Congratulations !!! You have made the right choice, and you now have a compact, simple, and
intuitive utility that will (1) speed up all your file downloads and (2) save hours of
frustration from those dropped connections when getting files.
Frequently asked Questions
Q. When I try to continue downloading at a later time the program
says "Unable to restart downloading...downloading from the beginning of the
file" ?
A. The FTP server may not support a command needed to restart
downloading from a certain file position. For some unknown reason Microsoft FTP server's
version (1-3) do not support this command.
Q. I try to upload a file to my web site but it says permission
denied?
A. Make sure you are not logging on anonymously to the FTP server.
Use normal connect with your Username and Password and the Anonymous button un-checked.
Q. I can't connect to any sites?
A. It may be that you are trying to connect through a proxy server
to the Internet which is not supported in this version. It could also be that your DNS
settings are not correct or set globally for all programs to access.
Q. Sometimes my computer seems to freeze up when running
ByteCatcher?
A. Some commands in ByteCatcher are a little blocking. Which means
that ByteCatcher waits for a responce from the server and seems to just sit there. It has
a long time out period. This version is less blocking than release one and a later version
will not be blocking at all. (As soon as possible).
A word to the Experts
If you are an expert computer user, you know the advantages of using
FTP downloads to get all those monster new versions, updates and fixes, not to mention
fine shareware programs like this. You will find ByteCatcher™ highly intuitive to
use. Just start your ISP connection (as an expert you know that ISP means “Internet
Service Provider, your connection to the Net), click on the ByteCatcher™ icon, click
on the “Quick” button, enter the FTP address you want, and go. When you locate
the file you want, drag and drop to the folder (subdirectory) you wish on your powerful
computer. And, here is the ByteCatcher™ advantage: if the download is interrupted by
an ISP disconnect, a Net disconnect, or if things are just progressing slowly and you want
to postpone finishing the download until later, just stop the download and you can resume
when you wish. Congratulations on your expertise. Non-experts: you can do this too, but
perhaps you should glance through this Help file.
What is FTP?
FTP is one of those indispensable "computer speak"
abbreviations, and stands for “File Transfer Protocol.” It is a method of
transferring files (either programs, data, graphics, or whatever) from a server to your
computer, the client, or vice-versa. FTP transfers are, usually, faster and smoother than
the transfers of files you get using your web browser, and the FTP servers are often less
busy. Try it, you’ll like it.
Why do I need ByteCatcher™? Resuming interrupted downloads
The Internet has seized the imagination of the world; everybody is on
line. As a result, you know what is happening: servers are busy, the Net is crowded, and
you wait hours to download the latest five million byte upgrade and bug fix for your
favorite program. Then, somewhere in the four millionth byte, after paying for an hour of
time on the Net, you get disconnected for one reason or another. Time to start over.
With ByteCatcher™ you get a simple and smart interface to help you get your files by
FTP, including an address book and sharp tools for file manipulation. But the greatest
feature is this: with most servers, if your transfer is interrupted for any reason (maybe
you are going out to dinner and stop for a couple of hours) with ByteCatcher™ you can
resume exactly where you left off. Not a byte is lost and the file will be seamless when
you finish downloading.
True, modern browsers such as Netscape™ will let you reach FTP
servers, but they don’t have the ByteCatcher™ resume features, or the special
Address Book, or all the rest.
One minute Quick Start: Downloading a file with ByteCatcher™
Perhaps you have read a recommendation in a computer magazine, so you
know the name of the file you want and the FTP server where it is located. You are a
minute away from starting the download. Follow these steps:
(1) Start your ISP connection. (Best, although you can use ByteCatcher™ to go to your
ISP.)
(2) Open ByteCatcher™ by clicking on the
ByteCatcher™ icon.
(3) Click on the “Quick” Button under the
“Log onto Internet” caption.
(4) Fill out the name of the FTP server you want and the full file path.
Start with “ftp.”
(That is ftp and a period), you don’t need to use
“ftp://”. Example:
“ftp.download.com/pub/windows/games/doom ...” You get
the idea.
(5) When you find the file by clicking and browsing the server’s files (or, if you
knew the file path and name, when ByteCatcher™ went directly to the
file), then go to the left pane, open the folder (directory) where you want to put the
file, and drag-and-drop the file name from the right side pane to the left pane and drop
it at your selected folder. Downloading will begin.
(6) If there is any interruption in the download,
fear not. Just click on the button “Download” under the caption“ Continue
last download or upload”. Done.
(7) Don’t forget to disconnect from the server (in ByteCatcher™ menu,
File/Disconnect), and if you are through with the ISP connection, hang up and save time
charges.
Zipped or other compressed files
Note: As you know, many programs and other files are transferred in
“Zipped” (compressed) form, or better yet, as self-extracting zipped files. If
the file name ends in “.zip” you have to unzip with your handy unzip utility. If
it ends in “.exe” you only need to click on the file to have it expand itself
and (if a program) get ready for installation. Some upgrades, like Microsoft’s, are
now arriving as self-installing programs — just click and Bill Gates does all the
work.
Registration and morality
ByteCatcher™ is sold as shareware, so you can try before you buy.
This is convenient for you, saves expenses by dispensing with all that packaging, and cuts
out the middle person. So it is cheap, but it is not free. If you like the program, and
you will, be sure to register and pay. To keep shareware prices low, users must do the
right thing: Register, pay up, and smile at yourself in the mirror. Thanks! 1
ByteCatcher™ in Depth
The
Menu Bar and the Controls
Connecting
to an FTP Server
Downloading
Using
Batch Mode to Download from HTTP and FTP Servers
The
Address Book features
Setup Options in detail
Uploading files
Technical Help
The
Menu Bar and the Controls
About the Menu's
ByteCatcher™ Pro actually changes the menu and toolbar depending on what download
mode you are using. The "Display Mode" menu actually lets you select the FTP
ByteCatcher™ program or the Batch part of ByteCatcher™ that lets you schedule
and download from both HTTP and FTP servers.
The Control Buttons
On the lower right panel of ByteCatcher™ you see several buttons. You can log onto
the Internet by using “Quick” or “Normal” connection. When you use
“Quick” you are automatically logging on as “Anonymous”, and using
your e-mail address as your password. This is the normal way of getting connected to a
server that is open to the public to distribute programs, drivers, updates, and all the
rest. The “Normal” button is used when you need to give a username and a
password. Yet, you will note that under the “Normal” procedure, you can still
log in as “anonymous”. Hmm. Also, be sure to leave the box checked to save
downloads to address book: it is a great convenience.
On the lower left panel, you see a file tree. Clicking on this tree in the normal way
expands the branches. [Note: the menu item to add new sub-folders is called
“Copy”, sub-item “Make Directory”.]
Passing your mouse cursor along the top button bar will give you pop-up identifications
for the buttons, which as usual are quick ways of getting to the menu.
The Menu Bar
On the Menu Bar, “File” allows you to Quick Connect or Normal Connect, just as
the buttons do. When you are connected to a server “Disconnect” does just that.
“Exit” leaves ByteCatcher™ but does not hang up your Internet connection,
so remember to hang up if you are through.
The “View” item lets you hide the bars, go to the download log, or access the
setup options, explained below (also reached by clicking the “Setup” button on
the Button Bar). Incidentally. The Download log is the technical text that appears in the
upper panel of the ByteCatcher™ screen when it is downloading.
The “Display Mode” item lets you select the way in which the remote files are
displayed. The Advanced view allows for more options. "Batch View" allows you to
download files from HTTP servers as well as FTP servers.
The “Copy” item is mostly for manipulating the files on your computer by
deleting, making directories (folders) and so on, but two items give you another way to
start downloading (or uploading) selected files.
“Mode” on the menu bar allows you to select Binary or ASCII (text) transfers.
Ordinarily, leave Binary checked unless you have a special need.
The “Help” item is self-explanatory, and will get you to this splendid Help
file, as well as telling you how to register, and, under “About” giving you the
Save-It web address and your own name as an upstanding registered user.
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Connecting
to an FTP Server
First visit to a server
Using ByteCatcher™’s fine address book is the easiest way to
re-visit a server you have visited before, saving all re-typing of addresses. But, the
first time you visit a server to transfer files, you must type the address. You do not
need to type in “ftp://”, just use the form “ftp.” (Don’t forget
the dot) before the server name. If you know the complete path to the file you want, and
the file name, use it For the normal way of reaching public servers, using the anonymous
login and your e-mail as the password, click the “Quick” button.
“Normal” is the route to go if a password is required.
Locating the file you want
If you do not know the full path to the file you want, you can browse the server’s
files which are shown in the lower right pane. Files designed for downloading are most
often in the “/pub” directory, which then has sub-directories for, say,
“windows/” or “games” or the like.
Of course, if this is not your first trip to ftp.download.com or the Microsoft FTP server,
all you have to do is use the Address Book. Click the “View” button under the
“Address Book” caption, locate the server you want, and click.
Tips on finding FTP addresses
Sometimes, a review will refer you to the full FTP address of a server, and the exact name
of a file. If you don’t have specific information, but you do know the name of the
company operating the web site, try entering “ftp.companyname.com”. It often
works. Or, when viewing a web site with your browser, when files are listed for
downloading, such as the latest upgrade to a driver, pass your cursor over the line
offering the file (usually says “download” or the like). Then, look at the
status bar at the bottom of the browser window; quite often you will see the name of an
FTP server and the full file path. If this works, right click on the link, copy it to the
clipboard and then, in ByteCatcher™, click Quick connect,and when the window opens,
right click and paste in the address opening.
Search engines such as AltaVista (http://www.altavista.digital.com) or Yahoo
(http://www.yahoo.com)or Excite (http://www.excite.com) or all the rest of the
websearchers will help you search for and locate files by name on FTP servers. Better yet,
if looking for files, try a specialized searcher: http://www.filez.com. They claim to have
over 75 million files indexed, which should suffice.
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Downloading
Selecting a directory for the
file
When you download a file, you must select a destination on your computer. Some users like
to download upgrade files to the Windows desktop. Others like to make a number of
sub-folders in the directory where they store files by type (“Utilities”,
“Games”, or such). How you do this is a matter of taste, but if you pay for your
Internet connect time, save money by creating the sub-directory before you log on.
The ByteCatcher™ drag and drop operation is standard Windows. Select the file or
files on the server, hold down the left mouse button, drag to the left pane, release the
mouse button when the cursor is over your desired sub-directory (Windows now calls
directories “Folders”, obviously a major technical advance).
Downloading multiple files
ByteCatcher™ allows you to select several files at once for downloading, or if you
wish, allows you to select all the files in a server sub-directory (on the Menu Bar,
“Copy/Select all files). If you have one download stopped from one site, and then
start and stop a different
download from another site, ByteCatcher™ will allow you to resume both downloads to
completion, a handy trick.
Resuming
interrupted downloads — the Great ByteCatcher™ Advantage
You can stop a download whenever you wish — just click the stop button. When a
download has been interrupted (or voluntarily stopped by you) ByteCatcher™ lets you
resume exactly where you left off. This saves you much time in repeated downloads from
scratch, thus losing all previous time and effort. Resumption is simplicity itself. If you
are connected to the Internet, just click the button labeled “Download” under
the heading “Resume last Download or Upload” in the lower right panel.
Resumption is automatic. You can resume several different partial downloads by selecting
them in the Address Book, and clicking the “Continue Download” button on the
right.
Will resuming always work?
Unfortunately, some Microsoft FTP servers (version 1-3) do not support the command to
resume downloading. The fault, Dear User, is not in ByteCatcher™.
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Using Batch Mode to Download
from HTTP and FTP Servers
Selecting batch mode
To select batch mode simply go to the "Display" menu and select "Batch
View". This will change the program from FTP mode to the Batch mode.
Downloading files
To download files have ByteCatcher™ Pro running in batch mode. Then find the files
you are after using Netscape or Microsoft Internet Explorer to browse the Internet. Once
you have found a link to a file you wish to download simply drag that link to the
ByteCatcher™ Pro list of downloads. Or even easier, just right mouse click on the
link in the web browser and if using Netscape, select "Copy Link Location" from
the pop-up menu. If using Microsoft Internet Explorer select "Copy Shortcut"
from the pop-up menu. ByteCatcher™ Pro will then prompt you for a directory to save
the file. You can also manually type in an address of a download by selecting "Add
URL" from the "Add Job" menu.
Batch mode setup options
Batch mode has three different modes you may select from the "Download Mode"
menu. It also allows you to setup a Timer.
"Download one at a time" causes files to be downloaded one after the other in
the order they appear in the file list.
"Download all files at once" causes files to be downloaded as soon as they are
entered into the file list.
"Batch Downloads" causes files to appear in the list of downloads. You then need
to change the mode to one of the previously mentioned download settings. Then hit the
"Go" toolbar icon to start downloading the batched files.
"Set Timer" allows you to set a timer for ByteCatcher™ to dial the Internet
and download files. You must have the computer and modem turned on.
Scheduling files
So basically the idea for scheduled downloads is to select "Batch Downloads" and
then go off and find the files you wish to download. Once you have all the files you wish
to download in the list, go to the "Set Timer" option. Make sure you select the
Dial-Up connection you use to connect to the Internet from the "Select ISP"
button. Then enter the time you wish to schedule the downloads for. So if it is now 1.00
in the afternoon and you wish to download files at 3.00 the next morning you would enter 3
00 am in the dialog. Also select whether you wish all files to be downloaded at the same
time or one after the other. It's also handy to check the "Shut down computer when
finished". Make sure the "
Active" button is depressed and your all ready. When you OK the dialog the clock on
the ByteCatcher™ toobar should be green to indicate that you are all ready to
download scheduled files.
You can also setup the batch mode so that it doesn't prompt you for a path each time you
add a file to the list. Go to the "View/Options" menu. From there enter a path
for your default directory and check the "Don't prompt for download path"
option.
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The
Address Book features
ByteCatcher™ has a much improved Address Book. By default, all download addresses
will be saved to the Address Book. Or if you go to the “View” menu item, select
“Options, and check “Save downloads to the address book.” With a saved
location, returning is as simple as clicking the Address Book button and selecting the
server.
In the Address Book, you can assign “Friendly” names, or nicknames, to each
address. To add a new address without visiting the server, click “View” for the
Address Book, and click the “New Entry” button. To delete an entry, select it
and click “Delete Entry.”
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Setup
options in detail
Clicking “options” on the “View” menu item brings you to the Setup
window, with quite a few choices. The first, “General Settings”, tab starts with
giving you a choice to set sound signals on or off (default is on, because they are
helpful). In the next section on this tab, you can check or uncheck “Force computer
to shutdown after all downloading complete.” You may be surprised if you concede this
power; caution is advised. Then, in the next section, you can select “Show hidden
files”if you are interested in such things, or select “Save downloads to address
book” (highly recommended), and last, “Overwrite all uploads” if you are
uploading and updating files. The settings next are for the Batch Mode setup. You can
enter a default directory to save you being prompted for a path everytime you wish to
download a file.
The next tab "Connection Settings" allows you to instruct ByteCatcher™
whether to reconnect automatically if disconnected by your kindly ISP. Then, you can set
the delay before ByteCatcher™ tries to reconnect to the Internet. The units in this
small window are NOT seconds, and 36000 units stands for 10 minutes. Also, in the second
small window, you can tell ByteCatcher™ how long to wait to try reconnecting to the
FTP server after reconnection to the Internet. Give ByteCatcher™ a reasonable time
after the attempt at reconnecting, say the 50 second default.
Note for Windows NT users: make sure the Remote Access settings (in the Options/Redial
settings menu) are checked to allow redial on link failure.
The last tab “FTP Settings” begins with a check box for “Use Passive
mode”, which is checked by default. No use getting aggressive here, Passive is
recommended. This is followed by a window for the port number to connect to at the server
(21 is the default). “Proxy server” settings are not surprisingly for those with
a Proxy Server who fill in the host address. It is best to consult the administrator if
filling this out. Last is Socks4 Firewall settings, where the same advice is even more
appropriate.
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Uploading files
In these days of danger from viruses, you will normally need permission and a password to
upload files (“Normal” logon button to enter passwords). ByteCatcher™ works
just as well to handle file uploads as downloads. Select the web pages or other files you
are uploading, and drag and drop to the Server. Special note: ByteCatcher™ even has
the ability to resume interrupted uploads, just as it handles downloads.
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Technical Help
For additional help please contact us via e-mail (technical@save-it.com), we are looking
forward to hearing your comments, suggestions, and praise.
