Local Explorer gives a simple file manager that lets you browse and open local file links directly in your web browser.
Local Explorer opens Windows Explorer when a local folder is clicked, or associated application when a file is clicked. For examples, click *.doc file to open MS Word, click *.avi file to open Windows Media Player, and so on…
Local Explorer can open local file & folder links to the local hard disk drives, or company resources like network shares, mapped remote directories or Active Directory enterprise environment.
The two most commonly used applications on your computer are your file browser and your web browser. Wouldn’t it be great if they were both in one place?
EXAMPLES
C:\Users\my_user_name\Documents (“My Documents” folders)
\\10.0.0.1\shared\local\folders\files (network drive)
W:\folder\ and W:\folder\file.doc (on webpages they’re “file:///W:/folder/” and “file:///W:/folder/file.doc”)
NOTES
– We built this long ago for our in-house system, and now we publish it and it’s free. If you found a problem, contact us at [email protected] or the “Send Feedback” button to the right before you post a negative review.
– We don’t support Unicode yet. The extension won’t work if the path or file name contains Unicode characters.
– Currently it works only on Windows, we would build Mac OS and Linux version if we got high volume of requests.
– For the people complain about anti-vir warnings, it was a FALSE POSITIVE. We rebuilt our Integration module, see this http://goo.gl/qDNGP7
– Silent Enterprise client installation for LocalExplorer protocol handler: LocalExplorer-Setup.exe /S
HOW TO SET UP
For security reason, Google has made a policy to not allow webpages to read-write local resource on hard drives. So we need an integration between the Chrome Extension and File System (Windows Explorer, Mac OS Finder) using an external software. To install both, just follow the simple steps described in http://www.vnprodev.com/browser-extensions/local-explorer-install.php
– Step 1: Add the extension to Chrome/Firefox/Safari to browser and enable “Allow access to file URLs”.
– Step 2: Set your default folder in Options page and click Save Settings.
– Step 3: On Windows, download and install this app http://goo.gl/trX9bB for Windows Explorer integration, just run “LocalExplorer-Setup.exe” once then you’re ready to go. Now you can open local file links directly while browsing the web.
SILENT INSTALL command line for the Integration module: LocalExplorer-Setup.exe /S
It somehow works, but I fail to see how it can be really useful. What I was hoping for was to be able to open files from a google spreadsheet (filenames are mentioned in the spreadsheet, path could be added easily), but could not get that to work. Adding the file path as a hyperlink won’t do anything, even with adding “localexplorer:” before the rest of the path. If anybody has an idea on this, I would appreciate.
So you can only open files from that localexplorer interface that you get to when you push the extension button? How would that be useful? Or am I missing something? I hope so. And also, even from there, I can’t open a file that includes Chinese characters in the file name.
COOL
A must have for a local intranet with the Edge Chromium.
This really works. Thanks
We use IE as our browser for a intranet application, and depend on its correct use of the file:// link, to open files and folders on the shared network drives. IE is reaching EOL, and Edge ignores the file:// link. This breaks our business software.
This Chrome extension works perfectly! Well done to the developers.
Works great, but unicode support is needed wery much
Please support the folder with Russian names!
Oh this is sick! Exactly what I was looking for and it works great. Now I can put links like [My Markdown file](“C:\dir\dir\file.md”) in http://www.dynalist.io and when clicked the file opens in its default app (VS Code for Markdown files on my system.) Thank you SO much, devs!
Perfect plugin to improve productivity
Very efficient and amazing tool…
very good extension
oh my its easy to do it w/out internet just use file explorer built in your os
Very good for me in the pc
Great Extension but when i click on a link, i see a dialog box saying
“Open Local Explorer?”
Then i have to choose between 2 buttons, “Open” and “Cancel”!
This is terrible, each time confirmation-click. How can i disable this? Do you other guys also have this behaviour? Is this a Chrome thing or a extension thing? I tried everything, all settings i was able to find… no success. On another PC, it works without a Dialog box, no idea why, settings 100% the same!!!
Hope anyone can help me out.
Conceptually it is a good idea. Unfortunately, the installation of the Integration Module didn’t work for me. I downloaded and installed the Integration Module on my Windows machine (Windows 10 Professional). “Installation complete…” but the configuration screen did not appear and no shortcuts were created. I found the executable in the x86 folder, but that did not load either. Additionally, the documentation for configuring the Integration module – the “one simple step” is in my opinion poorly written and has no functional help for this problem.
Does anyone know how to get it to work when the user is not an administrator on the computer?
Crazy constraints on Win file access at one client made this a no brain’er. Love it!
its very helful. Thanks
setup
Oh – only for Windows Chrome users? – Bleh. Uninstalled.
done correctly
So Cool
A little vague on the instructions, but in short 1. Add the extension, 2. Install the associated tool on your machine. 3. Click on a link and say open with that associated application. From there you are good to go. Seems to work well and really the only option I’ve found that works. Thank you!
this is malware. the code hijacks your clicks to ad pages so the cun- can make money