Managing your files with File Manager
Overview
This guide shows you how to access the system-wide File Manager for your server. The File Manager is useful as a low-volume GUI to interact with all of the files on your server.
Instructions
The (gs) Grid-Service File Manager is provided as a convenient way to access your files from the AccountCenter Control Panel. You can quickly upload a file, change a file's name or permissions, or edit the contents of a plain text file.
1. Sign into the AccountCenter.
2. Click on your primary domain. See Figure 1 for reference.
Figure 1: Your primary domain links to your (gs) Grid-Service Control Panel.
3. Click on the File Manager tool.
Figure 2: Allows you to use your browser to transfer files to and from your server.
You should see a list of folders, like this:
Figure 3: An example of the list of folders you see when you click on the File Manager tool.
You now have several options:
- To enter a folder, click on its name. For example, if I wanted to see my domains, I would click on the domains folder name. Website files are in domains/example.com/html (replace example.com with your own domain name).
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To create a folder, click on Add a new folder on the upper right. See Figure 4 for the location of this button.
Figure 4: This will allow you to create a new folder in the current directory. -
To upload a file, click on Upload a file on the upper right. See Figure 5 for the location of this button.
Figure 5: This will allow you to upload a file in the current directory.
Browse to the file on your computer, type the name for the file, then click upload. See Figure 6 for details:
Figure 6: Uploading a file is easy as 1, 2, and 3.
Figure 7: Tools available to use - edit, delete, and download.
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To download a file, click on the globe-and-arrow button next to it. See Figure 7 for location of this icon.
- Note that the file will be downloaded in a compressed format. More about downloads below.
- To delete a file or empty folder, click on the red X next to it.See Figure 7 for location of this icon.
- To rename, edit, or change permissions on a file or folder, click on the gears-shaped button next to it. See Figure 7 for location of this icon.
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Rename: Type the new name of the file or folder at the end of the file path shown at the top.
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Edit: Use the large text editor field to edit the contents of a file. It must be a plain text file (like an HTML or PHP file).
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Permissions: Check or uncheck permissions as desired. See File Permissions for a detailed explanation of permissions and security.
Always download a copy of your original file before making changes. That way you can revert to it if necessary.
This concludes the capabilities of the File Manager. To upload more than one file at a time, we suggest that you use a FTP (File Transfer Protocol) client. See FTP for suggestions and instructions.
- Need to see where you are? Or need to jump back to a different folder? You can quickly navigate the folder structure with the Current Folder links right above the list of files. Just click on the name of the folder you want to go back to.
Questions and troubleshooting
Downloaded files look wrong
Files downloaded from the File Manager will typically be in plain text, so you can view them with a text editor.
If, however, you open the file with a text editor and it is full of crazy symbols, your file may be a binary file (that will never look like recognizable code), or it may be in a compressed format. Compressed files typically have something like .gz or .zip at the end.
To access these files on your computer, open the file with a decompression utility, such as 7-Zip for Windows or StuffIt Expander for Mac. Your computer may also decompress it automatically when you open the file.
I can't upload a file with the same name
The File Manager will not allow you to overwrite an existing file on the server. You must first delete or rename the existing file, or choose a different name for the new file.
Upload takes too long or doesn't finish
Browsers generally don't handle large file uploads very well. Please use a dedicated FTP program to upload files larger than 5 MB, or if you are having trouble with your File Manager upload.
I can't delete folders
As a precaution, we do not allow folders with any kind of content to be deleted. You can either enter that folder and first delete its contents, and then finally delete the higher-level folder, or use a dedicated FTP client to delete multiple files and folders at once.
Folders with the name of . or ..
It is standard to include two folders inside every folder, one called . and one called ..:
The folder with one period is a link to "this folder itself." If you click on it, you'll stay in the same folder, but you will notice a /. being added to your Current Folder. You will still be viewing the same folders.
The folder with two periods is a link to the folder above it. If you click on it, you will go back one folder level. Note that if you've clicked the one with one period first, you'll have to click this one twice to get rid of the /. and then go back a level.
- View system files.
- Edit system files.
- Change the permissions and ownership on a file.
- Upload or download system files.
For more extensive file manipulation, we recommend using SSH instead. See Connecting via SSH to your server and Common SSH commands.
The File Manager will not allow you to edit long files (such as your php.ini) using the GUI. You should download the file, edit it, then upload it again. Or, use SSH.
Container File Manager
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Log into your Plesk Power User Panel as root. The username is root. If you need to set your root password, please see the following article: How do I enable root access to my (dv)?
You can access your Power User Panel directly by visiting https://example.com:4643/, or you can follow these steps:
- Log into the Server Administration Panel.
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Click on Tools & Utilities in the left sidebar. See Figure 4:
Figure 4. Click on Tools & Utilities on the left. -
Scroll down to the Server Management section, then click on the Manage Your Container link. See Figure 5:
Figure 5. Click on Manage Your Container.Your Power User Panel will open in a new tab or window.
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Click on File Manager. See Figure 6:
Figure 6. Click on File Manager. -
You can now browse all the files on your server within Plesk. See Figure 7:
Figure 7. Browse the File Manager.Now that you're in the File Manager, you can:
- Upload a file with the Upload Files tool at the top. Use Choose File to browse to your file, then click Upload. Click + to upload multiple files.
- Click on a folder to enter it.
- Click on a file to download it.
- Under the Actions column: Click on the hand icon to be able to change several administrative properties of the file, such as name, permissions, and ownership. See Figure 8:
Figure 8. This tool allows you to edit your file name, permissions, and ownership.- Type a new name next to Name to change the file name.
- Check and uncheck permissions (see File permissions for more info).
- Select the correct user and group from the dropdown menus.
- Click Submit when you are done making changes.
- Click on the down-arrow icon to download a copy of a file.
- Click on the pen icon to edit a file. (Note that this works only for short files.)
It is not recommended to upload files to your domains using this File Manager. The files will belong to the root user instead of the appropriate domain user. You can upload files via the domain-level File Manager instead, if you want to use the Plesk GUI.
Do not change ownership on files unless you have a good reason. Do not change permissions on files to 777 (everything checked) apart from testing purposes, as this is a security risk.
Domain File Manager
There is also a File Manager under each domain. It is useful for making a quick edit or upload to one of your website files. For more extensive operations, we recommend using FTP. To reach this File Manager:
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Log into the Plesk Control Panel for your domain. See Figure 9:
Figure 9. The Plesk Control Panel. Click for a larger view.If you log into Plesk with the admin user, you will be in the Server Administration Panel by default. To get to the Control Panel, click on Domains, then on the Control Panel link next to your domain.
You can also create a user that will log into the Control Panel by default, which will save you a few clicks on day-to-day webmaster tasks. See (dv)_4.0:Control Panel user.
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Click on Websites & Domains. See Figure 10:
Figure 10. Click on Domains. -
Click on the File Manager tool. See Figure 11:
Figure 11. Click on File Manager. -
Now that you are in the File Manager, you will be able to manage your files. See Figure 12:
Figure 12. Manage your files.- To upload a file, click Add New File, then use Choose File to browse to your file and click OK.
- Click on a folder to enter it.
- Click on a file to view it.
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Under the Tools column:
- Click on the red cursor icon to change a file or folder name.
- Click on the green arrow to preview the page in your browser (does not provide a perfect site preview).
- Click on the eye icon to view the file.
- Click on the pen icon to edit the file.
- Click on the green dot icon to use a WYSIWYG editor (not recommended).
- Click on the disk icon to download a copy of the file.
- View system files.
- Edit system files.
- Change the permissions and ownership on a file.
- Upload or download system files.
For more extensive file manipulation, we recommend using SSH instead. See Connecting to your server via SSH and Common SSH commands.
End of Life Warning
This service has a pending End of Life. Please move to a current service as soon as possible. For more information, please see: (dv) Dedicated-Virtual 4.0: Migration Information.
CAUTION:
Please do not use the File Manager interface to edit larger files (such as the php.ini file). Larger files may become truncated or corrupted if they are edited in this way. Instead you should download the file, edit it in a plain text editor, and upload it again. Or, use SSH.
Virtuozzo File Manager
- Log into Plesk as root. The username is root. If you need to set your root password, please see the following article: How do I enable root access to my (dv)?
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Click on Virtuozzo in the left column. See Figure 1:
Figure 1. Click on Virtuozzo. -
Click on File Manager. See Figure 2:
Figure 2. Click on File Manager. -
You can now browse all the files on your server within Plesk. See Figure 3:
Figure 3. Browse the File Manager.Now that you're in the File Manager, you can:
- Upload a file with the Upload File tool at the top. Use Choose File to browse to your file, then click Upload.
- Click on a folder to enter it.
- Click on a file to download it.
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Under the Actions column:
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Click on the hand icon to be able to change several administrative properties of the file, such as name, permissions, and ownership. See Figure 4:
Figure 4. This tool allows you to edit your file name, permissions, and ownership. - Type a new name next to Name to change the file name.
- Check and uncheck permissions (see File permissions for more info).
- Select the correct user and group from the dropdown menus.
- Click Submit when you are done making changes.
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Click on the hand icon to be able to change several administrative properties of the file, such as name, permissions, and ownership. See Figure 4:
- Click on the disk icon to download a copy of a file.
- Click on the pencil-and-paper icon to edit a file. (Remember that this only works for short files.)
It is not recommended to upload files to your domains using this File Manager. The files will belong to the root user instead of the appropriate domain user. You can upload files via the domain-level File Manager instead, if you want to use the Plesk GUI.
Do not change ownership on files unless you have a good reason. Do not change permissions on files to 777 (everything checked) apart from testing purposes, as this is a security risk.
Domain File Manager
There is also a File Manager under each domain. It is useful for making a quick edit or upload to one of your website files. For more extensive operations, we recommend using FTP. To reach this File Manager:
- Log into Plesk.
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Click on Domains on the left. See Figure 4:
Figure 4. Click on Domains. -
Select your domain from the list. See Figure 5:
Figure 5. Select your domain from the list. -
Click on the File Manager tool. See Figure 6:
Figure 6. Click on File Manager. -
Now that you are in the File Manager, you will be able to manage your files. See Figure 7:
Figure 7. Manage your files.- To upload a file, click Add New File, then browse to your file and click OK.
- Click on a folder to enter it.
- Click on a file to view it.
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Under the Tools column:
- Click on the red cursor icon to change a file or folder name.
- Click on the green arrow to preview the page in your browser (does not provide a perfect site preview).
- Click on the eye icon to view the file.
- Click on the pen icon to edit the file.
- Click on the green dot icon to use a WYSIWYG editor (not recommended).
1. MarceloCan I unzip files inside any folder inside File Manager?
2. Elite Hello Marcelo. No. The File Manager is a simple FTP GUI. Instead, you can connect to your (gs) via SSH and unzip your file.