1. What do I need in order to use the File Manager?
2. How do I access the File Manager?
3. How do I open a Folder?
4. How do I see which files I have on my site?
5. How do I upload files from my computer?
6. How do I create folders and files online?
7. How do I create/edit files online?
8. How do I preview my pages as I edit?
9. How do I delete folders and files?
10. How do I move files?
11. How do I change permissions on folders and files?
12. How do I log out of the File Manager?
13. How do I unzip a .zip or .gz file? Bonus tutorial!

(View screenshots by clicking the eyeglasses    images.)

1. What do I need in order to use the File Manager in my cPanel?
   To use the File Manager, you must first be logged into your CPanel, with a browser that supports file uploading, Javascript, and cookies, all of which must be enabled. (Netscape 7 or 8, Internet Explorer 5.1 or 6x, Opera, Firefox, and all Mozilla-based browsers will work just fine.) Go to http://yourdomainname.com/cpanel (use your actual domain URL of course) and log in.
   
   You can also log into your cPanel from the Crosswinds website.
   
   
2. How do I access the File Manager?
   Once you have logged into your cPanel, to access the File Manager, click on Tools on the top menu and then choose the File Manager link on the left hand side menu. Your File Manager will open in a new window.  
        To log in:
   • Enter your User ID - username
   • Enter your account password - *********
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3. How do I open a Folder?
   To open any folder, click the icon to the left of the folder name. (Clicking the folder name itself will select the folder for some other action, but will not open it.)
   
   
4. How do I see which files I have on my site?
   Once in the File Manager, you will be at the root (topmost) level of your account space. On the left hand side, you will see a list of all the folders that are in your account. Find the folder entitled public_html. This is the folder where your website files go. Open that folder, and you will see a list of all subdirectories and files inside your account/web space.  
   
   
5. How do I upload files from my computer?
   Log in to the File Manager and open the public_html folder. Near the top of the list of files is a link entitled Upload file(s). Click the folder icon beside that link (again, not the text, the folder image next to it). When the new page opens, you'll see 12 slots, each with its own Browse button. Click each Browse... button to locate the file for uploading from your hard drive. You can upload up to 12 files at a time.  
   
   When you have chosen the files to upload, ensure that the overwrite existing files box is checked. Then click on the Upload button to upload your files to your website.
   
   Once the files are uploaded, a confirmation will appear, confirming the names of the files which were successfully uploaded to your site. You can make changes to to the file on your hard drive and re-upload it at any time, overwriting what was there. Or you can edit the file with the online text editor (but it won't automatically save a local backup for you).
   
   Important:  File names are case sensitive.  If you re-upload a file, make sure you use the same letter case in the name which you began with, or it will be treated as a new file, instead of replacing the old version.
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6. How do I create a new folder or subdirectory?
   Each folder inside your public_html folder is a subdirectory of your website. To create a new folder, first make sure you are inside your public_html directory (i.e. open it first). Then click the Create New Folder link. Type the name of the folder into the window beside Create directory named in the top right side of the page. Then click the create button. Your newly created folder will now appear in the list on the left hand side of the page.
   
   To upload files to the folder you just created, first open the folder, then upload the files.
   
   
7. How do I create/edit a file?
   You may use the online text editor to create new or edit existing web pages and scripts.
   
   To create a file online, click the Create New File link that appears on the left side of the page. Type the name of the new file in the window that appears on the right side of the page. Use the dropdown list to choose the file type you are creating. Remember to include the extension of the file (.html, .php, .css, etc.) Click the Create button. The file name will appear in the list on the left side of the page.
   
   To edit an existing file, click the file name to select it. You will see a list of options on the top right side of the page. Choose Edit File. A text editor will appear, allowing you to type or paste the coding for your page. when you have finished your edits, click the Save link to save your changes.
   
   (Creating and editing online does not automatically make a backup copy of your work. Remember to copy and paste your edited text into a text editor on your hard drive as well, and save it as a backup.)
   
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8. How do I preview my pages as I edit?
   To see your pages while editing, open a 2nd browser window (or tab, if your browser allows tabbed browsing), while keeping the editor open. Enter the address of your website, and navigate to the page you just created or edited. Each time you Save new changes, simply Reload/Refresh your other browser window to view your revised page.
   
   
9. How do I delete folders and files?
   Select the file that is to be deleted, by clicking its name. In the list of options that appear on the right side of the File Manager, click the Delete File link. There will be a confirmation of the deletion and the file name will then appear in the trash area.  
   
   Empty Trash to permanently remove the file from your webspace. Until the trash is emptied, you can restore the file. However, once the trash is emptied, the delete will be permanent. To restore a permanently deleted file, upload it again from your hard drive.
   
   
10. How do I move files?
    Select the file name and look at the list of options on the top right side of the page. Choose Move File. All the files in your directory will appear on the left side of the page. Click a folder icon to navigate to that folder. Click a folder name to select and move the file into it. A confirmation of the move will appear on the top right side of the page.
    
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11. How do I change permissions on folders and files?
    To change permissions in the File Manager, select the file name to be changed and look at the list of options on the top right side of the page. Choose Change Permissions. You'll see options to either change the read-write-execute settings, or to edit the chmod numerical setting directly.  
    
    For more information on file permissions, see our (new!) chmod tutorial.
    
    
12. How do I log out of the File Manager?
    To log out, close the File Manager and return to your cPanel. At the top left, there is a little red button; click on it to log out. But please note that the only secure way to log out is to close all instances of your web browser, and clear your cookies and history. This is especially important if you are using a shared computer.
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