Tip: In case of troubles/problems during transfer, you can have a look at
the hts-err.txt (and hts-log.txt) file to see what happened. These log files report all
events that may be useful to detect a problem. You can also ajust the debug level of the log files in the options
General questions:
Troubleshooting:
Other problems:
Not related problems:
Troubleshooting:
Q: Only the first page is caught. What's wrong?
A: First, check the hts-err.txt error log file - this can give you precious informations.
The problem can be a website that redirects you to another site (for example, www.someweb.com to public.someweb.com) :
in this case, use filters to accept this site
This can be, also, a problem in the HTTrack options (link depth too low, for example)
Q: With WinHTTrack, sometimes the minimize in system tray causes a crash!
A: This bug sometimes appears in the shell on some systems. If you encounter this problem, avoid minimizing the window!
Q: URLs with https:// are not working!
A: HTTrack does not support https (secure socket layer protocol), only http protocol
Q: Files are created with strange names, like '-1.html'!
A: Check the build options (you may have selected user-defined structure with wrong parameters!)
Q: When capturing real audio links (.ra), I only get a shortcut!
A: Yes. The audio/video realtime streaming capture is not yet supported
Q: Using user:password@address is not working!
A: Again, first check the hts-err.txt error log file - this can give you precious informations
The site may have a different authentication scheme (form based authentication, for example)
Q: When I use HTTrack, nothing is mirrored (no files) What's
happening?
A: First, be sure that the URL typed is correct. Then, check if you need to use a
proxy server (see proxy options in WinHTTrack or the -P proxy:port option in the
command line program). The site you want to mirror may only accept certain browsers. You
can change your "browser identity" with the Browser ID option in the OPTION box.
Finally, you can have a look at the hts-err.txt (and hts-log.txt) file to see what
happened.
Q: There are missing files! What's happening?
A: You may want to capture files that are in a different folder, or in another web site.
In this case, HTTrack do not capture them automatically, you have to ask it to do.
For that, use the filters.
Example: You are downloading http://www.someweb.com/foo/ and can not get .jpg images located
in http://www.someweb.com/bar/ (for example, http://www.someweb.com/bar/blue.jpg)
Then, add the filter rule +www.someweb.com/bar/*.jpg to accept all .jpg files from this location
You can, also, accept all files from the /bar folder with +www.someweb.com/bar/*, or only html files with +www.someweb.com/bar/*.html and so on..
Q: FTP links are not caught! What's happening?
A: FTP files are seen as external links. You have either to accept all external links (See the links options, -n option) or
only specific files (see filters section).
Example: You are downloading http://www.someweb.com/foo/ and can not get ftp://ftp.someweb.com files
Then, add the filter rule +ftp://ftp.someweb.com/* to accept all ftp files from this location
Q: I'm downloading too many files! What can I do?
A: This is often the case when you use too large filters, for example +*.html, which asks the
engine to catch all .html pages (even ones on other sites!). In this case, try to use more specific filters, like +www.someweb.com/specificfolder/*.html
If you still have too many files, use filters to avoid somes files. For example, if you have too many files from www.someweb.com/big/,
use -www.someweb.com/big/* to avoid all files from this folder.
Q: File types are sometimes changed! Why?
A: By default, HTTrack tries to know the type of remote files. This is useful when links like
http://www.someweb.com/foo.cgi?id=1 can be either HTML pages, images or anything else.
Locally, foo.cgi will not be recognized as an html page, or as an image, by your browser. HTTrack has to rename the file
as foo.html or foo.gif so that it can be viewed.
Sometimes, however, some data files are seen by the remote server as html files, or images : in this case HTTrack is
being fooled.. and rename the file. You can avoid this by disabling the type checking in the option pannel.
Q: I can not access to several pages (access forbidden, or redirect to another location), but I can with my browser, what's going on?
A: You may need cookies! Cookies are specific datas (for example, your username or password) that are sent to your browser once
you have logged in certain sites so that you only have to log-in once. For example, after having entered your username in a website, you can
view pages and articles, and the next time you will go to this site, you will not have to re-enter your username/password.
To "merge" your personnal cookies to an HTTrack project, just copy the cookies.txt file from your Netscape folder (or the cookies located into the Temporary Internet Files folder for IE)
into your project folder (or even the HTTrack folder)
Q: Some pages can't be seen, or are displayed with errors!
A: Some pages may include javascript or java files that are not recognized. For
example, generated filenames. There may be transfer problems, too (broken pipe, etc.). But
most mirrors do work. We still are working to improve the mirror quality of HTTrack.
Q: Some Java applets do not work properly!
A: Java applets may not work in some cases, for example if HTTrack failed to detect all included classes
or files called within the class file. Sometimes, Java applets need to be online, because remote files are
directly caught. Finally, the site structure can be incompatible with the class (always try to keep the original site structure
when you want to get Java classes)
If there is no way to make some classes work properly, you can exclude them with the filters.
They will be available, but only online.
Q: HTTrack is being idle for a long time without
transfering. What's happening?
A: Maybe you try to reach some very slow sites. Try a lower TimeOut value (see
options, or -Txx option in the command line program). Note that you will abandon
the entire site (except if the option is unchecked) if a timeout happen You can, with the
Shell version, skip some slow files, too.
Q: I want to update a site, but it's taking too much time! What's happening?
A: First, HTTrack always tries to minimize the download flow by interrogating the server about the
file changes. But, because HTTrack has to rescan all files from the begining to rebuild the local site structure,
it can takes some time.
Besides, some servers are not very smart and always consider that they get newer files, forcing HTTrack to reload them,
even if no changes have been made!
Q: I am behind a firewall. What can I do?
A: You need to use a proxy, too. Ask your administrator to know the proxy server's
name/port. Then, use the proxy field in HTTrack or use the -P proxy:port option
in the command line program.
Q: HTTrack has crashed during a mirror, what's happening?
A: We are trying to avoid bugs and problems so that the program can be as reliable as
possible. But we can not be infallible. If you occurs a bug, please check if you have the
latest release of HTTrack, and send us an email with a detailed description of your
problem (OS type, addresses concerned, crash description, and everything you deem to be
necessary). This may help the other users too.
Q: I want to update a mirrored project, but HTTrack is retransfering all pages. What's going on?
A: First, HTTrack always rescan all local pages to reconstitute the website structure, and it can take some time.
Then, it asks the server if the files that are stored locally are up-to-date. On most sites, pages are not
updated frequently, and the update process is fast. But some sites have dynamically-generated pages that are considered as
"newer" than the local ones.. even if there are identical! Unfortunately, there is no possibility to avoid this problem,
which is strongly linked with the server abilities.
Q: HTTrack window sometimes "disappears" at then end of a mirrored project. What's going on?
A: This is a known bug in the interface. It does NOT affect the quality of the mirror, however. We are still hunting it down,
but this is a smart bug..
Questions concerning a mirror:
Q: I want to mirror a Web site, but there are some files outside
the domain, too. How to retrieve them?
A: If you just want to retrieve files that can be reached through links, just activate
the 'get file near links' option. But if you want to retrieve html pages too, you can both
use wildcards or explicit addresses ; e.g. add www.someweb.com/* to accept all
files and pages from www.someweb.com.
Q: I have forgotten some URLs of files during a long
mirror.. Should I redo all?
A: No, if you have kept the 'cache' files (in hts-cache), cached files will not be
retransfered.
Q: I just want to retrieve all ZIP files or other files in a web
site/in a page. How to do it?
A: You can use different methods. You can use the 'get files near a link' option if
files are in a foreign domain. You can use, too, a filter adress: adding +*.zip
in the URL list (or in the filter list) will accept all ZIP files, even if these files are
outside the address.
Example : httrack www.someweb.com/someaddress.html +*.zip will allow
you to retrieve all zip files that are linked on the site.
Q: There are ZIP files in a page, but I don't want to transfer
them. How to do?
A: Just filter them: add -*.zip in the filter list.
Q: I don't want to load gif files.. but what may happen if I
watch the page?
A: If you have filtered gif files (-*.gif), links to gif files will be
rebuild so that your browser can find them on the server.
Q: I get all types of files on a web site, but I didn't select
them on filters!
A: By default, HTTrack retrieves all types of files on authorized links. To avoid
that, define filters like -* +<website>/*.html
+<website>/*.htm +<website>/ +*.<type wanted>
Example: httrack www.someweb.com/index.html -* +www.someweb.com/*.htm* +www.someweb.com/*.gif +www.someweb.com/*.jpg
Q: When I use filters, I get too many files!
A: You are using too large filters, for example *.html will get ALL html
files identified. If you want to get all files on an address, use www.<address>/*.html.
There are lots of possibilities using filters.
Example:httrack www.someweb.com +*.someweb.com/*.htm*
Q: When I use filters, I can't access another domain, but I
have filtered it!
A: You may have done a mistake declaring filters, for example +www.someweb.com/*
-*someweb* will not work, because -*someweb* has an upper priority (because it has
been declared after +www.someweb.com)
Q: Must I add a '+' or '-' in the filter list when I want
to use filters?
A: YES. '+' is for accepting links and '-' to avoid them. If you forget it, HTTrack
will consider that you want to accept a filter if there is a wild card in the syntax - e.g.
+<filter> if identical to <filter> if <filter> contains a wild card (*)
(else it will be considered as a normal link to mirror)
Q: I want to find file(s) in a web-site. How to do?
A: You can use the filters: forbid all files (add a -* in the
filter list) and accept only html files and the file(s) you want to retrieve (BUT do not
forget to add +<website>*.html in the filter list, or pages will not be
scanned! Add the name of files you want with a */ before ; i.e. if you want to
retrieve file.zip, add */file.zip)
Example:httrack www.someweb.com +www.someweb.com/*.htm* +thefileiwant.zip
Q: I want to download ftp files/ftp site. How to do?
A: First, HTTrack is not the best tool to download many ftp files. Its ftp engine is basic (even if reget are
possible) and if your purpose is to download a complete site, use a specific client.
You can download ftp files just by typing the URL, such as ftp://ftp.somesite.com/pub/files/file010.zip and list ftp directories
like ftp://ftp.somesite.com/pub/files/.
Note: For the filters, use something like +ftp://ftp.somesite.com/*
Q: How can I retrieve .asp or .cgi sources instead of .html result?
A: You can't! For security reasons, web servers do not allow that.
Q: How can I remove these annoying <!-- Mirrored from... --> from html files?
A: Use the footer option (-&F, or see the WinHTTrack options)
Q: Do I have to select between ascii/binary transfer mode?
A: No, http files are always transfered as binary files. Ftp files, too (even if ascii mode could be selected)
Q: Can HTTrack perform form-based authentication?
A: Yes. See the URL capture abilities (--catchurl for command-line release, or in the WinHTTrack interface)
Q: Can I redirect downloads to tar/zip archive?
A: Yes. See the shell system command option (-V option for command-line release)
Q: Can I use username/password authentication on a site?
A: Yes. Use user:password@your_url (example: http://foo:bar@www.someweb.com/private/mybox.html)
Q: Can I use username/password authentication for a proxy?
A: Yes. Use user:password@your_proxy_name as your proxy name (example: smith:foo@proxy.mycorp.com)
Q: Can HTTrack generates HP-UX or ISO9660 compatible files?
A: Yes. See the build options (-N, or see the WinHTTrack options)
Q: If there any SOCKS support?
A: Not yet!
Q: What's this hts-cache directory? Can I remove it?
A: NO if you want to update the site, because this directory is used by HTTrack for this purpose.
If you remove it, options and URLs will not be available for updating the site
Q: Can I start a mirror from my bookmarks?
A: Yes. Drag&Drop your bookmark.html file to the WinHTTrack window (or use file://filename for command-line release) and select
bookmark mirroring (mirror all links in pages, -Y) or bookmark testing (--testlinks)
Other problems:
Q: My problerm is not listed!
A: Feel free to contact us!
Not related problems:
Q: My washing machine is out of order!
A: This is not the topic of this FAQ!