Linking directly to a folder on own drive/server

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https://forums.asp.net/t/1794698.aspx?Open+local+file+via+href

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I hope that gives some ideas, I haven’t tried it in Asana yet. All I do is store the path in quotes e.g. “C:\Work” and then copy it, Windows-R (run dialog), Ctrl-V (paste), Enter (run), which opens that path.

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23

This is the correct approach. There are NO security issues, it just triggers a local action. If the user has no access on their local machine, then no access is granted.

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I work in a financial institution, so storing client data on the cloud is not permissable (is it ever?)

I give the Asana task a descriptive name that gives context to what is actually required. If I need to reference other related data, I store the search term, url or path in Asana, prefixed by a heading. I use the TextBlaze Chrome add-in to insert a snippet with the contents (i.e. email subject or path) of the clipboard in the appropriate area. I use OneNote to keep my thoughts and investigations related to particular tasks. Here is an example of what I might hold in Asana.

Email
subject:“Visa card transactions”

OneNote
“Visa card transactions”

Folder
“R:\Asana\Temp”

ICD
(url to helpdesk system)

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25

Hey @Scott_Dellar! Thanks for the input. I almost thought that one of the solutions would work (and got really excited :smiley: ), but apparently it either doesn’t work with Asana or with our browser(s), even if we install the respective plugins in the link. Even IE couldn’t do it. :stuck_out_tongue:

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can yo not just use file:///C:/’ but replace C:/ with a mapped drive on your server and of course the location of the file/folder after C:/

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27

It still doesn’t become clickable in Asana (at least for me).

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Not sure I understand that security concern.
It’s not the server that should follow the link, it’s the client.
And either the person to follow the link has access permissions to that file on a shared drive / UNC path, or no access will be granted.
IMO, asana should make such links clickable.

And before anyone points towards Dropbox etc., that’s not an option where I work, not even remotely - for security reasons.

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29

Sorry, I’m new here, just assumed it would work :wink: . This is definately something you should start a feature request on. It shouldn’t be too hard to implement and I think it’s definately worth it. We have both an inhouse server and a google drive. We work on both and it would be nice to link directly to the server and just click the link instead of click + ctrl+a + ctrl+c + windows+r + ctrl+v + enter. By the way, just because that combo works, a LOT of end users will do it an even slower why by dragging mouse, rightclicking, etc.

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We use the link to file feature in Outlook all the time. I don’t know how Microsoft keeps this connection secure, but I do know that people experience some kind of loss aversion when moving from email to Asana. Now we have to make up work arounds (copy paste will do the trick) for something we’ve taken for granted before using Asana. I hope you can find some kind of technical compromise to fix the issue and make linking to files on hard drives possible!

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Asana, just stick a Dev on it for a sprint and see what happens!

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Hard to believe we still waste time on this obstruction every day. I understand the security concerns, but let us make that choice - give us settings individually and globally, make them uber-secure and off by default, but let us turn them on if we want. image

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yes. I am new to Asana in the last 8 weeks and we enjoy links in our microsoft outlook emails but for some reason cannot do the same thing in Asana? I don’t understand. Is there a representative from @Asana on this message string to respond?

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It’s June 22, 2022 and still the feature to access a local file from Asana is not implemented the way outlook does. The security concerns if any, are unfounded. What is needed is the automation of the Crt-C, Windows-R-Crtl-V [Enter}

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35

Agreed. This would be a very useful feature for us too. We have robust internal user permissions, and so the link in itself is not a security risk. @asana please make ths work!

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Just wondering if a solution has been found? We keep all our project files on a local server and there are 1,000s. not practical to link every one and we can’t move them to a web based solution. Went through list of add-ins and nothing so far. Would be nice to have a one stop solution.

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37

Maybe linkyourfile.com (I am the developer of it) is a solution for you.

It is a windows and mac extension for explorer and finder with which you can create an https link to a local or network file / folder via context menu. If you click on the link the extension will launch the file or the explorer / finder.

It also has some other useful features:

  • Cloud provider placeholders to fix the problem with e.g. different dropbox locations on different devices.
  • If a file / folder can not be found you can relink it and on the next link click it will be auto detected again.
1 Like