Firefox not able?

[skilled1]

in internet explorer, the code to view a shared directory on a network is such as

a href="file://///server/folder/directory/"

however be it

a href="file://server/folder/directory/"
or
a href="file://///server/folder/directory/"

it will not display in the window for firefox, does anyone know what the specific code is? i have been searchign for 2 days with no luck thus far.

[TiGGi]

As far as I know FF is not windows explorer, IE is since its incorporated in windows.
So if you want to link to a file on different server I suggest you make a virtual directory or run IIS on that server also

[skilled1]

I am already runing IIS on the servers, however I wanted to know if it was possible to use something like windows explorer to view the files though firefox, without having to spend that mcuh time configuring IIS to do it.

[felgall]

Internet Explorer is designed for use on intranets. Other web browsers are designed for use on the internet. That is why IE allows a huge number of things to be done that can't be done with other browsers, many of which are security issues if done on the internet.

[drhowarddrfine]

In fact, NO browser can do what you want except IE.

[skilled1]

Yes i figured out the probelm, as pointed out Internet Explorer is also intagrated into Windows Explorer [obvsously] and thusly is a Network Browser, able to look both at folders, and the internet.

Firefox itself is only a web browser, so, what i have to do is just up up a simple html page, that says Firefox does nto display this, and have a javascript say open IE, and open this folder on the network. Now, Does anyone know of where such a javascript exisits? or any reccomendations?

Or perhaps a Plugin for firefox that is downloadable that gives it the ability to accomplish this?

[Kevey]

Actually you CAN open executables in Firefox. I was able to open local files e.g. windows explorer and calculator, and files on a mapped network drive (a Word doc).

Here's a link detailing how to do it:

http://bobpaul.org/firefox.html

It's not necessarily a good idea from a security standpoint, but it is entirely possible.

My link looked like this:
<a href="file:///C|/WINNT/explorer.exe">Win Explorer</a>

...edited all over the place as I had alot of wrong info the first time (5th time) I posted.

[skilled1]

Actually you CAN open executables in Firefox, but they will open in their own window - I was able to open local files e.g. windows explorer and calculator, and files on a mapped network drive (a Word doc).

Here's a link detailing how to do it:

http://bobpaul.org/firefox.html

It's not necessarily a good idea from a security standpoint, but it is entirely possible.

My link looked like this:
<a href="file:///C|/WINNT/explorer.exe">Win Explorer</a>

Of course, doesn't open in the browser window...but it does open...
thank you for the help, but the bobpaul link does not work, and thank you for the code, that is halfway there, now to not only open windows explorer, but have it directed at a defined path

[Kevey]

The link works for me...I clicked on it in your post...weird. Try typing it in manually. I was able to get to a defined path and get directory info by using this tweak. Attached pic of what it looks like in Firefox.

Also, I screwed up earlier with the target blank stuff. You can do what you want in the FF window just like in IE...I can navigate to any of my network drive folders at will.

I'm glad you made this thread. This was a fun learning experience :)

[ray326]

Let me just restate it since I know everyone hasn't heard it enough yet. :) IE is not a web browser. It is a file browser that happens to treat http:// as a type of file system. A web browser will not display a directory index. Oh, the pseudo-protocol for an SMB shar is smb:// rather than file:// for browsers that care.

Well, crap. I just proved myself wrong on my home network. I entered \\sparks1\c_drive into Fx and it translated it to file://///sparks1/c_drive/ and displayed the index of the root dir on that PC.