Ftp.exe is the process in Windows 11 or 10 to connect to an FTP Server via a Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Terminal.
A big advantage of ftp.exe is that it is a Windows process, so you can use it anytime you use Windows without installing a third-party app. It is easy to use in scripts, for example.
However, there are also some disadvantages to ftp.exe. These include that it does not support an encrypted (sftp over port 22) connection and uses different ports. In addition, there is no recovery option when downloading large files and it does not support proxy servers.
As mentioned, ftp.exe is easy to use. In this article I explain all the FTP commands that ftp.exe supports so that you can use it for different purposes.
Use FTP in Windows 11 or Windows 10
To get started, open ftp.exe by running a Command prompt as administrator to open. Then type “FTP” into the Command Prompt.
Connect to FTP server
You can connect to an FTP server by entering the following command:
open <ip-adres>
For example: open 127.0.0.1
Log in with username and password
The FTP server will then ask for a username and password.
You enter these login details, starting with the username. Then confirm with an ENTER key and then type the password for the user to log in. You will not see any characters when entering both the username and password.
If you need to enter commands, use:
user <gebruikersnaam> pass <wachtwoord>
Switch remote folder
Once you are logged in, and you need to switch remote directories - that is, on the FTP server - use the following command:
cd <map-naam>
Show all folders and files
To display all folders and files on the FTP server, type the following command:
dir
of
ls
Download file via FTP
To download a file, type the following command:
get <bestandsnaam>
Upload file via FTP
To upload a file, type the following command:
put <bestandsnaam>
Rename file via FTP
To rename a file on the FTP server. So to rename the external file type the following command:
rename <oude-bestandsnaam> <nieuwe-bestandsnaam>
Delete file via FTP
If you want to delete an external file on the FTP server, type the following command:
delete <bestandsnaam>
To delete multiple files, type the command:
mdelete bestand1.exe, bestand2.exe
of
mdelete *.exe
Create new folder on FTP server
To create a new folder on the FTP server, type the following command:
mkdir <map-naam>
Delete folder on FTP server
To delete a folder on the FTP server, type the following command:
rmdir <map-naam>
Close connection to FTP Server
To end the connection, type the command:
bye
of
close
Close FTP.exe
Once you have terminated the connection, type the following command to exit FTP.exe and return to the Command Prompt:
quit
Alternative to ftp.exe
If you are looking for a full-fledged FTP client for Windows 11 or Windows 10, I recommend FileZilla as a free alternative.
I hope to have informed you with this. Thank you for reading!
Also read: Create FTP network drive.