When you connect to your FTP server, you may sometimes get the “Failed to retrieve directory listing” error. This can be caused by a number of factors, such as incorrect server settings, a firewall blocking the connection, or even an antivirus program. In this article, we’ll show you how to fix the “Failed to retrieve directory listing” error on FileZilla.
If you use FileZilla to connect to your FTP server and you see the error message “Failed to retrieve directory listing”, it means that FileZilla is not able to retrieve the list of files and directories from the server. There are a few possible causes for this error:
1) The FTP server is not configured correctly.
2) The FTP server is not running.
3) A firewall is blocking FileZilla from connecting to the server.
Let’s take a look at each of these causes in turn and see how to fix them.
Cause #1: The FTP Server is Not Configured Correctly
The most common cause of the “Failed to retrieve directory listing” error is that the FTP server is not configured correctly. If you are using a public FTP server, you should contact the administrator of the server and ask them to check the configuration.
If you are running your own FTP server, you can check the configuration by following these steps:
1) Open the FileZilla Server interface.
2) Go to the “General” tab.
3) Make sure that the “Enable FTP over TLS support” option is NOT selected.
4) Go to the “Connections” tab.
5) Make sure that the “Port” is set to 21.
6) Make sure that the “Maximum number of connections” is set to 0 (unlimited).
7) Make sure that the “Maximum number of connections per IP” is set to 0 (unlimited).
8) Make sure that the “Timeout in seconds” is set to 60.
9) Click the “OK” button.
If the FTP server is configured correctly, you should now be able to connect to it and retrieve the directory listing.
Cause #2: The FTP Server is Not Running
Another possible cause of the “Failed to retrieve directory listing” error is that the FTP server is not running. To check if the server is running, you can try to connect to it using a web browser. For example, if the FTP server is running on the same computer as FileZilla, you can try to connect to it by going to the following address in your web browser:
ftp://localhost
If you see a directory listing, then the server is running and you can proceed to the next section. If you see an error message, then the server is not running and you will need to start it.
To start the FTP server, follow these steps:
1) Open the FileZilla Server interface.
2) Go to the “General” tab.
3) Make sure that the “Enable FTP over TLS support” option is NOT selected.
4) Go to the “Connections” tab.
5) Make sure that the “Port” is set to 21.
6) Make sure that the “Maximum number of connections” is set to 0 (unlimited).
7) Make sure that the “Maximum number of connections per IP” is set to 0 (unlimited).
8) Make sure that the “Timeout in seconds” is set to 60.
9) Click the “OK” button.
10) Click the “Start” button.
The FTP server should now be running and you should be able to connect to it and retrieve the directory listing.
Cause #3: A Firewall is Blocking FileZilla
Another possible cause of the “Failed to retrieve directory listing” error is that a firewall is blocking FileZilla from connecting to the server. To check if this is the case, you can temporarily disable the firewall and see if FileZilla is able to connect to the server. If it is, then you will need to add an exception for FileZilla in the firewall settings.
To add an exception for FileZilla in the Windows Firewall, follow these steps:
1) Go to the Start menu and type “firewall” in the search box.
2) Click on the “Windows Firewall” option.
3) Click on the “Allow a program or feature through Windows Firewall” option.
4) Click on the “Change settings” button.
5) Scroll down the list and find “FileZilla Client”.
6) Check the “Private” and “Public” boxes next to “FileZilla Client” and click the “OK” button.
FileZilla should now be able to connect to the server without being blocked by the firewall.
Conclusion
If you are seeing the “Failed to retrieve directory listing” error in FileZilla, it is most likely due to one of the following three causes:
1) The FTP server is not configured correctly.
2) The FTP server is not running.
3) A firewall is blocking FileZilla from connecting to the server.
By following the steps in this article, you should be able to fix the problem and get FileZilla to connect to the server successfully.
Table of Contents
What is the ‘Failed to retrieve Directory Listing’ Error?
The ‘Failed to retrieve Directory Listing’ error appears when FileZilla is trying to connect to a server, but is unable to get a directory listing for the specified folder. This can be caused by a number of factors, including:
-The server you are trying to connect to is down or not responding
-The folder you are trying to access does not exist on the server
-You do not have permission to access the folder on the server
If you are getting this error, there are a few things you can try to fix it.
-First, check to make sure the server you are trying to connect to is up and running. If it is down, there is nothing you can do to fix the problem, so you will need to wait until the server is back up.
-Next, check to make sure the folder you are trying to access exists on the server. If it does not, you will need to create it before you will be able to access it.
-Finally, check to make sure you have the proper permissions to access the folder on the server. If you do not, you will need to contact the server administrator and request access.
If you have tried all of these things and are still getting the ‘Failed to retrieve Directory Listing’ error, it is possible that there is a problem with the FileZilla software itself. In this case, you will need to uninstall and reinstall the software to see if that fixes the problem.
How to Fix the Error
If you’re getting the “Failed to retrieve Directory Listing” error in FileZilla, it’s most likely because of one of the following reasons:
1. The server you’re trying to connect to is behind a firewall that is blocking the FileZilla client.
2. The server you’re trying to connect to is not configured to allow directory listings.
3. There is a problem with the server’s FTP software.
To fix the error, you’ll need to either configure the firewall to allow FileZilla through, or contact the server administrator to fix the FTP software.
Conclusion
If you’re getting the “Failed to retrieve Directory Listing” error on FileZilla, it’s likely because you’re not connecting to your server using the correct FTP protocol. To fix this, simply change the protocol from SFTP to FTP in the FileZilla settings, and you should be able to connect without any problems.
Resources
If you’re having trouble connecting to your FTP server or getting a “Failed to retrieve Directory Listing” error message, there are a few things you can do to troubleshoot the issue.
First, check your FTP server’s settings to make sure it’s configured correctly. If you’re not sure how to do this, consult your FTP server’s documentation or contact your web hosting provider.
Next, try connecting to your FTP server using a different FTP client. This will help you rule out whether the issue is with your FTP client or your FTP server.
If you’re still having trouble, there are a few other things you can try:
-Clear your DNS cache
-Change your FTP client’s Passive Mode settings
-Disable your firewall or add an exception for your FTP client
Author Bio
Hello, my name is John and I am a web developer. I have been developing websites for over 10 years and have been using FileZilla for my FTP needs for just as long. I have seen this error a few times and have always been able to fix it relatively easily.
The first thing you need to check is your connection settings. Make sure that you have the correct hostname, username, and password. If you are unsure of any of these, contact your web hosting provider.
Next, check to see if your FTP server is online and accessible. You can do this by running a simple ping test. If you are on Windows, open the Command Prompt and type in “ping {your FTP hostname}”. If you are on a Mac, open the Terminal and type in “ping {your FTP hostname}”.
If you get a response back, that means your FTP server is online and accessible. If you don’t get a response back, that means your FTP server is offline or not accessible.
Once you have verified that your FTP server is online and accessible, the next step is to check your FileZilla settings.
Go to the FileZilla menu and click on “Edit” and then “Settings”.
Click on the “Connection” tab and make sure that the “Encryption” setting is set to “Only use plain FTP (insecure)”.
Once you have made sure that the “Encryption” setting is set to “Only use plain FTP (insecure)”, click on the “OK” button to save your changes.
Try connecting to your FTP server again.
If you are still having problems, contact your web hosting provider or the FileZilla support team for further assistance.
