Please post more information.
FTP is a way of moving files to and from your computer to other computers.
An FTP program is program that you use to move the files VIA FTP from your computer to one elsewhere.
To use FTP, you need your FTP information from your wordpress host. , usually a username and password and FTP address.
Please answer the following questions, so we can try and assist you.
Thy symptoms you describe (“I double click the file and a Microsoft Word document loaded up with random letters, symbols.”) are not normal. Do you see this behavior with any other programs you try to run?
What Operating System are you running (Windows 98, 2000, XP)?
What program are you trying to run? Where did you get it from?
Are you running any anti-virus software? If so, have you updated your virus definitions recently?
Ok, I googled those programs you mentioned, and they appear to be Mac OS X programs. Are you using a Mac?
No I have Windows XP. What should I be downloading?
Ah well that’s part of your problem. You need a windows FTP client.
There are a few out there. A quick google netted me a bunch.
You might wanna try
FTPSurfer, FREE, http://www.whispertech.com/surfer/
For a commercial program, try WS FTP, http://www.wsftp.com/
Just google “Windows free FTP client”.
I run XP also and I am really new, I use FireFox browser and they have an ad on called FireFTP, I just click it from the TOOLS menu it opens in another tab, so I can have my cPanel, FTP and My site on 3 tabs same browser, works for me, and as for setting up my FireFTP I just called my host and they walked me through it, BlueHost is GREAT hosting company.
DS
