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When you have your own domain, one of the things that you inevitably need to deal with is managing the files on it. At some point you are going to need to upload, download, rename, or delete something. Unfortunately, the web based tools (such as cpanel) provided by web hosts are generally clunky and annoying to use. Fortunately, there is a better way and that way is FTP (File Transfer Protocol).

One way to use FTP is to install an FTP client, but an easier way is to just use Windows Explorer.  Start by opening Windows Explorer (you can use Window key + E as a shortcut).  In the address bar, type “ftp://[your domain logon ID]@[your domain name]” and hit enter.  For example, if my domain logon id was “user”, I would type “ftp://user@17of26.com”.  Note that if you just type “ftp://[your domain name]” then you will wind up in the publicly accessible FTP directory on your domain, which is generally not what you want.

Using FTP with Windows Explorer in Vista

After hitting enter, you will be prompted for your password.  Type in your password and hit enter or click the “Log On” button.

Log On Dialog Box

Once you’ve logged in successfully, you’ll be able to access the files on your domain the same way as you would files on your local hard drive:

Much Better – Using Windows Explorer to Manage Files on Your Domain