Question

28 Sep 09 09 - Vb.Net 1.1 - Download file from a web server

Asked by: emoreau

Hi

I am tired! I just spent a couple of hours trying many things with no great success.

What I am trying to do is to download a file from a web server. You will surely, no big deal, just use WebClient.DownloadFile! That's what I thought too until I found that some files (.tmp for example) cannot be downloaded (and an error 404 is returned).

Constraints:
-I have to use VS.Net 2003 (.Net Framework 1.1)
-I cannot change IIS settings

Do you know magic settings that would let WebClient.DownloadFile to work with all files?

or

Do you know another method that my application can use to download the files?

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Asked On
2009-09-22 at 17:58:46ID24753579
Topics

Microsoft Visual Basic.Net

,

.NET Framework 1.x

,

Microsoft Visual C#.Net

Participating Experts
3
Points
0
Comments
8

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Answers

 

by: rkworldsPosted on 2009-09-22 at 20:52:57ID: 25399893

 

by: x_comPosted on 2009-09-22 at 21:02:27ID: 25399928

Hi emoreau,
>>..I found that some files (.tmp for example) cannot be downloaded (and an error 404 is returned).
Do you able to access the .tmp file that mentioned via URL address? It seem like "Page not found" for the error 404 as returned. You only able to access the file using WebClient.DownloadFile method if the file is accessible via HTTP for example.
Not sure if any restrictions for the WebClient.DownloadFile method that used as long as the URI is valid. Perhaps you can try HttpWebResponse if you're looking for other alternative. Check this article for further details:
http://www.geekpedia.com/tutorial179_Creating-a-download-manager-in-Csharp.html

Hope it helps you to further on your research the existing solution finding.

 

by: emoreauPosted on 2009-09-23 at 04:28:48ID: 25401860

rkworlds

the code of your link uses HttpWebRequest which I have already tried and gives the same error.


x_com

The URL is valid. IE itself returns an error 404 when I click on the file (the URL is good, I just click on the file on the list). IE let me do a right-click and use the Save As option. It seems that the files not handled by IIS returns this error.

I have tried one implementation of HttpWebResponse and it gave me the same error (unless there are some settings I can add to change the behavior).

As for your link, the code is using WebClient and OpenRead which have the same problem.

 

by: CodeCruiserPosted on 2009-09-23 at 04:49:11ID: 25402015

The problem, as you said, seems to be with the file types not registered in IIS. Try this link

http://vbnet.mvps.org/index.html?code/internet/urldownloadtofile.htm

http://www.vb-helper.com/howto_download_url_to_file.html

 

by: emoreauPosted on 2009-09-23 at 05:10:11ID: 25402159

both links are using URLDownloadToFile which leads to the same error.

I think I will have to switch to FTP.

 

by: emoreauPosted on 2009-09-23 at 08:23:13ID: 25404227

I have finally switched over FTP using the library at http://www.codeproject.com/KB/IP/ftplib.aspx.

I think I will ask to send the question to PAQ. Any objections?

 

by: x_comPosted on 2009-09-23 at 22:28:23ID: 25410304

No problem. Glad to hear you resolve on your research.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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