Where Can My Users Download Virtual Files?

24 May 2011, 04:32

#1

New Zenner

Join Date:: May 2011
Posts:: 7
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Where Can My Users Download Virtual Files?

So I am rather new to Zen Cart. I have setup zen cart and all of my products are virtual items. I went through the tutorials and added 3 different option names, then aded 3 different attributes, and assigned the files to the attributes. The download manager shows all files were correct and I thought I was done and good on setting up Zen Cart.

Today I had my first sales afterwards, the users successfully paid but unfortunately they cannot find anywhere to download the product. I ended up creating a coupon to allow me to purchase one of the items, and to my surprise there is no area to download the product. I am confused where I might of went wrong or is there a glitch related to downloading product attributes? Where should my users normally be able to see downloadable virtual items in their account manager?

24 May 2011, 06:08

#2

drbyte

Sensei

Join Date:: Jan 2004
Posts:: 63,506
Plugin Contributions:: 173

Re: Where Can My Users Download Virtual Files?

Downloads should not be marked as "virtual" products. Downloads are treated specially as downloads by virtue of having a download file associated with them as an attribute, thus triggering the required handling. If configured as virtual, that download attribute doesn't trigger.

See: https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=71

24 May 2011, 14:06

#3

themayhem

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Re: Where Can My Users Download Virtual Files?

Okay you were right I had a few things setup incorrectly.

Now I'm in an unusual problem, I had 3 customer orders for a particular item that is required for download only. However, the files won't show under their customer history to be able to download this file. How can I update it so that they can download it as well?

24 May 2011, 15:48

#4

drbyte

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Posts:: 63,506
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Re: Where Can My Users Download Virtual Files?

You'll need to either email the file to them manually, or create new orders for them so they can login and download them.

25 May 2011, 21:22

#5

themayhem

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Re: Where Can My Users Download Virtual Files?

DrByte:
You'll need to either email the file to them manually, or create new orders for them so they can login and download them.

I've run into one more problem related to this. When people who've purchased an order go to download the .zip file: They receive a HTTP 400 Bad Request Error :( I checked the admin cp and the file is definately showing as being read and correct under the Download Manager and the file is on ftp, so I don't know why it won't let them download a .zip file and is giving them a 400 error. Any ideas???

25 May 2011, 22:10

#6

drbyte

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Re: Where Can My Users Download Virtual Files?

I don't see that reported very often.
http://www.checkupdown.com/status/E400.html

25 May 2011, 23:23

#7

themayhem

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Re: Where Can My Users Download Virtual Files?

That site basically said it was on the client's side. So ended up trying from my work computer as well as home computer (one using IE and one using firefox) neither worked as it won't load the downloadable .zip.

25 May 2011, 23:44

#8

kobra

Black Belt

Join Date:: Aug 2005
Posts:: 31,500
Plugin Contributions:: 4

Re: Where Can My Users Download Virtual Files?

So ended up trying from my work computer as well as home computer (one using IE and one using firefox) neither worked as it won't load the downloadable .zip.

If setup correctly this functions

You can see the stock download HERE

Create an account, use the money order, I will change the status and you can see in your My Account area the order and the dowload

26 May 2011, 05:22

#9

themayhem

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Join Date:: May 2011
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Re: Where Can My Users Download Virtual Files?

I'm confused, how will registering at your site help fix my 400 error that I am having when users try to download a zip file from a product they purchased?

26 May 2011, 06:15

#10

drbyte

Sensei

Join Date:: Jan 2004
Posts:: 63,506
Plugin Contributions:: 173

Re: Where Can My Users Download Virtual Files?

TheMayhem:
I'm confused, how will registering at your site help fix my 400 error that I am having when users try to download a zip file from a product they purchased?

I'm guessing that kobra was simply pointing you to a normal Zen Cart site set up to demonstrate that the feature does in fact work just fine for most everyone else. Thus the problems you're experiencing are localized to your unique setup.
And/or he's trying to expose whether the problem might be something client-side as you said.

26 May 2011, 06:20

#11

drbyte

Sensei

Join Date:: Jan 2004
Posts:: 63,506
Plugin Contributions:: 173

Re: Where Can My Users Download Virtual Files?

TheMayhem:
I've run into one more problem related to this. When people who've purchased an order go to download the .zip file: They receive a HTTP 400 Bad Request Error :( I checked the admin cp and the file is definately showing as being read and correct under the Download Manager and the file is on ftp, so I don't know why it won't let them download a .zip file and is giving them a 400 error. Any ideas???

Maybe your hosting server can't handle the default method by which Zen Cart serves downloadable files.
By default Zen Cart uses the more secure method of "Download by Redirect", in which it creates a temporary copy of the download file and points your customer to that copy for direct download. If your server can't handle that reliably, then maybe you'll have to turn off the Download By Redirect option and simply serve files directly from their original location in the /download/ folder. That's much less "secure", since customers could share the download link with their friends and let them grab as many copies of the file as they want.

But, it would be worth testing it even temporarily to see if the download works when redirect is disabled.

Another option is to download by streaming, but that has other performance issues depending on your server's capabilities, and can sometimes cause other errors if your server can't handle it. That would be another thing to test, but not the recommended fix.

There's lotsa info available about using downloadable files: simply use the "search" in the FAQs section and search for "download" :blush:

30 May 2011, 21:23

#12

themayhem

New Zenner

Join Date:: May 2011
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Re: Where Can My Users Download Virtual Files?

I just wanted to update this thread for future searching reasons that by using the streaming option instead, my users were able to successfully download the .zip file :)