How do I open file explorer from a published web application?

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Below is the code i am using, it works locally but the web application published to a server it does not work. I have tried impersonation and still nothing. It gives no error message it just does nothing. Any help?

VB

Dim openthis As String = System.Environment.CurrentDirectory
                   Process.Start("Explorer.exe", openthis)

Posted 12-May-15 7:12am

Member 10736689

Updated 27-Mar-23 8:52am

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virusstorm 12-May-15 13:26pm

You won't be able to do this from a web application for security reasons. Why do you need to execute the explorer from a web application?

Member 10736689 12-May-15 13:29pm

I want a user to click a link that takes them to that folder with a list of documents. any ideas on workarounds? My web application has a gridview that gives information on various reports and the folder containing the report. I want them to be able to navigate to the folder with all the files instead of just navigating to the files one by one.

virusstorm 12-May-15 13:32pm

Use the "file" hyperlink.
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/18246053/how-can-i-create-a-link-to-a-local-file-on-a-locally-run-web-page

Member 10736689 12-May-15 13:33pm

But this will open the file not the folder right? I need to open just the folder not the files.

virusstorm 12-May-15 13:44pm

Try just a folder. Your only other option is to mount the directory as a virtual directory in IIS and then enable browsing for it.

Member 10736689 12-May-15 13:56pm

okay will try

2 solutions

Solution 2

Hello

Use ClickOnce.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/t71a733d.aspx[^]

You will need to create a console, winform or wpf project and publish it using clickonce.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/31kztyey.aspx[^]

Once you have a working program that does what you want (ie opening windows explorer) you can redirect from your asp.net site to the clickonce url:

VB

HttpContext.Current.Response.ContentType = "application/x-ms-application"
HttpContext.Current.Response.Redirect(url, False)
HttpContext.Current.ApplicationInstance.CompleteRequest()

This will download your program, pass what ever parameters you need in the query string and that's it.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms172242.aspx[^]

Valery.

Posted 12-May-15 8:19am

Valery Possoz

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Member 10736689 12-May-15 14:52pm

thank u i will give it a try

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Richard Deeming · Accepted Answer · 2015-05-12T07:34:00

Solution 1

That code is running on the server.

If it works, it will open Windows Explorer on the server, where nobody will ever see it.

It might appear to work when you run your site in Visual Studio, but that's only because the server and client are the same computer in that specific case.

There is no way to launch Windows Explorer on the client from server code. And even if there was, the client would not have access to the file system on your server.

Posted 12-May-15 7:34am

Richard Deeming

Comments

Member 10736689 12-May-15 13:35pm

Thanks for the response. Is there any other way to simulate this process?

Richard Deeming 12-May-15 13:38pm

If you want the user to view the files in a directory on the server, then you could enable "directory browsing"[^] for that directory.

NB: Make sure you only enable it for the specific directory you want to share.

Member 10736689 12-May-15 13:37pm

like activeX?

Valery Possoz 12-May-15 14:14pm

When you say "There is no way to launch Windows Explorer". This is not strictly true. There are ways round this limitation. For example host a clickonce and activate it, once the app is downloaded you can do what ever you want on the client PC...

For example:
HttpContext.Current.Response.ContentType = "application/x-ms-application"
HttpContext.Current.Response.Redirect(clickOnceUrl, False)
HttpContext.Current.ApplicationInstance.CompleteRequest()

See here: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/t71a733d.aspx

ClickOnce is supported natively by Internet Explorer and Firefox and and Chrome using an extension like "ClickOnce for Google Chrome"

Richard Deeming 12-May-15 14:17pm

Downloading and installing a (Windows-only) application simply to launch another (Windows-only) application on the client seems somewhat excessive! :)

Not to mention the fact that it still wouldn't let the client access a folder on the server, which seems to be the requirement here.

Valery Possoz 12-May-15 14:23pm

Yes I agree with you, it is a bit heavy handed and potentially dangerous but for sake of argument it is possible.
Also from within the clickonce you can do what ever you want, call a webservice exposing the server file system for example.

Member 10736689 12-May-15 14:54pm

I currently i am able to browse directories using a treenode control. I believe that i will this existing functionality as my file explorer and when the user clicks the file he/she wants to open i just use the http-context to open it using the appropriate application. Do you think this is a good idea?

Richard Deeming 12-May-15 14:55pm

Yes, that's a much better way to do it. :)

Member 10736689 12-May-15 14:57pm

Thank u :)