A brief tutorial
Files are normally uploaded to your web host using what is known as an 'FTP' program - more correctly, an 'FTP Client'.
There are a number of these available, and everyone has their favorite, mine being AceFTP.
AceFTP is freeware and you can download it at: http://www.visicommedia.com
Once you have downloaded and installed AceFTP, uploading your files is fairly straightforward.
To upload your files to your account, follow these steps:
1. Run AceFTP and on the File menu, select Connect. The following Site Profiles window will appear (top corner view only):
2. Double click on the New Site Profile icon and you will be brought to the following Wizard screen:
3. Fill in the details as shown above, replacing www.yourdomain.com with your actual domain name, and enter your username and password that you were given in your welcome email. Check the Save password box, and it will save you having to type it in next time you use the program. When you are done, hit the Next > button.
4. For the local folder field, browse to the folder where your files are residing on your computer, and for the host folder, enter /public_html. When you're done, hit the Finish button.
5. You can connect to your account, by clicking on the File menu and then Connect, and select the site profile you just created.
How to actually upload the files
6. To upload (or download) file to or from your website, refer to the two main window at the bottom of AceTFP's screen.
The left hand window shows the files on your computer - if you set the local directory as in step 4. above, these will be your webpages and images. The right hand window shows (assuming you have connected) the contents of the /public_html directory on your host - this is where your pages are stored. You can upload files a few different ways:
Click in the left window on the file you want to upload and then the right-pointing arrow between the two windows
Click in the left window on the file you want to upload and then, holding down the left mouse button, drag the file to the right window
If you want to send multiple files, you can hold the Control key down while you click on each file - this will select them as a group - you can then either drag or use the arrow as above.
Note that uploading files only sends a copy of each file - the originals remain on your computer.
After uploading your files, go to the top File menu, and then Disconnect to terminate the connection with the server.
There are many other settings and features of this excellent FTP program - you are encouraged to read AceFTP's help files in order to learn more.
