File Transmission Problems

Common Causes for Upload Failures

If your attempts to upload your data to us with SendThisFile® are unsuccessful, then the consult the list below to try and figure out the problem (and hopefully the solution as well).

Reasons an Upload May Not Finish

  1. The sender is on a cable system and is exceeding the cable system's allowed bandwidth, so the cable provider slows or stops the transfer. We have read articles stating that Comcast is now actively slowing or stopping some uploads.
  2. There is a momentary interruption somewhere enroute. This is very common with dial-up connections due to the analog portion. Wireless (satellite) providers will slow, and even stop, uploads to control traffic over their systems. Using a SECURE TRANSFER can help in this situation.
  3. The file is being sent from a corporate setting and the company has a firewall that restricts upload usage.
  4. Some ISPs have software that interrupts the data flow. So far we have identified (a) Jetlink Broadband Dialup, (b) peoplepc.com
  5. Specific software that is known to cause problems: (a) Cybersitter, (b) Cyber Patrol, (c) Discover Deskshop, (d) CA Security Suite, (e) Norton 360, (f) iTunes. Most of the time turning off the software will allow you to upload your file.
  6. The file is being uploaded from temporary storage: a CD, DVD, flash memory, etc. Always copy the file to your hard drive and upload the file from there.
  7. General software that is known to cause problems: (a) upload accelerators. (b) Adware and spyware. Use Spybot Search & Destroy to check and clean out your system. Run Windows Defender to keep them out. (c) "Branded" browsers (e.g., AOL browser, MSN browser, AT&T browser, etc.) can cause problems. For best results use the "plain vanilla" Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or 7.0 that comes with Windows, or Mozilla Firefox 2.0+ for Windows or the Mac.
  8. The sending network has a wireless router or hub, and files stop uploading or "freeze", try connecting the sending computer directly to the modem, then send a file, and see if that cures the problem. If so, there is a wireless network configuration issue.
  9. A program writes to the file while the transfer is running. Can easily happen if the file is open in a program that has automatic saves every few minutes. You cannot edit (work on) a file while it is uploading.
  10. A power management system turns on or a laptop goes into hibernation mode.
  11. If the file you're uploading is larger than two gigabytes (2 GB), and you are not running the SendThisFile "jumpLoaderApplet" you should receive a message telling you are trying to upload a file over two gigabytes, along with instructions on what to do next. On rare occasions, the message will not appear, the file will start to upload, then quit with an IO Error. If the file you are uploading is larger than two gigabytes, let us know, and we can give you further instructions.