What is It
WS_FTP is a program that allows you to transfer files from your computer to another computer. FTP is short for: File Transfer Protocol. There are many other FTP programs available but WS_FTP is the most popular and widely supported file transfer program.

Why Is It Needed
WS_FTP is most useful when creating web pages. In order for the rest of the world to view your pages, the web files must be transferred to a computer here on campus. WS_FTP allows you to send those files from your local machine to the web server on campus.

Setting Up WS_FTP
Profile Setup
After installing the program Left Click Start, Programs, WS_FTP, WS_FTP95 LE. You will need to setup a profile for your web account. It is nothing complicated; a profile just remembers all the pertinent information about your login name, password, and what computer you are connecting to.

1. Left Click on New.
2. In the profile box type: Yourwebsite.com (or anything else that will tell you that this profile is the one to use when sending web pages from your computer to our server).
3. In the Host Name/Address box, type: yourwebsite.com
4. In the UserID box type in your Web account's FTP  username  . For example, mine is: presleyk
5. In the Password box, type in your password. It will show up as *******'.
6. Place a check inside the Save Password box to activate it. This will save you from having to type in your password every time you use WS_FTP.
7. Left Click on Apply to save the changes to your profile.

StartUp Directories

Left Click on the Startup tab at the top of the screen.  However, you will need to set the correct Startup path to see it.

1. First you need to type in the Initial Remote Host Directory.
   Some examples of path names:
   /home/your_user_name/public_html
   
   

2. In the Initial Local Directory box, type in the path to where you web files are stored on your computer, probably something like: c:/web
3. Left Click on Apply to save the changes, then Left Click on the General tab to take you back to the profile setup.

Using WS_FTP

1. Left Click on OK to connect to the web server. The screen is split up into 2 panes, your computer's files on the left, the Web Server on the right.
2. The concept is to send all the web files from your computer to the web server. Do this by selecting the proper files on the left, then press the right arrow button to send them to the right (the Web server).
3. You can send a folder and all of its subfiles/subfolders by selecting it and clicking the arrow as well.
4. Ideally, the 2 panes should be a mirror of each other. Remember, the world can only see the files which exist on the web server, so if you want people to view your web site you must send the files to the Web server.
5. Once you have sent all the necessary web files, close WS_FTP by Left Clicking on Exit