Preventing People from Accessing my ebooks..

[samadams_2006]

I have a Web Site that I'm interested in selling eBooks from. I'm
having a problem setting it up as I would like, and hope that someone
can help me out.

Inside my domain I have a folder called eBooks. Inside this folder I
have some eBooks, such as eggrecipes.pdf

If the user types in the URL <domain>/eBooks/eggrecipes.pdf the eBook
eggrecipes.pdf will appear in the browser.

I don't want this to happen. Instead, I would like for the browser to
say "access not available" or something like that. Anything, but for
the user to be able to see and view and download this pdf file by only
typing in the address in the URL.

I've turned "directory browsing" on my account to "off"...I thought
that would work, but I can still type in the URL, and see the eBook.

You may be wondering why I want to even have the eBook on this Web Site
if users can't view it. Well, I want them to purchase this eBook from
my Web Site, and once they do, it will be forwarded to them via
software.

Understand? What do I need to do ?

Thanks so Much...

 

[John Timney \(MVP\)]

This link will help, its a tutorial on how to protect your PDF files and
serve them as streams instead of allowing connections to the file

http://www.johntimney.com/home/redir.aspx?p=http://www.codeproject.com/aspnet/SecureFileDownload.asp

It even comes with sample code!

--
Regards

John Timney (MVP)
VISIT MY WEBSITE:
http://www.johntimney.com

 

[Laurent Bugnion]

Hi,

I have a Web Site that I'm interested in selling eBooks from. I'm
having a problem setting it up as I would like, and hope that someone
can help me out.

Inside my domain I have a folder called eBooks. Inside this folder I
have some eBooks, such as eggrecipes.pdf

If the user types in the URL <domain>/eBooks/eggrecipes.pdf the eBook
eggrecipes.pdf will appear in the browser.

No offense meant, but... are you sure you're qualified to make an
e-commerce website, when you don't know how to handle the security on
the server?

I ask genuinely, and I understand that there is a learning curve in
managing a server, but it seems to me that these are very basic things.

I don't want this to happen. Instead, I would like for the browser to
say "access not available" or something like that. Anything, but for
the user to be able to see and view and download this pdf file by only
typing in the address in the URL.

I've turned "directory browsing" on my account to "off"...I thought
that would work, but I can still type in the URL, and see the eBook.

Directory browsing tells the server that if the folder name is entered
in the browser's location bar, the server should return a list of all
files in that folder, formatted as HTML. If you turn directory browsing
off, it will return an error page, but file access is still allowed.

You must absolutely place your protected files in a folder that is not
accessible to the anonymous users. Depending on which server you have,
there are different possibilities. On IIS, you can set the folder's
permission using Windows' security dialog. Once the user pays for the
file, you copy it to a non-protected folder and you allow access with a
hyperlink for a limited period of time. Or, you give the user a username
and password for that folder. Or you send the file per email. Many
possibilities.

You may be wondering why I want to even have the eBook on this Web Site
if users can't view it. Well, I want them to purchase this eBook from
my Web Site, and once they do, it will be forwarded to them via
software.

Understand? What do I need to do ?

Thanks so Much...

Greetings,
Laurent

 

[William LaMartin]

On the server you need to set the folder in question's properties to that
the files cannot be browsed. If it is a FrontPage web, this can be done from
FrontPage. Also perhaps your web host gives this feature in their online
server utilities.