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Here are answers to commonly asked questions about using Fetch.

  1. What do I enter in the Hostname, Username and Password fields?
  2. How do I make Fetch start up with the information for my server or website?
  3. How do I create, delete or change shortcuts?
  4. How do I upload more than one file at a time?
  5. How do I make downloaded files open in the correct application?
  6. How can I view or set permissions of a folder without waiting for Fetch to calculate the size?
  7. How do I connect to an FTP or SFTP server on a non-standard port?
  8. How do I disconnect from a server?
  9. How can I see the modification times for files?
  10. How do I use my shortcuts from a previous version of Fetch in Fetch 5.3?
  11. How do I move my shortcuts from one Macintosh to another?
  12. How do I upload CGI scripts in ASCII format?
  13. How do I connect to my AOL web/FTP space?

1. What do I enter in the Hostname, Username and Password fields?

You need to enter the hostname (something like "home.example.com" or "ftp.example.net") of the server you want to transfer files from or to, and the username (something like "smith97" or "billsbakery") and password for your account on that server. If this is an account you've purchased from a Internet service provider, that provider should be able to tell you what to enter. See the What do I enter in the hostname, username, and password fields? help topic for more information.

2. How do I make Fetch start up with the information for my server or website?

You can make Fetch automatically fill out the Hostname and Username fields in the New Connection dialog by using a default shortcut. Fill out your server's information in the New Connection dialog, choose Make Shortcut from the Shortcuts pop-up menu to the right of the Hostname field, and check the Make this the default shortcut box. See the making Fetch start with information for your server or website help topic for more detailed steps.

3. How do I create, delete or change shortcuts?

To create a shortcut, use the Make Shortcut command in the Shortcuts pop-up menu in the New Connection dialog, or the Shortcuts > New Shortcut command, or drag an item from a transfer window to the Fetch Shortcuts window. For more detailed steps, see the creating a shortcut help topic.

To delete a shortcut, choose Shortcuts > Show Shortcuts, select the shortcut in the Fetch Shortcuts window, and choose Edit > Delete or press the Delete key. To change a shortcut, choose Shortcuts > Show Shortcuts, select the shortcut in the Fetch Shortcuts window and choose Shortcuts > Edit Shortcut. For more information, see the deleting or changing a shortcut help topic.

4. How do I upload more than one file at a time?

There are several different ways to upload multiple files (or entire folders) with one command:

  • Either click the Put button in the transfer window toolbar or choose Remote > Put, and then either select a folder, or hold down the Command or Shift keys while clicking to select multiple files
  • Drag file and folder icons from the Finder to a Fetch transfer window
  • Create a droplet shortcut for your server and drag files and folders to it in the Finder or Dock

If you want to only upload new or changed files in a folder, you may want to use the Mirror command in the Remote menu. See the Mirror window or mirroring a local folder to a remote folder help topics for more information.

5. How do I make downloaded files open in the correct application?

Normally Fetch uses the extension at the end of a file's name to set the application that a file will open with. Usually Fetch will choose the same application that the Finder uses to open files with a specific extension. However, you can change which application will open which extension in the Transfer Options pane of the info window in Fetch — see the changing the application a file opens with help topic.

Also, if files have been encoded in a special format that preserves Macintosh information, such as BinHex, MacBinary, AppleSingle, Zip Archive, or StuffIt X Archive, the files will open in the application originally specified for those files when they were uploaded. If the setting was different on the computer that uploaded those files than on yours, they may not open in the application you expect.

6. How can I view or set permissions of a folder without waiting for Fetch to calculate the size?

Hold down the Option key while choosing Get Info to open an info window for the selected folders without calculating their size first. See the Get Quick Info topic for more information.

7. How do I connect to an FTP or SFTP server on a non-standard port?

Click the disclosure button in the New Connection dialog to reveal the field for entering a non-standard port.

8. How do I disconnect from a server?

To disconnect from a server, simply close the Fetch transfer window for that server. If you do not want to close the transfer window, leave it open and Fetch will automatically disconnect from the server after approximately 5 minutes (the status pane will display "Disconnected" once this happens). Fetch will automatically reconnect if you decide to work with the transfer window again.

9. How can I see the modification times for files?

While it does not show the modification times by default, you can resize the Date column in the file list to show the time as well as date. To resize a column in the file list, click the vertical line between the titles of two columns and drag. You may need to make another column (such as the Name column) narrower before you can make the Date column wider. You can use the Get Info command to see the modification time of a single file.

10. How do I use my shortcuts from a previous version of Fetch in Fetch 5.3?

The first time you open Fetch 5.3, it will automatically read and upgrade your shortcuts from your previous version of Fetch. However, Fetch 5.3 stores shortcuts in a different format than some previous versions of Fetch, so while you can continue to use Fetch 5.3 and an earlier version of Fetch on the same Macintosh, you may not see changes you make to the Fetch 5.3 shortcuts in the previous versions of Fetch, and vice versa.

Fetch 5.1 and later store your shortcuts in a file named "com.fetchsoftworks.Fetch.Shortcuts.plist" in the Preferences folder in the Library folder in your home folder. Fetch 5 and Fetch 4.0.3 both stored shortcuts in a file named "Fetch Shortcuts" in that same location. (After you upgrade, you will have both files — the older file is saved both as a backup, and in case you want to continue to use the earlier version of Fetch.)

If you are using a new system disk, or upgrading to Mac OS X, you can copy the com.fetchsoftworks.Fetch.Shortcuts.plist or Fetch Shortcuts file from the old disk to the right place on your new system disk. (On OS 9, the Fetch Shortcuts file is located in the Preferences folder in your System Folder.) See the moving shortcuts to another Macintosh help topic for more information.

11. How do I move my shortcuts from one Macintosh to another?

If you are upgrading to a new Macintosh, or use multiple Macintosh computers and would like to have the same Fetch shortcuts on each computer, see the moving shortcuts to another Macintosh help topic for detailed steps on moving your shortcuts to another computer.

12. How do I upload CGI scripts in ASCII format?

Fetch refers to ASCII format as Text format. To upload files in Text format, choose Text from the Format submenu of the Remote menu, and then choose the Remote > Put menu command or click the Put button in the transfer window toolbar.

13. How do I connect to my AOL web/FTP space?

Due to changes made by AOL as of October 2007, there is no reliable way to use Fetch or any external FTP client to connect to the AOL web/FTP space. The only reliable way to connect is to use either the AOL Hometown File Manager or the FTP client built into the AOL software. We do not know if this is a temporary issue or a permanent change.

Below are some old instructions; you can try them, but please be aware that they are unlikely to work unless AOL has fixed the problem with their servers.

In order to be able to use Fetch with your AOL website, you must first open the AOL software, sign in to AOL with your screen name, and then stay signed in (leave the AOL software running) the whole time you are using Fetch. AOL will not let Fetch access your web space if you are not signed in with the AOL software at the same time on the same Macintosh. (This is true regardless of whether you are accessing AOL with dial-up or with a high-speed Internet connection such as DSL or a cable modem.)

Then, in Fetch, connect to the AOL web server by entering the following in the New Connection dialog:

Hostname: members.aol.com
Username: ftp
Connect Using: FTP
Password: your-AOL-screenname@aol.com
(replace "your-AOL-screenname" with your screen name).

If your AOL account doesn't offer unlimited use - charges are incurred for every minute you are signed on - you can avoid charges by entering a "free" area via keywords such as "billing" while you are uploading files in Fetch. Fetch will work normally while you are in a free AOL area.

If you encounter a problem, you should make sure you have the latest version of the AOL software for Mac OS X; some earlier versions did not allow you to access your AOL web space with Fetch. You can download the AOL software from the AOL website.

For information relating to other providers, see the connection information for popular Internet providers help topic.

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