Question:
I have created a simple form, but when I try to submit it, a message appears saying that it doesn’t have permission. The CGI file is on my hard disk as well as the HTML page. I am using Windows 95. How can I create a form and submit it if both files (the HTML page and the CGI file) are on the same hard disk and access to the files is not made through the Web?

Answer:
I would suspect that the problem may be in your CGI file, not the form itself, or more specifically, in the server to your CGI file. In general, when you make a CGI request, the document is actually “executing” on the server. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) dislike it when Web builders try to execute programs without their control, because such server-side controls can access data, run programs, or consume resources with no constraints (unlike the case on the client side). Worse, if a CGI program crashes, it can eat up critical memory or bring the system to a standstill. Because of these concerns, you will need to contact your ISP and ask them to validate your CGI, then have them post the CGI into a folder with execute permission. If you control the machine yourself, you still need to set the execute permission of the CGI document to true so that the CGI code knows that it can be run. If you’re still having problems after that, please write back.