Default Download Directory

My computer is on a company network, and our IT department has been unable to resolve my issue. When I select Copy from the menu for a given file on the FTP site, the default directory location where it will copy to is on my local drive. It needs to be on a network drive as it was on my old computer.

At first we tried setting the check mark for Set As Default option on the dialog box, but it would not persist. We assumed that to be due to my login not having permissions on the local drive. IT then logged in as administrator but still the Set As Default would not persist. Every time we shut down WinSCP and opened it again, the old local drive location was back in the default.

So IT researched and determined that configuration data would be stored either in an INI file in the WiNSCP folder on the local drive, OR in the Registry.

We discovered that our setup does not use an INI file for configuration so we searched the Registry keys. We found LastLocalTargetDirectory which appeared to contain the default local directory, and so IT (who has the permissions to the Registry) changed LastLocalTargetDirectory to the network drive.

However, after a cold reboot we verified the Registry key change was saved but WinSCP still defaults to the old local drive location.

Obviously we are missing something important and we need help. We did not find any other Registry keys that appeared (at least to us) as the key that contains the default download directory location.

IT has just about given up, so I am asking for help in this forum. I have no idea how to get all those lists of data you request, but I will try if you need that info to figure out this question. I am working under the assumption that there is another location for the default download directory and we just aren't capable of finding it on our own.

What irritates me about IT is we had this set up on my old computer, so they had to have done it right about five years ago. But they don't seem to have a record of what they did. IT is telling me that they looked at my old computer already but I cannot go look at it. I am not sure I believe them, but I am not computer savvy enough to show them what should be done.

Thanks in advance,
Craig

LastLocalTargetDirectory key is the right one to set. Though should better set it in WinSCP GUI (by downloading a files there), rather than going to registry. What version of WinSCP are you using?

WinSCP 4.2.6 (Build 721)

I'm pretty sure it works in the version. So if you download files in GUI, changing the default download path to another, exit WinSCP and check the LastLocalTargetDirectory in registry, does it change to the new download path?

martin wrote:

I'm pretty sure it works in the version. So if you download files in GUI, changing the default download path to another, exit WinSCP and check the LastLocalTargetDirectory in registry, does it change to the new download path?

No it does not. After exiting WinSCP, the registry key LastLocalTargetDirectory had NOT changed to the last download directory.

i also re-ran the experiment you noted, but this time before exiting I selected Set As Default in the Transfer Settings, but that did not help. After exiting WinSCP, the registry LastLocalTargetDirectory still had NOT changed to the last download directory.

I am wondering if IT has not given me the appropriate permissions to be able to save the default differently. I know that IT can give me permissions to specific folders on my local drive, but I don't know what it takes to give me the ability to save changes that update in the registry key.

Anonymous wrote:

I am wondering if IT has not given me the appropriate permissions to be able to save the default differently. I know that IT can give me permissions to specific folders on my local drive, but I don't know what it takes to give me the ability to save changes that update in the registry key.

It is possible.