[dinakar]

I want to download an excel file from the server, i am giving the path of the file in the browser, browser shows 404 error that the file dos not exist, but the file was present in the same path. how can i download excel file from the browser

[KuroTsuto]

Well, the simple answer is that this has nothing to do with PHP. It might, but you haven't provided enough information to deduce that it has to do with PHP. The information you have provided points to an issue or misconfiguration with the server, or simply a misunderstanding of the location of the Excel file. I will state that any serious webhost's server configuration or the default configuration for a new server will indeed function in a manner such that if a file is present in a directory that is being served and you have entered the correct path into the browser as you say you have, the file WILL download, execute, or display, depending on the configuration of the server.

Long story short, the information you have provided is incredibly vague and is not enough for anyone to deduce a plausible solution - the problem could be a thousand different things. Additionally, I would point out that you have posted this question in a programming forum, when it has no relevant connection to programming.

On a side note, I would like to point out that no sensible server will display a 404 if what you requested actually exists. I believe your issue is a misunderstanding of the proper location of the file in relation to its URL.

Cheers and Good Luck,
~KuroTsuto