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overwrite file url

  1. bordenblog
    Member

    http://bordenblog.wordpress.com/

    i'm trying to overwrite a file url from a pdf i uploaded and have deleted. the link still works (http://bordenblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/all-you-need-to-know-about-packing-lunches-but-were-afraid-to-ask.pdf), even though that file no longer exists in my media library.

    I am trying to load an updated version of the file but have the same link url. Everytime i upload a new file a number is added to the end of the file name. I NEED to overwrite the first upload as i have already sent this link to many, many people! Is this possible?

    Please help! Thanks!!

    The blog I need help with is bordenblog.wordpress.com.

  2. thesacredpath
    Member

    With as many blogs as wordpress.COM has, and as huge as their databases are, there can be a lag between deleting something and when it actually disappears. It all depends on server loads. Also, since wordpress is database driven, you have to understand that databases do not immediately delete items. They "mark" them for deletion and then bulk delete on a scheduled basis typically. What schedule wordpress has I do not know. Typically once something is "marked" for deletion, it will disappear from your media library and from your blog, but the file actually is still there for a while after that.

    WordPress will not overwrite existing files, so if the file has actually not been physically deleted, but is just marked for deletion in the database, and you upload another file with the same name, wordpress will append a number onto the end of the file name.

    Upload the new file, get the URL of that newly uploaded file, and then update the link in your post or page to the new file URL.

  3. bordenblog
    Member

    Thanks for your answer...i was afraid of that...
    my problem is that i've already sent out the original file URL to many contacts and i don't want to have to resend the new link. i guess it's a lesson learned on my part.
    Thanks again!

  4. thesacredpath
    Member

    If you delete the old file, wait 12 or 24 hours and then upload the new file, wordpress could have "packed" the database by then and it would not rename the file. That of course would mean there would be a period of time when the link would be dead probably.

  5. bordenblog
    Member

    i deleted the file on friday and the link is still visable. But, next time i will wait before uploading the new file.
    Thanks so much for your help...

  6. thesacredpath
    Member

    Where is the link? The link itself will not disappear as an image would.

  7. bordenblog
    Member

    sorry, i meant that the image is still available at the file url, even though i deleted the image on friday:

    http://bordenblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/all-you-need-to-know-about-packing-lunches-but-were-afraid-to-ask.pdf

  8. thesacredpath
    Member

    When I click on that link I get "404 — File not found" which means it is now gone from the servers.

  9. bordenblog
    Member

    okay, that's good. but i guess it still doesn't change the adding of a number when i upload the updated pdf with the same file name...
    that's too bad...

  10. designsimply
    Happiness Engineer

    It isn't possible to upload a new file with the exact same URL at WordPress.com even if you wait for the file to be deleted. This is because of how the servers are setup to manage files across several data centers and different resources. I'm afraid you will need to send a new URL in this case.

  11. thesacredpath
    Member

    Learned something new. Thanks designsimply

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