I use cookie password protection (love it!) but I found a problem with the folders that include just PDF files -- search engines have spidered them and now they are accessible to anyone who does a search on the topic! This is all property of my client and users have to pay for access to the site. Since I cannot put the "<? include" line in PDF files is there another way I can protect them? Thanks, any help would be greatly appreciated!

Rename the folder where you have your PDF files and use file protection (included in Cookie Password Protection) to protect your files.

I thought about using the File Protection program but I don't know how to get it to work. When I use the program as it's listed in the README (e.g. <A HREF="<? echo fileprotect("/SITE/manual/PDFSDONE/C1b_K_Intro3.pdf",0); ?>">Text</A>

All I get is a page error and this: <a href="

I am using cookie protection 1.1 on this page...I have this at the top and the page is protected:
<? include("/public_html/SITE/protection/protection.php"); ?>

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks!

Susan

You should not use the entire path in the code, only the file name.

First you need to make sure you have the version of Cookie Password Protection 1.1 that includes FileProtection. To find out if file protection is included you simply open settings.php and search for the following code:
Set $hiddendirectory to the full path to the hidden directory where you will hide your files. Then you only need to use the file name, like this:

Hi:

I have the same problem with v2.7 and at a lost. I put the full path in $hiddendirectory and in my normal html page I put a link

<A HREF="<? echo fileprotect("testfilename.pdf",0); ?>">TEST Link</A>

When I click on the Test Link on the page, it took me to my homepage index.htm instead. What have I done wrong? Could it be the full path I enter for $hiddendirectory is incorrect or something else.

Please help.

Thanks a lot.

jamestay, I wouldn't call your problem the same as skallsens problem.

Create a new directory (for example members) and make a new file called index.php in it. Password protect index.php and put all your links to the PDF files in it (keep the actual files in the hidden directory). Then it will work.

Thanks so much for your reply. Unfortunately, it still links to my homepage index.htm. I must be a nut or what.



What I do is this:
- first, I entered the path in the settins.php $hiddendirectory="/homepages/1/d115147745/htdocs/pdfprotection";
- then I put all my pdf files inside pdfprotection folder to be protected
- create the index.php (with direct link to my pdf files), insert protection and put inside pdfprotection folder
- on my normal html web page, I add a link
<A HREF="<?echo fileprotect("index.php",0); ?>">Read PDF<?A>

When I click on the "Read PDF", the browser takes me back to my homepage index.htm. Same problem with path /kendun/.../pdfprotection

I have no problem to protect a php file that is in the same directory as the protection.php is installed but no luck with PDF files inside a protected folder.

What have I done wrong? Full path not right? Please help. I am desperate.

Thanks.

You end up at your main index file because that's what you have told the script to do.

You did correct when you put all your PDF files in pdfprotection, but the protected index.php shouldn't be in that same directory! Instead create a new direcoty outside of pdfprotection (for example members)and put the index.php in that directory.

On your normal webpage you put a link like this

Since you have the protection code at the top of members/index.php the member have to login first and will then see a list of links to your PDF files. The links to your PDF files should be protected by the file protection code like this:


Please also read my last post in this topic.

Thank you so much for your great support and service. Yes, it works just find now.

Kudos to you, Bylla. The support has been superb and thanks again.

Search Google to see how but you should create a new folder - edit .htaccess to tell all search engines - i.e. google - not to spider files in your pdf file, depending on your amount of users you could also set up a user and password for the fodler, so entering the url of the pdf file will not allow users in at all and not being able to skip the password protected php file

also think about hotlink protection

Not sure if your host will support all these but worth a look and maybe worth upgrading to a better host with those features

When you use file protection (http://www.xaviermedia.com/php/fileprotection.phtml) you don't need to worry about hotlink protection because that's already built in. File protection will create links that are only valid for a specific number of minutes, so if Google spider the document it will only get the invalid login page.

i am having sort of the same problem.. except that when you click to read a pdf file, you get forwarded to "login incorrect" page. I followed all the steps above and I know everything is set up correctly. The only thing I am thinking that might be wrong now is the path. I am trying to find out from techies if I have the correct one. lmk if you think something else could be wrong

$hiddendirectory = "/websites/mydomain.com/pdfdir <-- in settings file
<a href="<? echo fileprotect("myfile.pdf",0); ?>"> <-- on my content page

btw.. forgot to mention.. the script seriously kicks ass

Make sure the path is correct and that you have correct cookie settings, the part where you set the domain name (.sampleaddress.com).