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File Transfer and Mapped Drives

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Chas Large, User (Posts: 16)
Jun 23, 2018 9:39:33 am EDT
Support level: Free or trial
Hi,

Does the File Transfer Utility support mapped drives? If so, how can I connect to a mapped drive on a host.

I can see the local drives C:\ D:\ E:\ etc but not Z:\ which is mapped to a NAS device

I have tried entering the UNC path for the device after COMPUTER in the display above the drives like COMPUTER \\NAS_DEVICE_NAME but I just get "Warning: Unable to open this directory"

Any advice on accessing a mapped drive or UNC path would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Chas
Alex Coombs, User (Posts: 15)
Jun 23, 2018 1:59:48 pm EDT
I did some of my own testing, and a mapped drive does not show up on the remote/host computer.
It does however show up on the viewer computer. Maybe a permissions issue?
Chas Large, User (Posts: 16)
Jun 24, 2018 4:02:08 am EDT
Support level: Free or trial
I agree. Even a remote Command Prompt cannot see the Z: drive but a local one can.

Will need to explore the remote security settings and try logging in as a dedicated remote Admin.
Conrad, Support (Posts: 3061)
Jun 25, 2018 7:10:14 am EDT
Hello everyone,

Does the File Transfer Utility support mapped drives? If so, how can I connect to a mapped drive on a host.

Yes, support for mapped drives has been added long ago, in version 6.0.0.3. Here is our release notes.

Any advice on accessing a mapped drive or UNC path would be much appreciated.

There are two questions:

1. Are you running the Viewer as/under the same Windows user that mapped the drives?

2. Are you running the Viewer with elevated privileges/as an administrator?

I did some of my own testing, and a mapped drive does not show up on the remote/host computer.
It does however show up on the viewer computer. Maybe a permissions issue?

Same questions as above. Additionally, you may try switching to "System" from "User" in the Access menu in the File Transfer window and see if that eliminates the problem.

Thanks.
Alex Coombs, User (Posts: 15)
Jun 26, 2018 12:16:21 pm EDT
Switching to System fixed it for me in my testing.
Chas Large, User (Posts: 16)
Jun 26, 2018 12:42:36 pm EDT
Support level: Free or trial
Hi Conrad,

Answer to your questions:
1. Yes, me the Admin on both computers, same username on both, logged in to PC'sthrough Windows with the same credentials.

2. No. I just run the viewer as a normal program. All others that require drive access locally can see mapped drives on both PC's In file transfer window for the Viewer I can see the Mapped Drive but for the host I cannot and get the error message when attempted.

I will try running the viewer program as an Admin.

Hi Alex,

Please tell me how you switched it to system? I could not find this as an option in either the Viewer or Host settings.

Thanks both

Chas
Chas Large, User (Posts: 16)
Jun 26, 2018 12:44:26 pm EDT
Support level: Free or trial
Hi Conrad,

Running the Viewer as Administrator made no difference, still could not access the mapped drive on the host.

Chas
Chas Large, User (Posts: 16)
Jun 26, 2018 12:48:46 pm EDT
Support level: Free or trial
Ah Alex,

I see now where you select SYSTEM and that's what I have set as default in the viewer. Under Access in the File Transfer display. Changing that to CURRENT USER immediately makes the mapped drive available in the HOST window. Changing back to SYSTEM removes the mapped drive.

So great, it works but I'm still none the wiser as to why this works in the way it does. If it's been explained in the documentation, then I must have missed it. Please can someone post a link.

Thanks all. Effectively problem resolved.

Chas
Alex Coombs, User (Posts: 15)
Jun 26, 2018 3:46:10 pm EDT

Chas Large wrote:

Ah Alex,

I see now where you select SYSTEM and that's what I have set as default in the viewer. Under Access in the File Transfer display. Changing that to CURRENT USER immediately makes the mapped drive available in the HOST window. Changing back to SYSTEM removes the mapped drive.

So great, it works but I'm still none the wiser as to why this works in the way it does. If it's been explained in the documentation, then I must have missed it. Please can someone post a link.

Thanks all. Effectively problem resolved.

Chas

I haven't found documentation on it - but I am glad that it fixed your problem as well.
Conrad, Support (Posts: 3061)
Jun 27, 2018 4:05:32 am EDT
Hello everyone,

There is documentation on how to switch to System using the Access menu. Perhaps, we should just add that you may need to switch if you have issues with mapped drives. Or better still we'll just add a more detailed knowledge base article.

Thanks!

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