ok, maybe i'm being dense, but this isn't working for me. I had c:\my downloads set here in the file path when I started getting this error in the first place. I did that because the instructions plainly say it should be outside the web root. But if I am understanding your earlier post in this thread, 'outside' does not mean 'too far outside'. So does that mean inside the server root but not inside the webroot?

I'm no coder but I would like to understand what i am doing and how this all works.

I have created a folder called 'downloadable' and put my file to be downloaded in it. I have put this folder on the same directory as the drupal folder. I set it as a sharing folder in windows. I set it with an absolute path in the file path. I still get the same error. Does the file download only recognize certain file types? This is a .doc file I was testing with.

p.s. - in home > administer > Store administration » Products > view file downloads, the file in question is listed. It does not have an sku or a product, presumably because I can't edit the features tab, but it does show up here so isn't that telling me ubercart knows where it is at the same time it is telling me it isn't in a valid directory? If so, where is the valid directory? thx.