The download manager allows your users to download and save files when using SiteKiosk. However, this tool has been introduced, first and foremost, to help you stay in control of your user's downloads at all times.
In addition, all displayable media files, such as .gif, .jpg, .txt, etc., will show in a new browser window.
Note regarding Hotmail
You can, of course, also use the download manager to receive and download E-Mail file attachments through E-Mail gateways such as yahoo.com. However, sometimes the popular gateway "Hotmail" is an exception to this rule. In this case you will not be able to download file attachments using this service due to way the downloads are handled on the Hotmail Web page (downloads are not started directly but through redirects).
What you can do instead is use the regular IE download dialog box for Hotmail. Please refer to item 6 below if you have this problem. This, of course, also applies to other sites that use redirects for downloads, which might cause problems.
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If turned on, users are allowed to download files and further configuration options can be accessed.
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| Allow Downloads |
Download options
Download folder
Lets you specify the folder to which users are allowed to save their downloaded files. Please activate the SiteKiosk File Manager as well. Otherwise, users will not be able to access the downloaded files.
Note
By default SiteKiosk uses the folder ..\Documents and Settings\All Users\[Shared] Documents\SiteKiosk for downloads. For compatibility reasons (mainly user rights) we recommend to keep using this folder.
Delete downloaded files
Turn this box on if you want to have the system delete the files saved by your users at specific times.
- Delete files on logout or exit of SiteKiosk
all files saved in the specified folder will be deleted automatically whenever the user clicks on Logout, when the screensaver comes on, when the remaining credit amounts to zero, and every time the user exits SiteKiosk.
- Delete only files that are older than X hours
all files saved in the specified folder will be deleted as soon as their creation date is older than the number of hours you specify here.
Caution:
Please note that ALL the files stored in the folders you specified will be deleted, i.e. including the ones that had already been there prior to your installation of SiteKiosk.
Go to SETTINGS to include other folders whose contents you want to have deleted automatically.
Restrict downloads
Permit downloads from specified URLs only
A click on SETTINGS takes you to a dialog box in which you can limit downloads to certain Internet addresses.
Deny download of files larger than X MB
This option lets you define the maximum size of the files your users will be allowed to download. Downloads where the file size is indicated from the very beginning will be cancelled even before the download process has started. Downloads of files for which the files size is not indicated will not be cancelled until the threshold value you defined is reached.
Note:
The maximum number of simultaneous downloads is limited to three.
Charging for downloads
When used in combination with the Payment Module, the download manager also allows you to charge your users for every single download. You will find the corresponding settings under Payment Devices / Service Rates.
Linking downloads
Some file formats allow you to either display downloaded files in the browser window or to directly open them in a default application linked to the file format. What this means is that you can set up SiteKiosk in a way that, for example, a .jpg file will directly be opened in a graphics application such as Microsoft's Paint.
DownloadManager.XML File
For all changes you want to introduce you will have to go to the file DownloadManager.xml which is located in the folder XML under SiteKiosk' installation directory.
Download options (if necessary, modify the .xml file)
For each triggered download you can assign the following download options to the file extensions HTML, HTM, DOC, GIF, PNG, BMP, JPG, TXT, PDF, DLL:
- Value 0: Cancel download
(file will not be downloaded)
- Value 1: File will only be downloaded to the browser's cache folder
(e.g. for .htm and .html files)
- Value 2: File will be downloaded to the browser's cache folder before it is copied to the specified download folder
(Default value)
'Open' options (if necessary, modify the .xml file)
You can assign the following 'Open' options to the file extensions:
- Value 0: File will be downloaded but not opened
- Value 1: File will open in the default application linked to this file extension
You can view and alter the settings for the linked applications under 'My Computer'/Tools/Folder Options/File Types
- Value 2: Once the download has been completed, the file will open in the SiteKiosk browser
- Value 3: When the download is complete, the file will open in the application you specify here
Special cases
Some file types used on the Internet do not evoke a download dialog. This is because these file types are associated with programs. For example .mpg files are linked to the Media Player 10 (if installed). You can change this setting. Read how...»
A so-called ActiveX plugin for Internet Explorer allows you to open Microsoft Office documents directly in your browser.
This plugin is often installed along with the other components of Microsoft Office.
To check if this plugin works on your system, simply follow a link connecting to an Office document.
(example: google "test filetype:ppt" and follow a ppt link).
If you are shown an option to open this file and the file is displayed correctly in Internet Explorer, the ActiveX plugin is active and functions properly.
Note:
To open MS Office files also in the SiteKiosk Browser like in the IE you have to make some settings in Windows. To make these settings you need administrator rights. All settings you've made in the DownloadManager.xml regarding these filetypes will not be considered anymore because the ActivX PlugIn appeales before.
SiteKiosk 6.x:
1. Please open the Explorer or My Computer
2. Go to -->Tools-->Folder Options-->File Types
3. Choose the requested file types (PPT and PPS for PowerPoint,
DOC for Word, XLS for Excel)
4. Select Advanced and deselect the checkbox "Confirm open
after download" in the next dialog window
These settings are for all users, also for the SiteKiosk user.
Sitekiosk 6.5 or later:
1. Use an editor to open your .skcfg configuration file in directory
..\SiteKiosk\Config\..
2. Look for the following entries:
<open-ppt-pps-in-browser>true</open-ppt-pps-in-browser>
<open-doc-in-browser>false</open-doc-in-browser>
<open-xsl-in-browser>false</open-xsl-in-browser>
3. Set the respective entries to
"true" to open these file types in the SiteKiosk browser or
"false" to open them in Download Manager
Disable Download Manager and allow normal IE download dialog box
SiteKiosk now also features an option to disable Download Manager for certain pages in favor of the regular Internet Explorer download dialog box. However, to take advantage of this feature you will have to open SiteKiosk's configuration file .skcfg with an editor and make some changes to the following section:
<download-manager enabled="true">
Please insert the following entry:
<msdownloaddlg-urls>
<url>http://aWebPage.com/*</url>
</msdownloaddlg-urls> The URL line stands for the URL you want to allow. Instead of writing down the complete URL, you can also use wildcard characters (*).
To find out about the specific URL you want to allow the IE download dialog to use, use the SiteKiosk logfiles. Go to the configuration wizard and make sure the logfiles are enabled. Check the debug output window option as well. Now, start SiteKiosk and try the download. The additional window will show you the log entries as well as the exact download URL.
Notes and tips:
- You will usually not be able to further use downloaded files under Win98/ME/NT because SiteKiosk denies users to access the hard drive structure on these operating systems. Thus, the only reasonable approach would be to save files directly to other portable drives.
- User attempts to access the hard drive under WinXP/2000 do not represent a problem (provided the Security Manager is turned on).
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