# How do I download, NOT OPEN, an AVI file with out using Save Target As



## neonwaters (Aug 1, 2002)

I have some *.avi files I would like to let my users download from my Flash interface. But as most of you know when you click on a *.avi file it opens in IE not even giving you the option to download it to your desktop and view it later. So I would like to know if there is any way around this?

Yes I know I can rename the *.avi file to something else and I know I can zip it but I would like to keep it untouched.

I also know you can right click and choose "Save Target As" but not while in Flash and I want to keep it simple.

Let me know if you know a way to do this inside of Flash or even in HTML / J-script.

Thanks,
~ ~ NEONWATERS ~ ~


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## brendandonhu (Jul 8, 2002)

Nope this has to do with MIME types on the server and the user's settings. Maybe it could be done with a server-side download script like the CGI ones that many download sites use to track number of downloads.


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## ched (Apr 14, 2003)

I am not sure what it is, but there some ftp commands that you can put into the link when creating a .swf. Try a search for ftp, script, download - it may be something like "tell target", but I can't give you exact command line (cause I don't know)


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## Casey820 (May 3, 2002)

Whether or not a file opens or downloads when clicked on in the browser depends on the user's settings. I configure all file types to prompt me to download before opening. I don't see how you'd control this behavior on a web site, but if someone has configured AVIs to behave a certain way and they don't, they're likely to end up here wondering what's wrong with their computer. Let people handle files the way they want to.


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## steamwiz (Oct 4, 2002)

I would tend to agree with Casey820 - it all depends whether the user has "confirm open after download" ticked or not for .avi files

steam


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## neonwaters (Aug 1, 2002)

If you have WinZIP set to open all your zip files and you click on a zip file through IE it asks you what to do with it "save or open" but if you click on an avi, mp3, txt, pdf..... it opens it without asking.

So how can I change it on my computer (IE6, Win-XP) so that it will ask me what to do when I click on an avi? Step by step, please.

Thanks
~ ~ NEONWATERS ~ ~


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## ched (Apr 14, 2003)

This is all very true - but there are other ways to do it. One example is if you have ftp service available from your sites server, you could always point your link to that protocall --- instead of http://yoursite.com/file.avi - if the link was ftp://yoursite.com/file.avi that right there would initiate a download box opening.

And I'm sure that I read somewhere either on a forum, or faq / rfc page that there is a way to put that command inside flash file. If I have time, I'll try to find it in the next couple days.

On your own computer, change your file associations.

Open an exploer window, "Tools, Folder Options, and the file types tab.


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## steamwiz (Oct 4, 2002)

Hi neonwaters

Step by step

1. Click "my computer" icon on desktop
2. Click "view"
3. Click "folder options
4. Click "file types"
5. Scroll down to "video clip" and highlight (it should say extension: AVI
6. Click "edit"
7. Place a tick in the box "confirm open after download"
8. click OK
9. click OK again
10. It should ask you if you want to save or open now !

steam


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## Shadow2531 (Apr 30, 2001)

You could always just offer a "download" page with links where people could right-click save as.

You just have to instruct the visitors in one way or another that they have the option to go to the download page if they would rather download the avi file.


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