way of saying, "we're not quite sure what the solution is, we'd like more information and we'll look into it." The next time you encounter one of these files, could you send us a transcript of your attempt to delete it?

  To do this, choose Fetch Transcript from the Window menu, copy the entire contents of the transcript window, and paste them here.

  Thanks,

  Scott McGuire
  Fetch Softworks

  [This message has been edited by ScottMcGuire (edited 09-01-2006).]

  Posted 17 years ago #

• albright-g Member

  I think you hit it right on the head there. But now I have to figure out how to stop users from uploading files with a "/" in the filename. I checked the transcript and here is what it shows:

  150 Transfer starting.
  -rwxrwxrwx 630796 0 631040 Aug 30 17:52 ripB/Wglt975_page41.pdf.zip
  226 Transfer complete.
  DELE ripB/Wglt975_page41.pdf.zip
  550 File or directory "ripB" is unavailable.
  ftp_delete or ftp_rmdir: -30006 (state == RDEL_DELETING)
  PWD
  257 "/Special_FTP_clients/FTP_Clients/G&L Times" is the current directory.
  TYPE A

  We're using WebSTAR V FTP server. I'm checking their website in hopes that there is a way to prevent uploads with the "/" in the file name. No luck so far unfortunately... : (

  Thanks for the quick reply and the explanation of the problem. : )

  Posted 17 years ago #

• Scott McGuire Administrator

  Hi,

  Yes, the transcript confirms that the slash is making the server think it should change folders.

  Here's one thing you can try that might allow you to delete them in Fetch:
  * Hold down the Shift key while clicking the Delete button or choosing Delete from the menu.
  * A dialog asking you what file you'd like to delete will appear.
  * Enter the file's name, except substitute a colon for the slash.

  Mac OS often uses a colon as a substitution for a slash when dealing with remote files, so this may send the correct message to the server. But we're not sure if that trick will work with a Webstar server or not.

  I'd also find out what software your users are using to upload the files - it's possible there's a setting in it that you can tell them to set, so that slashes will get translated to something else when the files are uploaded. (Fetch has such an option, the "Encode and decode files and folder names" checkbox in the Miscellaneous preferences pane.)

  Good luck, and let us know if we can answer any more questions.

  Scott McGuire
  Fetch Softworks

  Posted 17 years ago #