Dreamweaver 4.0's FTP implementation is incompatible with the newer "virtual" web servers, which do not allow ftp users to access the root ( / ) directory of the server.

Dreamweaver ftp always requires "CWD" access to root ( / ) for some functions, such as writing a folder or deleting a file in a folder to which the ftp user does have access. It fails because newer virtual web servers do not allow access to root ( / ). Dreamweaver's ftp does not require root access when it writes a file to an ftp user's directory, only when it tries to write a folder or to delete a file in that ftp user's directory.

Dreamweaver's ftp failures occur regardless of folder or file permissions on the server. Other ftp utilities have no problem writing folders and deleting files; only Dreamweaver ftp has this problem. It's a simple problem: Dreamweaver tries to CWD to root, and newer servers do not allow this.

Macromedia, why don't you put up a tech note describing this problem? Or better yet, provide a patch?

Rob Weinberg