How can I reduce storage space? How can I identify large files?

I am in a mess, no doubt my own fault, and I have no idea how to fix things. I am limiting this post to just one of my problems.

I created my website with Xara Web Designer 365. For a few months I used free Xara hosting but then purchased a domain from Xara. I therefore have two domains - www.wonershhistory.co.uk and the free one, which I don't update or use, www.wonershhistorysociety.xara.hosting.

I recently tried to publish changes to my site and received the error message 'insufficient storage' (500Mb max). I upgraded to Premium which has 2Gb storage so in addition to two domains I now have two software packages - Standard and Premium. I only mention this in case it has anything to do with the storage problem.

When I again tried to publish my updates it succeeded, albeit very slowly, but I appear to have now used almost 1.5Gb in the process. The new update largely consisted of one page which has links to history society bulletin pdfs.

Firstly, other than not have links to the pdfs at all, is there a way to limit the amount of space they take up?

Secondly, when I go to the control panel I can't see where all the space is being used. I know things add up but nothing looks huge. I have raised a ticket but don't hold out much hope as, other than an acknowledgment, Xara did not respond to my last ticket.

I would be grateful for any suggestions.

Forgot to say ... the page with pdf links is password protected because it is for members only so won't be visible to any forum member who looks to see what I am talking about.

Hi,

I rarely use Magix hosting so I'm no expert here.

Two points. Does the domain you purchased from Magix just point to your current free space? In other words is the domain purchase just for the domain name but without additional hosting. If so you seem to be duplicating your site on the Magix server, the one that the domain points to and the other that only the non domain url points to.

Secondly, if your running out of space on the Magix server, host the pdf's on Google drive or Dropbox or similar, you can also do the same with images if you require.. Google Drive offers you 15GB free storage, compared to your miserable 2Gb from Magix, which remains 'forever' whereas your site on Magix is only free for each year you upgrade Xara.

Try the attached example, the pdf is hosted on my Google Drive.

If your problem really is the .pdf file sizes, publish them in a lower res (some will specifically be listed as for the web). Depending on which program you use to create the .pdf files the sizes can vary greatly, as in 20mb down to 2.5mb for the same publication. It adds up in a hurry.

I'm less of an expert than egg as I don't use magix hosting at all - but the hosting we do use does auto-backup, and that can add up quickly too and needs purging every now and then

Firstly, hosting the pdfs on Dropbox or Google Drive is a brilliant, and very simple, idea. I tried to look at your example but the pdf had no link.

If I use Dropbox, how do I find the link to use? I tried opening a pdf saved in Dropbox and then copied the url. When I then used that as the link and previewed it, it went straight to Dropbox sign in. I expect I am using the wrong link.

I'm sorry but I don't really understand your question about the domains and where they point to. All I can say is that when I first created and published a website it was the free sort that ended .Xara.hosting. A while later I bought a domain name and now publish to that (with Xara still hosting). When I upgraded to Premium (which appears to be Magix), I installed the upgrade, opened it and then opened my website. Then I published changes and now have a site of 1.44Gb.

As you say, it does rather seem as though everything has doubled up.

Can you suggest anything please? Have Xara/Magix stopped responding to tickets do you know?

Jenny

"If your problem really is the .pdf file sizes, publish them in a lower res (some will specifically be listed as for the web). Depending on which program you use to create the .pdf files the sizes can vary greatly, as in 20mb down to 2.5mb for the same publication. It adds up in a hurry."

I have found something online that compresses pdfs. Is that the sort of thing you mean? The only problem is I can only compress two docs and hour.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by handrawn

I'm less of an expert than egg as I don't use magix hosting at all - but the hosting we do use does auto-backup, and that can add up quickly too and needs purging every now and then

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Good idea, I can feel a purge coming on.

Can you access this link?

LINK

The above link is for Dropbox. It's not ideal as it only gives you access to a folder containing pdf's (one in this case)

The Google drive is better as it opens the pdf directly in the browser.

Click on the link below & Click on the Cruise Schedule 2015 pdf link.

LINK

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Egg Bramhill

The above link is for Dropbox. It's not ideal as it only gives you access to a folder containing pdf's (one in this case)

The Google drive is better as it opens the pdf directly in the browser.

Click on the link below & Click on the Cruise Schedule 2015 pdf link.

LINK

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The Drive version is much better so that's what I'll use - thank you.

Are you able to help with the storage issue?

Hi,

Starting with Dropbox, if you are in Dropbox online, then click on the Share button beside the file. This opens a window and at the right is a hotlink "Copy URL." Click on this and the URL will be copied to the clipboard. That is what you use as the link. If you have installed the Dropbox app to your computer, there will be a Dropbox icon in the tray at the bottom right of the screen. Clicking on this opens a window with recent files. When you mouse over a file, you will see "Copy link." Selecting it copies the link to the clipboard.

As for whether or not you have Magix or Xara hosting with Premium, you have Xara because you have yourname.xara.hosting, not yourname.magix.net. It's just that Magix processes payments now. When you go to Xara-online.com, log in to the Control Center and click on "OPEN WEB SPACE," you see the screen below. On that, you see how much space used. You can check all of your files uploaded. Once you have your new version ready to be uploaded with links to pdf file and you have made sure that they are not in the subfolder corresponding to the website design file, then delete everything from the online screen and upload everything from Xara. This will give you a clean upload. Remember, anything that was uploaded before, like a photo, remains in the webspace unless you delete from the webspace, even if you have removed it from your website design. Also, anything in the corresponding subfolder on your computer will get uploaded, I believe, so you have to clean up both places.

Attachment 120040

In my design, everything except Nathalie is myname.xara.hosting. The Nathalie stuff is for the one domain name that I purchased with M Hosting. I original had several videos embedded in this site and they took up most of my available space. I switched to linking to these from the Magix Album and deleted the mp4 files from the site. When I uploaded the changes, the mp4 files were uploaded again. It took a while before I realized that it was because the mp4 files were still in the subfolder associated with my web design file. Everything in that folder gets uploaded.

The second window shows a similar screen but for my magix hosting. I purchased this with Xara DPX9 which was how it used to be. Then Magix/Xara changed to Xara hosting, and they told me that the upgrade coupon for XDPX10, I believe, was only good for the new Xara hosting, not Magix hosting. So I ended up with both. With Magix hosting, I have another domain plus use of the magix.net which is similar to xara.hosting, plus the Magix online album (100GB of space). For some reason that Magix could never explain, I only have 500 MB instead of the 2 GB that I was supposed to get for the web page storage, not that I need it.

Attachment 120041

If you go to Magix.com, click on Web, you'll see "PUBLISH ONLINE" and then "Online Album." This will give you the screen to purchase the Magix.net package instead of Xara. The main focus is on the Magix album. To be complete, other than the album, the domain comes with 5 email addresses. The Xara version has none, at least I don't have any with the domain that I purchased for the Nathalie site.
HTH

Quote:

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Originally Posted by browj2

Hi,

Starting with Dropbox, if you are in Dropbox online, then click on the Share button beside the file. This opens a window and at the right is a hotlink "Copy URL." Click on this and the URL will be copied to the clipboard. That is what you use as the link. If you have installed the Dropbox app to your computer, there will be a Dropbox icon in the tray at the bottom right of the screen. Clicking on this opens a window with recent files. When you mouse over a file, you will see "Copy link." Selecting it copies the link to the clipboard.

As for whether or not you have Magix or Xara hosting with Premium, you have Xara because you have yourname.xara.hosting, not yourname.magix.net. It's just that Magix processes payments now. When you go to Xara-online.com, log in to the Control Center and click on "OPEN WEB SPACE," you see the screen below. On that, you see how much space used. You can check all of your files uploaded. Once you have your new version ready to be uploaded with links to pdf file and you have made sure that they are not in the subfolder corresponding to the website design file, then delete everything from the online screen and upload everything from Xara. This will give you a clean upload. Remember, anything that was uploaded before, like a photo, remains in the webspace unless you delete from the webspace, even if you have removed it from your website design. Also, anything in the corresponding subfolder on your computer will get uploaded, I believe, so you have to clean up both places.

Attachment 120040

In my design, everything except Nathalie is myname.xara.hosting. The Nathalie stuff is for the one domain name that I purchased with M Hosting. I original had several videos embedded in this site and they took up most of my available space. I switched to linking to these from the Magix Album and deleted the mp4 files from the site. When I uploaded the changes, the mp4 files were uploaded again. It took a while before I realized that it was because the mp4 files were still in the subfolder associated with my web design file. Everything in that folder gets uploaded.

The second window shows a similar screen but for my magix hosting. I purchased this with Xara DPX9 which was how it used to be. Then Magix/Xara changed to Xara hosting, and they told me that the upgrade coupon for XDPX10, I believe, was only good for the new Xara hosting, not Magix hosting. So I ended up with both. With Magix hosting, I have another domain plus use of the magix.net which is similar to xara.hosting, plus the Magix online album (100GB of space). For some reason that Magix could never explain, I only have 500 MB instead of the 2 GB that I was supposed to get for the web page storage, not that I need it.

Attachment 120041

If you go to Magix.com, click on Web, you'll see "PUBLISH ONLINE" and then "Online Album." This will give you the screen to purchase the Magix.net package instead of Xara. The main focus is on the Magix album. To be complete, other than the album, the domain comes with 5 email addresses. The Xara version has none, at least I don't have any with the domain that I purchased for the Nathalie site.
HTH

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I'm struggling to keep up here! Can you explain what you mean when you say "... and you have made sure that they are not in the subfolder corresponding to the website design file."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JFry

I'm struggling to keep up here! Can you explain what you mean when you say "... and you have made sure that they are not in the subfolder corresponding to the website design file."

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Wherever you save the .xar or .web project to on your hard disk, look for a sub-folder with the same or similar name. For example, I created a web project called "Asselin Main.xar" and at the location where I saved it, a sub-folder called "Asselin Main_xar_files" was created automatically. I dragged a pdf file from somewhere on my hard disk onto my web page in Xara, selected to link the file, and a pdf icon was placed on the page. I looked in the sub-folder "Asselin Main_xar_files" and the pdf file had been copied there - by Xara, not by me. When I upload my project to the web, the pdf file and anything else that is in that folder will also be uploaded to my web space.

If I now go and change the link to the pdf file to a file on DropBox or Google Drive, and upload my project, only things that have changed will be uploaded. Guess what. The pdf file will still be in my web space. If I delete it from there, that is, from the ftp site that I showed you previously, there is no problem. However, the next time I upload a change to my site, the pdf file that is still sitting in that sub-folder "Asselin Main_xar_files" will be uploaded again, even if I don't need it. So I have to remember to delete it from this subfolder if I don't need it anymore.

As I indicated, I had a bunch of video files in the corresponding sub-folder. I deleted them from the ftp site as I now had links to the videos in the Magix album (or on YouTube). I forgot to delete the files from the sub-folder on my hard disk. The next time that I updated my project and uploaded, those now useless mp4 files were uploaded again, eating up my allotted web space.

If you still have problems understanding, I can make a short video.

Okay, bit of a problem. I deleted everything from the control panel and then republished but the layout of the site has gone - all I have is some text (www.wonershhistory.co.uk). When I preview the site its's fine. I am only showing as having used 2MB so I've done something wrong obviously. Any ideas.

How are you publishing your site Jenny?

With the file open in Premium I am using the icon at the top that says 'Publish document as a website using FTP'. That's how I have done it before.

In that case it should upload correctly, especially as you state it previews correctly in Xara.

Do you have an ftp program like filezilla?

In my browser I have FireFTP. I don't know much about it but I used it to upload a flipbook some time ago.

Hold on I'll have a search & see if I can find how to use ftp to view Magix server.

I've just clicked on FireFTP and it has taken me straight into the server.

Gary has posted a how to in this thread. You can open the file structure in your ftp program and view it's contents.

Meanwhile if you'd like to send a link with your web file via DropBox I'll have a look at it.

One other thing first, check you haven't got the upload only changed files checked / ticked.

I think you're right. I have the upload changes ticked. Can you remind me where I go to change that please?

Check this first.

I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for your help. You can imagine how I felt when I saw the site had gone pear-shaped. All is now well with the world again!

:D:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by browj2

Wherever you save the .xar or .web project to on your hard disk, look for a sub-folder with the same or similar name. For example, I created a web project called "Asselin Main.xar" and at the location where I saved it, a sub-folder called "Asselin Main_xar_files" was created automatically. I dragged a pdf file from somewhere on my hard disk onto my web page in Xara, selected to link the file, and a pdf icon was placed on the page. I looked in the sub-folder "Asselin Main_xar_files" and the pdf file had been copied there - by Xara, not by me. When I upload my project to the web, the pdf file and anything else that is in that folder will also be uploaded to my web space.

If I now go and change the link to the pdf file to a file on DropBox or Google Drive, and upload my project, only things that have changed will be uploaded. Guess what. The pdf file will still be in my web space. If I delete it from there, that is, from the ftp site that I showed you previously, there is no problem. However, the next time I upload a change to my site, the pdf file that is still sitting in that sub-folder "Asselin Main_xar_files" will be uploaded again, even if I don't need it. So I have to remember to delete it from this subfolder if I don't need it anymore.

As I indicated, I had a bunch of video files in the corresponding sub-folder. I deleted them from the ftp site as I now had links to the videos in the Magix album (or on YouTube). I forgot to delete the files from the sub-folder on my hard disk. The next time that I updated my project and uploaded, those now useless mp4 files were uploaded again, eating up my allotted web space.

If you still have problems understanding, I can make a short video.

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You may have seen that I had problems after deleting my files and republishing. I just wanted to make sure you know that it was because I have my settings on publish changes only. Once Egg Bramhill asked the question, I unticked the box and published again and everything is okay now.

Thank you very much for such detailed help along the way. I really appreciate it.

Jenny

Hi Jenny,

Lovely site. And thank you for a word that I don't ever remember seeing, "miscellanea." Maybe it is used more often on your side of the pond.

Has all of this resolved your initial problem of space usage?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by browj2

Hi Jenny,

Lovely site. And thank you for a word that I don't ever remember seeing, "miscellanea." Maybe it is used more often on your side of the pond.

Has all of this resolved your initial problem of space usage?

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It certainly has, instead of 1.44Gb I have now used 24Mb so there was no need to upgrade to Premium after all. As for 'miscellanea', you have to appreciate that I am not only English but also no spring chicken! The word is probably not used an awful lot today.

Really pleased to hear you've got your site up & running again Jenny. It suddenly dawned on me that you had used the control panel to remove files but Xara wasn't to 'know' this :)

Hi Jenny,

Glad to see that it worked.

On the Judge & the Highwayman page, there is a minor error, "1935" should be "1735." A very interesting read. I had heard about Dick Turpin, but never bothered to read up on him.

Many of us here are seniors. Xara should offer us a senior's discount.

70 here ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by browj2

Hi Jenny,

Glad to see that it worked.

On the Judge & the Highwayman page, there is a minor error, "1935" should be "1735." A very interesting read. I had heard about Dick Turpin, but never bothered to read up on him.

Many of us here are seniors. Xara should offer us a senior's discount.

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Thanks for spotting that. I like the discount idea - what are the chances I wonder?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Egg Bramhill

70 here ;)

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Yes, but you are an egg and as long as you're not stored in the 'fridge you will have a very long life.

;))