For a while now it’s been possible to map an internet FTP shortcut in Windows Explorer, with emphasis on shortcut and not drive letter.
Most of you out there are very familiar with the "Map Network Drive" feature of Windows, but when mapping an FTP location as a shortcut, the steps to take are slightly different.
Here’s how to do it in Windows Vista and 7, in video form:
Doing this the Windows XP way
Note: This is an instance where you truly notice the differences between XP and 7. Microsoft eliminated a lot of hoop-jumping in their interface, and you’ll see what I mean as you read through this.
1. Open My Computer.
2. Click Tools then Map Network Drive…
3. Click the link Sign up for online storage or connect to a network server. Don’t bother with the drive letter, folder or Browse button.
4. Click Next.
5. Click Choose another network location, then Next.
From here on out it’s the same as it was in Windows Vista and 7.
Enter in an FTP location:
Choose whether you want to login anonymously or with an FTP account:
Enter a name (or let Windows choose it):
Click Finish.
From this point there are some major differences.
Windows Vista and 7 make your FTP shortcuts very easy to locate. Any time you load Computer from the start logo, you will see them in the tree folder view on the left as shown in the video above. Alternatively you can simply click the start logo and type the name of the shortcut; it will show up as a clickable result.
In Windows XP you will not see FTP shortcuts from My Computer in default view.
These are your options to get to your FTP shortcuts in Windows XP.
1. Click My Network Places on the left from My Computer‘s default view.
After clicking that you’ll see something similar to this:
2. Manually launch Windows Explorer and expand My Network Places.
You can do this three ways.
- Win+E ("Win" being the "flag" key on your keyboard)
- Start / All Programs / Accessories / Windows Explorer
- Start / Run / type explorer / OK
When launched, expand My Network Places to see your mapped FTP shortcut locations, like this:
3. Enable My Network Places to be accessible directly from the Start menu.
Like this:
If it’s not there, right-click the Start button and select properties:
Click the Customize button:
Click the Advanced tab:
Scroll down the list and check off My Network Places:
Click OK twice after that.
As you can see, it’s not that XP couldn’t do "mounting" (which is actually just shortcuts) of FTP locations. Rather you had to know up front these shortcuts were placed in My Network Places, and also know that you could completely disregard the "Sign up for online storage" notice in favor of an "other" server.
Don’t have an FTP server of your own to try this out on?
I’m betting you do and you probably didn’t even know it. Chances are likely your ISP offers free home pages which is accessible via FTP. All you need to know is the FTP server name and configure an account for it. This information will be available at your ISP’s web site.
You probably won’t get more than 10 to 50MB of space, but hey, free space is free space. You might as well map a shortcut to it in Windows. VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Your FTP folder for your home page space via your ISP is most likely public. Remember that. Don’t post anything there that contains personal information.
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This works. I just did it (under Windows 7).
I have learned something new today. I strive to do that everyday, but this one’s a good one.
And if you really want some FTP storage space, http://www.unlimitedmb.com/ is offering it for free. Again, as you note, everything using that service would be public and exposed via HTTP. I have no link to that site except that I do use it on occasion.