FTP – 553-Can’t open that file: Invalid argument (in htdocs)

This post describes a strange error on one type of FTP/web server if FrontPage extensions are installed. The error message provided by the FTP server is very misleading. Here is an explanation:

When FrontPage Extensions are installed on a domain, FTP access to the
htdocs folder, and all of its child folders, is limited to read and list
only. There are no write permissions.
These permissions apply to all FTP accounts, and are applied to ensure that
FrontPage Extensions cannot be broken by using FTP.
Removing FrontPage Extensions from a domain will reset permissions, and
allow full file and directory access through FTP.

This is a segment of the FTP session log that shows the error:

CWD htdocs/temp
250 OK. Current directory is /htdocs/temp
.
PORT 192,168,1,30,6,16
200 PORT command successful
.
STOR test2.csv
553-Can't open that file: Invalid argument
553 Rename/move failure: No such file or directory

This is one possible solution: “I don’t know how other webspace is set up but I have found a workaround by creating a folder below the htdocs folder (where the website resides) and that works fine.”