SHARE ARTICLE
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:
(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
10. April 2009 at 9:34 am
Nice review, Jim. Although I felt your pain, I’m glad your review is a straight-up view of the merits and drawbacks to this add-in.
10. April 2009 at 9:37 am
I have this addin installed on 2 different servers and it works fine for me. I don’t have this mysterious “HPPhotos” folder on either of them but I do have the name of my printer. I’m thinking that is probably what the share name of your PRINTER is. There are a few fixes that need completed like the ability to sort (doesn’t seem to work as of yet) and apparently the need to hide the printer (which shows up as a folder) so some people don’t double click on it to see what files are inside of their printer.
10. April 2009 at 7:09 pm
Install this on EX485 and it installs fine, but when I tried to open share folder , the WIndows home server Console crashes
10. April 2009 at 8:59 pm
I think this is a very useful add-in. I often copy or move large files from one share to another and have to do that through Remote Desktop.
I agree it’s not an add-in for basic users. Some understanding of how shares work is needed.
The add-in could be polished a little by:
- adding (USB) drives that are not part of the storage pool
- sorting the shares alphabetically
- maybe using the same function key shortcuts as good old Total Commander?
11. April 2009 at 7:20 am
Not sure what to say. I can see that my add-in requires a basic knowledge of network shares and windows networking. I have not written a help function for this add-in, but I see now that it requires one.
The Add-in starts by listing your servers shares (that’s folders on your server that are shared though the network). The HPPhotos folder it not a folder, but a network share that probably some HP add-in has created.
As for all the error messages I though they were quite self explaining, but in the next release I’ll at a “help” link and try to explain you cannot perform whatever action you tried.
This add-in was created for the scenarios when you need to copy or move files from one share/folder on your server to another share/folder (something I do quite often). You can like someone mentioned do this via your client computer, but the way Windows Networking works that means transferring the files from the server over the network to your computer and back to the server again. A slow and totally useless thing to do. The other option would then be to remote desktop to the server and perform the copy locally with Windows Explorer.
That works, but if you copy locally from d:\shares\something to d:\shares\somethingelse you are now in uncharted territory as regards to the drive extender technology and is something that you really should not do.
Enter the add-in that still copies the files locally, but uses UNC paths. It’s still slower then using Windows Explorer via Remote Desktop, but it’s faster than copying via network from local computer.
Peter:
I’ve added support for USB drives to my list of todo’s for the next release, I just need to figure out how to detect if they are part of the storage pool or not. Also sorting shares alphabetically is a good idea
The first release hat Total (Norton) Commander keyboard shortcuts (F5 for copy, F6 for move and F8 for create folder). But for some reason F5 is overridden by the WHS Console and I cannot trap the keypress. So I reverted to using buttons instead.
Keigotw:
As I only have the EX475 I have never tested in on anything else. If it left any trace of error message (either in event log) or in an error message I’d appreciate if you sent it to me.
11. April 2009 at 12:42 pm
@PÃ¥l – Just a quick note on the HPPhotos. TrpBlasty is correct in that it is the Share name for my printer. Hopefully, you can filter out that item.
Regarding error messages, perhaps the one that I found frustrating is when one clicks on a folder/file, FM has a tendency to go right to the rename mode. Hitting the escape key to cancel the operation should not penalize the user with an error message for an aborted operation.
Suggestion: Make the current location of each pane stand out more.
11. April 2009 at 1:45 pm
@Jim Clark – I agree, renaming a file to it’s old name (i.e. canceling) should not give an error message. And I’ll try to filter out printers. Will give a shout when the next release is out.
12. April 2009 at 6:56 am
The WHS FileManager Add-In is now updated to v1.0.0.5:
- Does no longer show printers as shares
- Made current location of each pane to stand out more (easier to see)
- Made each folder in pane path (above panes) clickable for easy access to
any parent folder
- Fixed problem with caching of exe file icons (all exe files got same icon)
- Added support for sorting by clicking list headers
- Canceling a rename operation (clicking escape) does no longer give an error
- Changed default drag operation from move in 1.0.0.3 to copy.
- Removed a lot of the error messages and instead disable the command buttons when you have not selected and files.
Read more and download at:
http://blog.paks.no/2009/03/29/whs-file-manager-add-in/
12. April 2009 at 2:10 pm
@PÃ¥l – Very nice update! Downloaded, installed, and it is like night and day.
One little problem, tho. The help icon does not work and it kills the console.
12. April 2009 at 2:43 pm
@Jim Clark – Hm, it supposed to open a html file with the help page on. Could you do me a favor and check for the existance of ‘WHSFileManager.mht’ in C:\Program Files\Windows Home Server on your server? That’s the file that is executed and it normally opens in IE. Also, what version of IE do you have on your server? I have only tested with IE 7.
12. April 2009 at 3:04 pm
@PÃ¥l – The file is there. I can access it directly. I had IE8 installed for a bit and then uninstalled it due to some other WHS issues. So back on IE7, but who knows what kind of remnants of IE8 still remain…
I also restarted my WHS machine, just to elminate a potential question. In the end, I still have the same problem. Of course, with what I do with my WHS (installing/uninstalling so many add-ins), I am not surprised things like this happen to me.
12. April 2009 at 3:08 pm
@Jim Clark – I managed to make it hang if I clicked the help button when the WHS console was running on the server inside remote desktop. But if I run the console on a client computer it works. Strange, but I’ll look into it. Thanks for letting me know.
12. April 2009 at 3:10 pm
That’s the problem! I do almost everything from a RDC and very rarely use the WHS connector. It does work here also if I use the Connector.
13. April 2009 at 2:28 pm
My WHS File Manager Add-In has gotten yet another public update and is now at v1.0.1.0.
New features:
- Support for removable storage (CD, DVD or USB disks that are not part of the storage pool)
- Support for opening files directly via the Home Server Console (files are opened on your local computer and not the server)
- Lots of bug fixes
I am now asking for feedback from the users about what further functions you would like to see in future versions.
Grab it from http://blog.paks.no/2009/03/29/whs-file-manager-add-in/
20. June 2009 at 3:44 pm
Installed it. Got two identical panes, no middle bar, no instructions! What next?
21. June 2009 at 8:55 am
Contact the developer here via http://blog.paks.no/whs-add-ins/