.zip directories - Some people 'can't access'.

Likeliest cause?

[D_Blackwell]

I've got a .zip that's about 5MB (about 65MB when extracted). Too big to just be sending most people in an email, so have uploaded and provided a link. No problem for most people. They click the link, download the .zip, extract, and that's that.

However, I've had a small, but clear, percentage of people that can't download the .zip; they claim an 'invalid' message, or that the link just doesn't work.

The link is fine, downloads fine in FF, Opera, and IE. I assume that this a browser setting issue that affects a small percentage of users. I'd like to know the most likely explanations for the issues that these people are having. Am assuming that IE is the browser in use in most cases.

[dreamcatcher]

I guess one possible reason is that the link is broken in the e-mail message. Maybe wrapped in the wrong place which puts the link on two lines. Many people don`t see this and click the hyperlinked part, which results in the error.

Just a thought.

dc

[piatkow]

Any consistency in the email providers concerned?

I had heard in the past that links in Yahoo email can be corrupted.

[penders]

Are you linking directly to the .zip file in the email, or linking to the webpage containing the link?

[D_Blackwell]

Maybe wrapped in the wrong place which puts the link on two lines. Many people don`t see this and click the hyperlinked part, which results in the error.

The link is referenced, and then get its own line, and it is short, so should be no wrapping issues. Good thought though.

For example:
The link below is for the the .zip directory that contains the needed files:

www.example.com/adcoppy.zip

Any consistency in the email providers concerned?

Not that I can tell. I am providing ad copy several times a year to a goodly number of editors. Their 'sophistication' varies, so the real pros can use our CMYK .psd or .tif masters, and the barely able to use Pulisher can use one of the RGB .jpgs and get the job done. Color versions, black ink versions, web optimized versions, .psd, .tif, .jpg - I set up color and black folders, zip it up nice and neat and can supply the needs and/or capabilities of a whole lot of people in one shot.

(Getting a confirmation of 'receipt and suitability' is where most of my time is wasted. Unbelievable how many people don't have the courtesy to click 'reply' and send a simple confirmation. They learn right quick that that is a requirement. I'm nice, professional, courteous - but I will get confirmation; it's just too important. We might have to live with mistake for month, or in some cases for a full quarter. NO!)

Are you linking directly to the .zip file in the email, or linking to the webpage containing the link?

As referenced above, the link is right in the email; short and on its own line. I could send them a link to a page with a link to .zip, but not my first choice for keeping it 'quick and easy' for everybody.

Did get a confirmation from one my problem editors today though. The file was showing as fully downloaded, and he was closing out too quickly; i.e., the download was not complete when he thought it was and he was terminating the download a shade early.

[piatkow]

I am afraid that some very intellegent people can also be very unsophisticated at times. Email problems that I can think of:
Broken lines in the link
Email client blocking links
Firewall blocking links
Firewall blocking zip files
Email provider corrupting links
Slow connection - download timing out

There are so many possibilities, mostly at the user's end rather than yours.