Add-In Review: WHS File Manager

WHS File Manager.  This was one of the more difficult WHS add-ins that I have taken a look at.  Why?  It is even difficult to answer that question.  Perhaps the easiest way to answer it is that it is a program of discovery.  Discovery of how to make it work.  If you can get past all the seemingly endless error messages it tends to throw at you.

Before I proceed further, from the author:

Copying or even move files between shares or folders in a share on the home server is a slow task if you do it over the network, enter the WHS file manager add-in.

This is a simple dual-pane file manager for the WHS management console. It allows you to safely copy, move and delete files on your home server. It will only show your shared folders and it will use UNC for file copying. This means it will be slower than copying to/from local disks using remote desktop, but it’s also a lot safer.

Ok, first question.  What is UNC?  A nifty little definition I found on the web:

UNC

(Universal Naming Convention) A standard for identifying servers, printers and other resources in a network, which originated in the Unix community. A UNC path uses double slashes or backslashes to precede the name of the computer. The path (disk and directories) within the computer are separated with a single slash or backslash, as in the following examples. Note that in the DOS/Windows example, drive letters (c:, d:, etc.) are not used in UNC names.

Ah, yes!  The Universal naming method for mapping drives.  I am not sure why this is slower.  I am not sure why it is safer.  Anyway…

Enough of this boring stuff.  On to the review.

Installing the add-in is as simple as any other add-in.  Copy the msi installer to your D:SoftwareAdd-ins folder (perhaps I should using the UNC terminology of \<servername>Softwaremsi), open the WHS Setting Window in the console and install the software from the Add-ins tab, as shown below.

Reopen the WHS console, scroll over and click on the File Manager tab.  You will be presented with a dual file manager pane, as seen below, of the WHS Shares folders.  In the divider between the panes are 4 icons titled copy, move, mkdir, delete.

One of the first items I noticed was a folder titled HPPhotos.  This folder does not exist on my WHS.  Clicking on it kills the console after a short window freeze.  Add-ins closing the console are not a new thing, but it really makes me nervous when I see things that aren’t supposed to be there with an application that is supposed to help one maintain your files.

One of the next items I noticed was a weird icon on executable files.  I doubt very highly that Everest and Deep Log Analyzer have anything to do with AIM.

For reference, a standard Windows File Manager listing of the same folder.

Moving on to the program User Interface, I found it to not be very intuitive.  I originally wrote “I never did figure out what the “move” and “copy” buttons were for”.  Quite often, these commands would either do nothing or tell you “you can’t do that!”.  Perseverance finally paid off and I figured out how to use them.  Back to that in just a bit.

You can use the “mkdir” to make a new directory (or folder), as long as you are in a sub-folder of the root Shares folders.  If you try to make a folder directly under the Shares folder, the mkdir button does… nothing.  If you try to rename a file or folder, and hit the Esc key to stop the operation, it will give you an error message.  Just an example of some of the inconsistencies and rather annoying error messages of this add-in.

The following 3 pixs show the use of the “mkdir” and “delete” commands.

The following pix is an example of what *may* happen when you click on the “copy” button.

And the error message associated with hitting the Esc key to cancel a file rename.

There are probably more error messages that I could document here, but why?  This is an example of a WHS add-in that may have potential for some, but it is definitely not ready for prime-time in it’s current condition.  If I were to guess, it would seem the author is trying to give his UI a unique look from the basic Windows Explorer UI.  Why?  It has already been done (from a client perspective) with WHS Shared Folders on Server option, as seen below:

Part of the uniqueness of this add-in is in the way you copy of move items.  I did say I would get back this this, didn’t I?  When using this add-in, one usually keeps their eye on the folder and file icons/names.  Just above those items in a a very faint dark gray on light is the UNC name of the folder each pane is in, which just so happens to something easily overlooked.  That is the important information required to let WHS File Manager know what you want to do.  Let’s say I want to move a file from \JC634-SERVERSoftwaremsi to \JC634-SERVERSoftware.  Steer each side of the dual pane to the aforementioned folders (see the pix below), highlight the file you wish to copy/move, and click on the desired move/copy button.

These icons actually do work.  It is just a case of trial and error, and wading through all the annoying error messages that seem to crop up along the discovery path.

That is about all there is to this add-in.  So I ask the question: is this an add-in for you?  In it’s current incantation, I would have to say no.  This add-in needs some basic program changes (removal of the “extra” HPPhotos folder), and some major overhaul of the UI and error handling.  A help file (or manual) is required for an application such as this, as the author is deviating significantly from a standard Microsoft UI.

Once these issues are dealt with, it is up to the user to decide if this add-in has a feature set that is compelling over alternate file manager methods.  I will keep a watch on future versions, and when sufficient progress is made regarding the above issues, I definitely do an update review.

Author: Pal Andreassen

Version Reviewed: 1.0.0.3

Release: 04April2009

More info: Download | Discuss