It is very common to work with different devices such as a computer and a mobile. This means that, on occasions, we have files saved in one of them and we need them in another. For example, documents that we have created or that have been sent to the computer and we need to open them from the mobile. In this article we are going to talk about some programs for Android with which we can access shared Windows folders on the network.
Steps to share folders in Windows
First of all you have to share folders in Windows . We must have the system correctly configured and, later, share the folders that interest us. In this way, the files that we save there will be available so that we can access them from an Android device.
We need to go to the Network and Sharing Center . To do this, just click the right mouse button on the Internet icon on the taskbar and go to Open Network and Internet Settings. Then click on Network and Sharing Center.
Once there, we must make sure that we have activated the option of sharing files and printers in private networks (or the profile that we use). Also, in All Networks, it’s a good idea to turn off password-protected sharing. This will make it easier for us to access shared folders on the network from our mobile.
However, if you have configured the access with credentials and passwords it would also work, although you will have to put it.
To share a folder on the network, you have to click on it, go to Properties, click on Share and then select Everyone and configure the permissions you want (reading and writing, for example).
From that moment on, the shared files will be available so that we can access them with an application that supports SMB. The folders that we have configured will appear on the mobile.
Android apps to open shared files
We can use different Android applications with which we can access those shared files in Windows. We can download documents, copy or paste content, etc. We are going to show some of the ones that work best to access network folders.
FX File Explorer
One of the programs we have used is FX File Explorer . It is available on the Google Play store for free. The first thing we will have to do is download it and install it on our device, be it a mobile or tablet. This app supports SMBv2. We can access networks through FTP, SSH or WebDAV.
Once installed, in the main window we have to give Network. There the different computers to which we have network access will appear. To add one, we have to click on the Add button, which appears below, and click on Windows Host (SMB) to start scanning.
When we have selected the one that interests us (it is important that they are connected to the same network) it will appear in the application. We can click on the corresponding name and we will see the different folders. We will only have to access them and thus see the content that there is.
File manager
Another program that we have tested for Android and it works very well, in a simple and free way, is File Manager . We can download it from the official Android store. Once installed and executed, we have to follow the following steps to be able to use it correctly.
In the first window that we will see, you have to click on Remote. It will appear empty, but we simply have to click on Add a remote location and it will begin to search for the computers on the network to which we are going to be able to connect them. We just have to select the one that interests us.
We will have to select the type of access within the options that appear: Local Network, SMB, FTP, SFTP or WebDAV. In our case we give Local Network , we select the computer and we will see the folders that are shared. We will only have to click on the one that interests us and we will have access to those files.
Cx File Explorer
One more application that we have available is the Cx File Explorer . It is very similar to the previous one. We can also download it from the official Google Play store and we can obtain remote access to our computer to access shared folders on the network.
When we have installed and executed it, we will see that different sections appear: Local, Library and Network. We are interested in this third option. There we will have to click on New location and it will begin to search for the computers that are available within our network so that we can access them.
Later, once we have chosen the corresponding one, we can access it. If we have Windows configured to be able to enter those shared files without a password, as we saw before, we will not have to do anything and the folders will appear directly.
RS File Manager
Following a similar operation to the previous ones, RS File Manager is another program that we can install for free on Android. We can download it from the official Google Play store. After its installation, we can start using it as a file manager locally or also to access it remotely.
We will see a first window where it shows us different options, among which we will see Network. Within Network we will see Cloud Drive, LAN, FTP, Remote… We will have to choose the one that interests us and thus be able to remotely access shared folders and see the content.
We can also click on the menu at the top left and, once the options are displayed, click on Network. It will also show us the options that we mentioned.
Conclusions
In short, any of these programs that we have seen works very well to be able to access shared folders on the network. Due to its ease and the number of options they have, both FX File Explorer and File Manager would be our favorites. However, all of them work in a similar way and serve the final objective that interests us.
Yes, we must take into account the importance of the application being updated correctly and always downloading them from reliable sources. This will allow them to work well, but also avoid security problems that can be exploited by hackers to attack.
