Understanding category, package and file access

For files, the access option controls who can download the file. There is an option in the configuration ("Show No Access Files") that controls whether the user can see file info for a restricted file.

For categories and packages, the access option controls who can view. If a category or package has restricted access, it is assumed that the user cannot see or download the files in it.

For a file to be downloadable

The user must have access to the file, the package (if any) and the category (if any).

Also you must set the "Is Downloadable" attribute for the file, and the package (if any). If this option is not set then the file will never be viewable or downloadable in the front end of the site. It is always assumed to be off by default. This option is a security measure so that if you want to use the component to manage files on your Amazon S3 account, but don't want to make them downloadable, or want to set up an alternative system to handle downloads then you can do so safely.