While talking about AirDroid for Android another day, we discussed how you can use this app to manage data and files on your phone from your PC using WiFi connection. But what if you want it the other way around? What if you want to access a folder on your Windows PC on your phone and edit the files contained therein?
Of course, using an online backup tool is an option, but you might not want to put a folder there just for the sake of sharing on your phone. You should be able to access it directly via WiFi, right?
Maybe you all know about the file sharing feature in Windows and how it can be used to work on files stored on different computers using a network connection (LAN or WiFi). Today we will see how to use the same file sharing principle and access shared files on your Windows PC on your Android.
First, let me show you how you can share a specific folder on Windows. And then we’ll move on to the Android part of the process.
Step 1: Right click on the folder you want to share on your Windows and click Property to open folder properties. Navigate to the Share tab and click Share button to open the File Sharing window.
Step 2: On the File Sharing window, you will be asked to enter the name of the group you want to share the folder with. Write Everyone and click the Add button. You can give Read or Read/Write permission to share access depending on your needs. When you’re done, click the Share button.
Step 3: You can now choose two types of sharing, password protected or open. If you’re on a secure home network, I recommend open file sharing as it makes things a little easier. But if you are using an unsecured WiFi network, you must use password protected sharing.
To change these settings, navigate to Control Panel -> Network and Sharing Center. Here click on the link Change advanced settings on the left sidebar to open Advanced Sharing Settings. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the Password Protected Sharing option, select a password and save the settings.
Hot Tip: To see a list of all the folders you’ve shared on your computer, right-click the Computer icon in the start menu and click Manage. Once that’s done, click Shared Folders—>Share to list all the shared folders on your computer.
You can share any number of folders you want to access on your Android.
So that’s all we need on the Windows side of the equation. Now let us configure the settings on Android.
Step 1: Download and install ES File Explorer on your Android device. It’s awesome and one of the most acclaimed file managers for Android. It works on all devices running on Android version 1.6 and above. One of the features of ES File Explorer is that it allows you to access your home PC on WiFI through a Server Message Block (SMB).
Step 2: Once you have downloaded the app, launch it. The home screen will show all the files and folders on your SD card. Swipe left on the screen to move to navigate right to the LAN sharing screen. Also, make sure that both your computer and Android phone are connected to the same network.
Step 3: Tap the . button New on the top bar to add a new server (your computer in this case).
Step 4: Here leave the Domain field blank and do one of the following depending on the security of your share.
a) If you have selected the share that is not password protected, enter your computer’s IP address (use the ipconfig command on your computer’s command prompt to know your IP) and check the incognito option. Set an alias for your server to determine if (very useful when you are using the application to access shared folders on another computer) and press the OK button to add the server.
b) For those who have password protected sharing enabled, do not select the anonymous option, instead provide the username and password you use to log in to Windows and add the server.
That’s it, you can now browse all the shared files and folders on your computer on your Android. That’s not all, depending on the type of sharing privileges you’ve granted on Windows, you can perform tasks like:
- View images and stream live video. Although we mentioned an app specifically for this before, now I prefer ES File Explorer because it is ad-free and smooth.
- Open and edit text files, documents and save changes directly without downloading the file on your phone.
- Copy a file from your computer to your phone easily. You can also modify and delete files on your computer from Android.
- You can view almost all files on your Android as long as you have a supported viewer for the specific file type.
- If you have write permission to the shared folder on Windows, you can also copy files and folders from Android to your computer.
Videotapes
Here is our video of the whole process. Watch it to find out exactly how it’s done.
My judgment
This feature of ES File Explorer made me love it. Now I can work on the computer while on the move around the house or while drinking a cup of coffee on the balcony… I just need a phone. So try it and mobilize your work.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
