Local Explorer - Open File Links in Chrome

Enable local file links to hard disk, Azure AD & company shared folders, mapped network drive directly in corporate/local host site.

Local Explorer - Open File Links in Chrome/Edge

Local Explorer - Open File Links in Chrome is a browser extension that provides users the ability to open local file links directly within their web browser. It supports a wide range of file types and sources, including hard disk drives, Azure Active Directory, company's shared folders, and mapped network drives. This seamless integration enhances browsing productivity, enabling immediate access to essential files.
Install from Chrome Web Store

Extension stats

Users: 100,000+
Rating: 3.61
(321)
Version: 2023.1.15.1 (Last updated: 2023-01-20)
Creation date: 2020-07-04
Risk impact: Moderate risk impact
Risk likelihood:
Manifest version: 3
Permissions:
  • storage
Host permissions:
  • <all_urls>
Size: 152.58K

Other platforms

Local Cloud (v2.4.2)
4.33 (372) 39,325+
Not available on Firefox
Local Explorer: Open Local File Links in Edge (v2023.1.15.1)
5.00 (7) 19,137+
Want to check extension ranking and stats more quickly for other Chrome extensions? Install Chrome-Stats extension to view Chrome-Stats data as you browse the Chrome Web Store.

Extension summary

Analyze keywords

Enable local file links in Chrome or Edge by using the Local Explorer browser extension. It lets you browse and open local file links directly in your web browser.

Local Explorer can enable local file links and open them in associated application when clicked. For examples, click a folder link to open Windows Explorer, click *.docx file to open MS Word, click *.avi file to open Windows Media Player, and so on...

You may use Local Explorer to open local file links & folder links to hard disk drives, Azure Active Directory or company's shared folders, mapped network drive directly in corporate website or local host site.

EXAMPLES C:\Users\my_user_name\Documents ("My Documents" folders) \10.0.0.1\shared\local\folders\files (network drive) W:\folder\ and W:\folder\file.docx (on webpages they're "file:///W:/folder/" and "file:///W:/folder/file.docx")

NOTES

  • Currently it works only on Windows. We built this long ago for our in-house system and it's free. If you find any problem, contact us at [email protected] or click "Send Feedback" button before you post a negative review.
  • The extension started to support Unicode since version 2022.11.30. It enables local file links or folders that contains Unicode characters.
  • For the people complain about anti-vir warnings, it was a FALSE POSITIVE. We rebuilt our Integration module, see this http://goo.gl/qDNGP7
See more

User reviews

These summaries are automatically generated weekly using AI based on recent user reviews. Chrome Web Store does not verify user reviews, so some user reviews may be inaccurate, spammy, or outdated.
Pros
  • Very useful for accessing folders on the network.
  • Saves time to search long file names.
  • Works perfectly for local paths.
Cons
  • Stopped working after recent Chrome updates, especially for network paths.
  • Cumbersome to manage after Windows updates.
  • Users have to find workarounds to open network drives.
Most mentioned
  • Extension stops working after Chrome updates.
  • Issues with opening network paths.
  • Users switching to other browsers like Firefox.
User reviews
for those who are not able to use the extension after chrome update, you can try to change \ to %5C, i.e. localexplorer:%5C%5C<server> for developers, you can use encodeURIComponent to encode the URL
by Leo Kan, 2024-11-21

It used to be a great add-on to Chrome but lately it became quite cumbersome to manage whenever there is a new Windows update, it stops working and even after several reinstall it still doesn't work.
by Rico Ebol, 2024-10-29

Hello, Very useful extension for accessing folders on the network, but since the last Chrome update it stopped working, is there any solution?
by André Vieira, 2024-10-24
View all user reviews

Extension safety

Risk impact

Local Explorer - Open File Links in Chrome requires a few sensitive permissions. Exercise caution before installing.

Risk likelihood

Local Explorer - Open File Links in Chrome has earned a good reputation and can be trusted.

Upgrade to see risk analysis details

Promo images

Local Explorer - Open File Links in Chrome small promo image
Small promo image

Similar extensions

Here are some Chrome extensions that are similar to Local Explorer - Open File Links in Chrome: