[eltopo76]

I'm new to web developing and have only been running my website for about three months. Usually I host MP3 files at my site, but I've enlisted the help of someone who records concerts in lossless FLAC and SHN files. He has uploaded a handful of concerts to my FTP, and I can take the files directly off the FTP, play them and burn them--the files seem fine. However, when I create links on test pages for my site, Internet Explorer cannot download them, and gives the error:

"Internet Explorer cannot download [file name w/flac extension] from [website]. Internet Explorer was not able to open this Internet site. The requested site is either unavailable or cannot be found. Please try again later."

I have had others try this from their computers, and they receive the same error.

I know the link paths are correct. Thinking it might be a problem with the folder permissions, I have tried putting the FLAC files in my folder with the rest of my MP3 files, which I normally use, but they still can't be downloaded. From this FLAC folder I've tried downloading an MP3 file, as well as a .txt file that my concert-recording-friend uploaded, and those download fine. So I would think it would be a problem with the file format or the file size. I have hosted large .wav files on my site and the bandwidth should be large enough to handle these FLAC files (500,000 MB), so this has me stumped. Any ideas?

I'm using Windows XP, and Macromedia Dreamweaver 8.

[covert215]

It doesn't seem like a very common file extension. Is there anything you can install that would allow IE to read it?

[brendandonhu]

500,000 MB = 488 gigabytes, are you sure that's the right size?
Anyway, are you able to download them if you right click the link and choose Save Target As?

[covert215]

Is the file 500000 MB or the bandwidth? It would make more sense for the bandwidth to be that size.

[eltopo76]

Sorry to confuse, the bandwidth allotment is 500,000 MB, not the file size! The file sizes are about 35,000 KB max for each.

Right-clicking and trying "save target as" is the problem. I can take the files directly off the FTP by logging into my FTP and copying and pasting them onto my desktop, and they work fine, but I can't use them as downloadable links.

The FLAC page is http://flac.sourceforge.net/

My testing page, where the links are not working, is http://www.opticalatlas.com/captain23test.html

I've emailed my hosting service tech support group on the off-chance they can help, but I'd like to know what I can check to narrow the possible problems.

[covert215]

Your server may not support the file extension. Try to find a plug-in.

[brendandonhu]

Servers don't need "plug-ins' to support file extensions...
It could be a MIME type problem: http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;326965

It might also be that your host a limit on the size of files to be downloaded.

[eltopo76]

I was advised by my server's tech support to change the extensions from .flac to .fla, and now they work. Seems like a workaround, but I'll live with it. Thanks for your help.

[covert215]

.fla are flash files that have not been exported to .swf files. I also just thought of a reason it may not have worked. Not all servers support more than 3 letter file extensions. That is why .htm is used more often than .html.

[Squashman]

Must be the crappy IIS webserver they are running. I downloaded one of your .fla files and renamed the file extension to .flac

I put it up on my webserver which is running Apache on Linux and it had no problems downloading the file. with a .flac extension. Seems to be either a path problem or an IIS problem.

I wonder if this is the problem.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pro....mspx?mfr=true

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kba...MIMETypes.html

[eltopo76]

This problem has now been fixed. It was in fact a MIME problem. Both .flac and .shn have been added to my MIME types, and the files now download. Thanks everyone!

[brendandonhu]