How to force file download with PHP

Question

I want to require a file to be downloaded upon the user visiting a web page with PHP. I think it has something to do with file_get_contents, but am not sure how to execute it.

$url = "http://example.com/go.exe";

After downloading a file with header(location) it is not redirecting to another page. It just stops.

Answer 1

A modification of the accepted answer above, which also detects the MIME type in runtime:

$finfo = finfo_open(FILEINFO_MIME_TYPE);
header('Content-Type: '.finfo_file($finfo, $path));

$finfo = finfo_open(FILEINFO_MIME_ENCODING);
header('Content-Transfer-Encoding: '.finfo_file($finfo, $path)); 

header('Content-disposition: attachment; filename="'.basename($path).'"'); 
readfile($path); // do the double-download-dance (dirty but worky)

Answer 2

<?php
$file = "http://example.com/go.exe"; 

header("Content-Description: File Transfer"); 
header("Content-Type: application/octet-stream"); 
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename='" . basename($file) . "'"); 

readfile ($file);
exit(); 
?>

Or, when the file is not openable with the browser, you can just use the Location header:

<?php header("Location: http://example.com/go.exe"); ?>

Answer 3

try this:

header('Content-type: audio/mp3'); 
header('Content-disposition: attachment; 
filename=“'.$trackname'”');                             
readfile('folder name /'.$trackname);          
exit();