Including some tips for using the WIU "P:" drive as well
I welcome your feedback on this page. If you have questions or trouble, email cb-dilger at wiu dot edu.
If you are in the WIU computer labs or our classroom, launch WinSCP by clicking the "Lab" folder on the desktop, opening the "Utilities" folder, and clicking "Secure FTP." (You can also skip all the installation steps.)
You can download WinSCP from WinSCP.net.
Download the latest version of the installer to your hard drive, then double-click on it to install the software.
During the installation you will click "enter" quite a bit. For starters, click "enter" until you get to this screen:
At this screen, make sure the options are set to full install, and PuTTYgen & Pageant are check marked to install also. (Just like in the picture.)
Once again, click "enter" until you get to this screen:
Here you should change the setting from "For the current user only" to "For all users."
You can also remove the check from "Create a Quick Launch icon," if you want to. If checked, WinSCP will add another icon to your desktop menu at the lower right.
After changing these settings, click "enter" again until you get to this screen:
Here you should change the setting from "Norton Commander interface" to "Explorer-like interface."
Once again, click "enter," and the installation will begin. When the computer has finished the installation, it will launch the program. (If the program doesn't launch, look for it in your Start menu.)
When the program launches, you will see the login screen which looks like this.
To log in to the WIU server, you will type:
ecom.wiu.edu in the host name box
And
Your ECOM user name and password into their respective boxes, as has already been done in this example.
Also, under protocol, select: "SFTP (allow SCP fallback)."
Then click on "Login."
Since this will be your first time logging in with WinSCP you will see this screen pop up:
Don't be alarmed; this screen pops up for the first time you log in with WinSCP. Click on "Yes." You will not see this warning on subsequent logins, since your computer will now know the identity of the WIU server.
Sometimes it takes a few tries to log in, since the ECOM server is so busy. Just keep hitting "Retry" until it makes a connection.
Once you are connected, you will see this screen:
This is your home directory for your Western Illinois University ECOM account. It is private: others cannot access it. Your mail is in the subdirectory "Mail" here. The subdirectory "Files" contains files which are available from computer classrooms using the "P" drive.
If you have not used ECOM for web pages before, you will need to make a web directory. (This directory will be public.) To do that, click the "Create directory" button (which looks like a folder with a red star on it) and make a directory titled "http".
Once you have made an "http" directory, double-click on it to open it. This is your Web directory.
The WinSCP window for ECOM works like any other Windows file window. You can drag to it, right-click on items in it, and drag from it. To edit files while they are on the server, right-click on the file you want to edit and pick "Edit."
Avoid double-clicking on files in WinSCP windows. This downloads a copy of the file and opens it. You'd be better off checking files on the Web by typing in the address, as below.
Files you put in your http directory on ECOM are available on the web at this address:
http://student.wiu.edu/JR-Student/
Replace "JR-Student" with the first part of your email address. Just add the name of the file at the end, and you should be able to see it. So if you want to see a file called "project-one.html" file, try this address:
http://student.wiu.edu/JR-Student/project-one.html
If you drag a file in and it generates a "Forbidden" error when you try to load it, check the permissions by right-clicking on the file and choosing "Properties." The file should have checks by all the "R" settings, like this:
This means the owner (you), people in your user group (other students), and all others (everyone in the world) can read the file.
If you drag a lot of files into your directory, make sure to check the "Set permissions" box as in the confirmation window below. This will fix the permissions every time.
In computer classrooms on the WIU campus, you can access a "P:" drive under "My Computer" when you are logged in. The files in this drive are on network storage, so you can get to them if you are in Simpkins, Stipes, or other locations. Unlike web pages, files in your "P:" drive are private. They can only be read by you. (You can remember this because the "P:" drive is for your "personal files."
To access the "P:" drive from a computer classroom or lab, just double-click "My Computer" and look for the "P:" drive under "Network drives." The icon looks like this:
Double-click this icon to open your P: drive. It will look like any other directory or disk. You can open and save files to the P: drive just like a hard drive or a USB thumb drive.
To access the P: drive from home, install WinSCP as above. But don't worry about the "http" stuff (unless you want to make web pages). Instead, after you've logged into the ecom server, double-click the "Files" folder. You will see the same files you see from the computer labs.
From home, you should not double-click files in the "Files" folder (the P: drive) to work with them on your computer. Drag them from the WinSCP window to your desktop or your My Documents folder. When you are finished working on them, drag them back to the "Files" folder in the WinSCP window.
I welcome your feedback on this web page. Email cb-dilger at wiu dot edu (I'd put a clickable email address here, but I already get enough spam).