Fix for Filezilla Failing to Retrieve Directory Listing

Posted At : April 24, 2008 9:28 PM | Posted By : Dan Wilson
Related Categories: Server Configuration

I use Filezilla FTP client to manage files on many servers. I had a specific Filezilla client that refused to retrieve a directory listing. Other computers could connect to the same server just fine. Thusly I knew it was a client configuration problem.

I ended up with messages like this: 

Response:	200 PORT command successful. Consider using PASV.
Command:	LIST
Error:	Connection timed out
Error:	Failed to retrieve directory listing

I ran the Filezilla configuration wizard to diagnose the problem. The configuration wizard utility ran for a while reporting success until the very end. After timing out, I received the following messages: 
Response: 200 PORT command successful
LIST
Response: 150 opening data connection
Response: 503 Failure of data connection.
Server sent invalid reply.
Connection closed

Searching the Internet led to not so helpful posts such as "Please read the Network Configuration guide.". After analyzing the situation, it turns out the solution isn't so obvious. My Client had the default setting of Connection -> FTP -> Active Mode: Get External IP Address From This URL. Which pointed to http://ip.filezilla-project.org/ip.php . This is the source of the problem. If you go to that URL, you will probably get a result of 127.0.0.1. If the Filezilla client needs the external address, and is given 127.0.0.1, then there will be problems indeed!

If you have a similar problem with Filezilla, and the problem persists even when the Windows Firewall is disabled, here is what you need to do:

  • Open Filezilla, go to Edit -> Settings
  • Click on Connection -> FTP: Choose Active
  • Click on Connection -> FTP -> Active Mode: Select "Ask your operating system for the external IP address"
  • Click on Connection -> FTP -> Passive Mode: Choose Fall Back to Active Mode
  • Press OK.

Try connecting to your FTP site once again. Works!

Update: In some cases, and for reasons unknown, Filezilla just won't work. I have found that coreFTP is a nice FTP program that is free Windows software which includes the client FTP features you need. Features like SFTP (SSH), SSL, TLS, IDN, browser integration, site to site transfers, FTP transfer resume, drag and drop support, file viewing & editing, firewall support, custom commands, FTP URL parsing, command line transfers, filters, and much, much more!

If Filezilla still does not work for you after you follow the steps above, then install coreFTP and it will work just fine.

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Great !!!!! It works.
Was having the same problem and was also fed up of the "Read the configuration faq"

Thanks a lot Dan.
# Posted By Steve | 4/28/08 11:27 AM
I was having the same problem and was wasting so much time googling for the answer.

Hey Presto, there you were. Thanks Dan
# Posted By Wendy | 5/2/08 1:25 AM
Still doesn't work for me. :[
# Posted By Nelson | 5/16/08 2:01 PM
Didn't work for me either

Status:   Resolving IP-Address for www.addinall.net
Status:   Connecting to 65.254.60.9:21...
Status:   Connection established, waiting for welcome message...
Response:   220---------- Welcome to Pure-FTPd [TLS] ----------
Response:   220-You are user number 2 of 50 allowed.
Response:   220-Local time is now 15:15. Server port: 21.
Response:   220-This is a private system - No anonymous login
Response:   220 You will be disconnected after 15 minutes of inactivity.
Command:   USER addinall
Response:   331 User addinall OK. Password required
Command:   PASS ********
Response:   230-User addinall has group access to: addinall
Response:   230 OK. Current restricted directory is /
Command:   SYST
Response:   215 UNIX Type: L8
Command:   FEAT
Response:   211-Extensions supported:
Response:    EPRT
Response:    IDLE
Response:    MDTM
Response:    SIZE
Response:    REST STREAM
Response:    MLST type*;size*;sizd*;modify*;UNIX.mode*;UNIX.uid*;UNIX.gid*;unique*;
Response:    MLSD
Response:    ESTP
Response:    PASV
Response:    EPSV
Response:    SPSV
Response:    ESTA
Response:    AUTH TLS
Response:    PBSZ
Response:    PROT
Response:   211 End.
Status:   Connected
Status:   Retrieving directory listing...
Command:   PWD
Response:   257 "/" is your current location
Command:   TYPE I
Response:   200 TYPE is now 8-bit binary
Command:   PASV
Response:   227 Entering Passive Mode (65,254,60,9,160,49)
Command:   LIST
Error:   Connection timed out
Error:   Failed to retrieve directory listing
Status:   Resolving IP-Address for www.addinall.net
Status:   Connecting to 65.254.60.9:21...
Status:   Connection established, waiting for welcome message...
Response:   220---------- Welcome to Pure-FTPd [TLS] ----------
Response:   220-You are user number 2 of 50 allowed.
Response:   220-Local time is now 15:23. Server port: 21.
Response:   220-This is a private system - No anonymous login
Response:   220 You will be disconnected after 15 minutes of inactivity.
Command:   USER addinall
Response:   331 User addinall OK. Password required
Command:   PASS ********
Response:   230-User addinall has group access to: addinall
Response:   230 OK. Current restricted directory is /
Status:   Connected
Status:   Retrieving directory listing...
Command:   PWD
Response:   257 "/" is your current location
Command:   TYPE I
Response:   200 TYPE is now 8-bit binary
Command:   PASV
Response:   227 Entering Passive Mode (65,254,60,9,234,232)
Command:   LIST
Error:   Connection timed out
Error:   Failed to retrieve directory listing
Status:   Resolving IP-Address for www.addinall.net
Trace:   ControlSocket.cpp(1003): CRealControlSocket::ContinueConnect(0p13a7fe0) m_pEngine=0p130d1c0 caller=0p1382d10
Status:   Connecting to 65.254.60.9:21...
Status:   Connection established, waiting for welcome message...
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::OnReceive()
Response:   220---------- Welcome to Pure-FTPd [TLS] ----------
Response:   220-You are user number 3 of 50 allowed.
Response:   220-Local time is now 15:29. Server port: 21.
Response:   220-This is a private system - No anonymous login
Response:   220 You will be disconnected after 15 minutes of inactivity.
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::SendNextCommand()
Command:   USER addinall
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::OnReceive()
Response:   331 User addinall OK. Password required
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::SendNextCommand()
Command:   PASS ********
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::OnReceive()
Response:   230-User addinall has group access to: addinall
Response:   230 OK. Current restricted directory is /
Status:   Connected
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::ResetOperation(0)
Trace:   CControlSocket::ResetOperation(0)
Status:   Retrieving directory listing...
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::SendNextCommand()
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::ChangeDirSend()
Command:   PWD
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::OnReceive()
Response:   257 "/" is your current location
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::ResetOperation(0)
Trace:   CControlSocket::ResetOperation(0)
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::ParseSubcommandResult(0)
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::ListSubcommandResult()
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::SendNextCommand()
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::TransferSend()
Command:   TYPE I
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::OnReceive()
Response:   200 TYPE is now 8-bit binary
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::TransferParseResponse()
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::SendNextCommand()
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::TransferSend()
Command:   PASV
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::OnReceive()
Response:   227 Entering Passive Mode (65,254,60,9,159,9)
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::TransferParseResponse()
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::SendNextCommand()
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::TransferSend()
Command:   LIST
Error:   Connection timed out
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::ResetOperation(2114)
Trace:   CControlSocket::ResetOperation(2114)
Trace:   CFtpControlSocket::ResetOperation(2114)
Trace:   CControlSocket::ResetOperation(2114)
Error:   Failed to retrieve directory listing
# Posted By addinall | 5/19/08 1:40 AM
@addinall, @Nelson

You might also have to set your connection to Active. You probably have it set to passive, which, while recommended, some times does not work.

So go into your configuration options, set the connection to Active, and try again.

DW
# Posted By Dan Wilson | 5/20/08 9:09 AM
None of the suggestions posted here have resolved this issue for me. Within Dreamweaver I can use its built-in FTP capability to get at most of the web servers I use, but with one that I try to connect to I get the same problem with failure to retrieve directory listing mentioned here. When I run the FileZilla network configuration wizard I get 503 errors and timeouts and failures to retrieve directories.
# Posted By Karl | 5/29/08 11:10 PM
thank you!
it works!
# Posted By anestis | 6/1/08 6:49 PM
Same problem I resolve by firewall tuning
# Posted By RussianPermBoy | 6/5/08 1:22 PM
Thanks, man!
It worked for me.
# Posted By Andrey | 6/18/08 10:16 AM
I get the following error any suggestions....

Status:   Resolving IP-Address for ftp.svpa-architects.com
Status:   Connecting to 71.32.179.178:21...
Status:   Connection established, waiting for welcome message...
Response:   220-Microsoft FTP Service
Response:   220 This is svpa3
Command:   USER svpa\07062
Response:   331 Password required for svpa\07062.
Command:   PASS ******
Response:   230 User svpa\07062 logged in.
Status:   Connected
Status:   Retrieving directory listing...
Command:   PWD
Response:   257 "/07062" is current directory.
Command:   TYPE I
Response:   200 Type set to I.
Command:   PORT 63,224,182,1,9,145
Response:   500 Invalid PORT Command.
Command:   PASV
Response:   227 Entering Passive Mode (10,0,0,248,17,40).
Status:   Server sent passive reply with unroutable address. Using server address instead.
Command:   LIST
Response:   425 Can't open data connection.
Error:   Failed to retrieve directory listing
# Posted By Matt Woods | 6/20/08 11:28 AM
This got my hopes up but I think for a version of Filezilla with a completely different settings dialog than the one I am using.

Ah well. Back to Google.
# Posted By Elija | 7/3/08 3:53 AM
Firewall is off, a;; suggestions tried.. still fails.. seams to be a problem with large folders
# Posted By Richard | 7/6/08 5:12 AM
I was having the same problem and tried the suggestions above but without success.
Then I looked at the settings on the server side.
Under "Passive mode settings" the "Retrieve external IP address from:" option was selected.
I selected "Default" instead and everything worked.
# Posted By Misty | 7/10/08 2:11 PM
Thank you so much for this simple fix. My version of filezilla is different, but the moment I put it on passive mode everything worked.

Many thanks
# Posted By PFC | 7/10/08 6:24 PM
I was connecting fine in active mode then this:
Command: PORT 10,0,0,101,235,118
Response: 501 Server cannot accept argument.
Command: PASV
Response: 227 Entering Passive Mode (22,11,55,33,195,182).
Command: LIST
Response: 150 Opening BINARY mode data connection.
Error: Connection timed out
Error: Failed to retrieve directory listing

it was switching to passive mode and trying port:
256*195+182=50102
I didn't see how to configure in filezilla what ports it used in the switch over. Seemed to use the same one each time so just opened ports 49152 - 50300 in the firewall.
Worked! got the directory listing.
# Posted By craig | 7/23/08 12:18 AM
gr8 soln. It now works perfectly.
# Posted By Maximus | 8/3/08 10:31 PM
The problem in my case was created by Windows Firewall. I manually changed the settings in Filezilla from passive to fall back to active. When I tried connecting this time, Windows Firewall came up and asked if I "still" wanted to Block "certain" files sent by Filezilla. I simply said "UNBLOCK" and now things are back on track. I have never changed a setting in the Firewall. So my assumption is that one of the very few Windows Updates I mistakenly allowed to be downloaded onto my computer must have changed the setting. At least I have not made the mistake of downloading SP3 which did crash my sister's computer. Hope this helps someone.
# Posted By KD | 8/5/08 6:09 PM
I have the same problem. It was working one day and just timed out the next, no changes.
Tried the suggestion here, still no luck
Only when I turn off my windows firewall, does it work
It come up to LIST, then it times out. No matter which FTP server I connect to.
I have Filezilla in my exclusion list on my FW, but it still does not work.
Anybody have a suggestion to unblock FZ completely on the FW?
# Posted By Shaakir | 9/3/08 2:10 AM
I am getting this problem when using filezilla and generally the same issue with any ftp client i use. I fixed my firewall settings to allow the ftp clients i tried and nothing was sucessful. the following is a copy of the output from filezilla:

Status:   Resolving address of ftp.********.info
Status:   Connecting to 64.22.96.22:21...
Status:   Connection established, waiting for welcome message...
Response:   220---------- Welcome to Pure-FTPd [TLS] ----------
Response:   220-You are user number 3 of 50 allowed.
Response:   220-Local time is now 20:48. Server port: 21.
Response:   220-IPv6 connections are also welcome on this server.
Response:   220 You will be disconnected after 15 minutes of inactivity.
Command:   USER ***@********.info
Response:   331 User ***@********.info OK. Password required
Command:   PASS ************
Response:   230-User ***@********.info has group access to: m**o**j*
Response:   230-OK. Current restricted directory is /
Response:   230 0 Kbytes used (0%) - authorized: 10240 Kb
Status:   Connected
Status:   Retrieving directory listing...
Command:   PWD
Response:   257 "/" is your current location
Command:   TYPE I
Response:   200 TYPE is now 8-bit binary
Command:   PASV
Response:   227 Entering Passive Mode (64,22,96,22,123,15)
Command:   LIST
Error:   Connection timed out
Error:   Failed to retrieve directory listing

i hav replaced the user name and host but *.

I would really appreciate some help. I am totally new to this and i need to use ftp feature for a project.

Thank u for any suggestions.
# Posted By Je | 9/6/08 8:55 PM
Wow!! Thanks a lot!!!!
# Posted By Itay | 10/10/08 10:03 AM
Thank you so much, it works! I've been trying to find solution for a week
# Posted By Stephen | 10/20/08 12:02 PM
None of this has worked for me. I cannon get any ftp client to list the directories. I've tried windows and ubuntu, many dif clients and even thru the command prompt. If try to connect to the ftp server from any other network, works fine. I can connect to other ftp servers from my network. Any suggestions?
# Posted By Brandon | 10/23/08 12:16 AM
Command:   LIST
Error:   Connection timed out
Error:   Failed to retrieve directory listing

I still face the same issue after configuring your things with Filezilla FTP.
# Posted By Sridhar | 10/27/08 5:25 AM
You are the best!!!!!!!
# Posted By George from Greece | 10/31/08 10:37 PM
helpful
# Posted By nemo | 11/2/08 9:57 PM
I found two solutions that worked for me:

1, go to http://www.hotspotbot.com and down load Hot Spot Bot. Basically, the VPN will help you bypass firewall settings that could be on LAN or WAN routers. This solution worked but it was very slow. So,

2. Enable SFTP on the server and conect via SFTP. You may have to contact your hosting company or server administrator. In my case, I actually had to email a photo of my picture ID, but it was well worth it. It is fast, secure and reliable.
# Posted By Brandon | 11/3/08 9:35 PM
Worked for me. Gave up on FileZilla a few months back due to this problem (using XP then), and just for the heck of it tried again now with Vista.
Same problem (we use FileZilla Server on the web server), but thanks to your simple solution, all is going.
# Posted By Nico Nel | 11/6/08 2:09 AM
I have the same problem "failed to retrieve directory listing" with filezilla version 3.1.5.1 but it works just fine with version 2.2.30.
I tried probly all the alternatives possible, including the one explained here, didnt work for version 3.x.
# Posted By Barkin | 11/26/08 5:12 PM
Thanks - I would have been tearing my hair out but for this post!
# Posted By John Jolly | 12/11/08 11:00 AM
Thank God I found your blog. I was having the same error but it works now. Thanks for sharing!
# Posted By ad3ck | 12/11/08 7:37 PM
Thanks for sharing your findings. I was able to fix my ftp problem.
# Posted By ak | 12/13/08 5:42 PM
Thanks Very Much you are a genious. have been trying to fix this for a very long time
# Posted By Tony | 12/15/08 5:16 PM
Amazing! I've spent half the night trying to get this to work, your fix sorted it out first time. Wish i'd found this 10 hours ago! Thank you so much!
# Posted By Mike | 12/21/08 10:42 AM
It worked for me buddy..thanks for the nice post
# Posted By Debashis | 12/29/08 10:58 PM
great! one googling gives your post, and it just solve my ftp problem.
# Posted By Vic | 1/1/09 9:41 AM
Thanks! I was sooo iritated with this stupid thing. I would connect, try to retrieve directory listing, it would hang/time-out, then I would have to reconnect.
Once I reconnected, that directory worked, but then the next one wouldn't work.
I did what you said, and it works again now... thanks. Strange that it worked fine about 3 months or so ago.
# Posted By Jonelli | 1/7/09 10:37 AM
Thank you! Worked like a charm, finally I can use FileZilla without disabling the windows firewall first!
# Posted By Jan | 1/26/09 8:22 PM
Thanks .. ! It work well...! Great explanation..
# Posted By Inder Singh | 1/28/09 1:11 PM
Thank you! BTW, does this have to do with a port being blocked?
# Posted By Nelson | 1/29/09 7:52 PM
i face problem to list directory also

000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:03 AM - (not logged in) (211.24.68.57)> Connected, sending welcome message...
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:03 AM - (not logged in) (211.24.68.57)> 220 WELCOME TO WPM TECHNOLOGY SDN BHD FTP SERVICES
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:13 AM - (not logged in) (211.24.68.57)> USER admin
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:13 AM - (not logged in) (211.24.68.57)> 331 Password required for admin
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:14 AM - (not logged in) (211.24.68.57)> PASS ******
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:14 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> 230 Logged on
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:15 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> SYST
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:15 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> 215 UNIX emulated by FileZilla
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:17 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> FEAT
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:17 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> 211-Features:
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:17 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> MDTM
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:17 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> REST STREAM
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:17 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> SIZE
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:17 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> MLST type*;size*;modify*;
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:17 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> MLSD
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:17 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> UTF8
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:17 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> CLNT
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:17 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> MFMT
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:17 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> 211 End
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:22 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> PWD
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:22 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> 257 "/" is current directory.
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:23 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> TYPE I
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:23 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> 200 Type set to I
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:23 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> PASV
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:23 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> 227 Entering Passive Mode (60,54,160,29,12,185)
(000160) 2/18/2009 10:51:23 AM - admin (211.24.68.57)> disconnected.
# Posted By Benny | 2/17/09 6:53 AM
Thank you. Solved my problem that
I struggled with for hours...
# Posted By Doug | 2/19/09 7:41 PM
Gr8!!!! it realy work fine now ...thanx a lot dear...
but the transfer rate is very slow like 10kbps can i increase it ?? and there is no resume support of transfer...
# Posted By Jeddah | 2/21/09 12:29 PM
Thanks for that. With your information I have fixed a problem that has bugged me for ages. :)
# Posted By Steve | 3/1/09 6:03 PM
Thankyou!!!!
# Posted By sam | 3/19/09 10:15 PM
Thank you very much, it worked flawlessly, you're great!!
# Posted By K-Spin | 4/7/09 9:45 AM
It worked! You just have to use an older version of Filezilla.
Go to oldversion.com and get ver 3.0.9.1 and do as the post says
and TADA! You'll be smilin'
<li><a title="FileZilla 3.0.91 download" href="download_FileZilla_3.0.91.html">FileZilla 3.0.91</a>&nbsp;(2.97 MB)</li>
# Posted By Eddie Ed | 4/9/09 8:30 PM
coreftp is one of the answer; it learns how to behave on certain scenarios. Tip: be sure that coreftp PASV is active.

Goodluck.
# Posted By thinknologist | 4/22/09 1:34 PM
Upgrade Filezilla to 3.2.4.

Just updated and issue was resolved.
# Posted By purelocke | 4/26/09 2:14 PM
No, its not resolved. Still having the same issue.
# Posted By Allen | 4/29/09 5:47 AM
OK !!! Works great !
# Posted By Marcos Couto | 5/1/09 8:15 PM
thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
I have to post a video as my final project YESTERDAY and kept hitting road blocks like this one. Thanks for being so direct about a solution!!
# Posted By Annii | 5/19/09 3:15 AM
Funny how you say if Filezilla doesn't work to download & install CoreFTP!
What's even funnier is that I have the exact problem with CoreFTP & Filezilla!
# Posted By thinkofitnow | 5/21/09 9:23 PM
It worked for me. What a life saver. I have used Filezilla for years but put it on a new computer (64bit Vista) and had this error.A google search put me
back in business in minutes.
# Posted By Kent Merkel | 6/4/09 2:48 AM
Thanks alot. I was having trouble getting the directory listing for my home server.

This worked out great.
# Posted By Chad | 6/11/09 9:27 AM
Thanks that solves the problem!
# Posted By John Juan | 6/16/09 8:55 AM
Vow! Why this is not avail. at filezilla?
This was bugging since last over a month.

Thanks
# Posted By Vimal | 6/22/09 4:23 PM
ver 3.0.9.1 worked out great for me!

Thanks guys!
# Posted By Jose | 6/29/09 8:03 PM
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