BrowserDeskHelp › In the session › E23
Open a drive of the device at the technician's side — with consent at the device
If the USB stick is at the customer's, you ask for it in the session. The person at the device chooses which folder to share — it appears as a drive on your side, read only by default.
Preview this guide has not yet been clicked through on a real device. Button names and steps come from the program but may differ in details.
- For
- Person at the device · Technician
- Applies to
- Cloud · Own relay
- Licence
- usbredirect
- Controlled device
- Windows · Linux · macOS
- Control from
- Program (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- from version
- 20261011.15
What it is for
The USB stick is plugged in at the customer's — with photos, receipts or a backup — and you want to work with it on your side. You ask for it in the session. The person at the device decides: they choose which folder or stick to share, and whether you may only read or also write. It appears as a drive on your side while the session runs.
What you need
- Licence feature
usbredirect: included in paid Cloud; with an own relay, with a licence for USB redirection. Never with Free. - Someone at the device who agrees. Without consent there is no device drive — not even by policy. That is why it does not work at the lock or sign-in screen.
- On your side: the BrowserDesk program on a computer. - Windows: the Windows service "WebClient". - Linux: gvfs; without gvfs BrowserDesk gives you an address to mount by hand. - macOS: mounting as in Finder with "Connect to Server".
- Rights: you control the device and have the "transfer files" permission.
- At the device: BrowserDesk version 20261011.15 or later.
How to do it
Technician
- In the session choose DateienLaufwerk des Geräts einbinden … (Files > Mount the device's drive …).
- At the bottom left it says "Am Gerät wird gefragt …" (asking at the device …). Wait for the answer.
- Once the person has agreed, it says "Laufwerk des Geräts „E:“ hier unter Z: · nur lesen" (device drive E: here as Z: · read only — or "lesen und schreiben", read and write).
- Öffnen (Open) shows the drive in your Explorer, file manager or Finder.
- Done? Beenden (Stop) at the bottom left or DateienLaufwerk des Geräts trennen (Files > Disconnect the device's drive).
Person at the device
- Laufwerk für den Techniker freigeben? (Share a drive with the technician?) appears with the sentence "… möchte ein Laufwerk oder einen Ordner dieses Geräts bei sich als Laufwerk einbinden." (… wants to mount a drive or folder of this device on their side).
- Choose the drive or folder the technician may see. Eine Ebene höher (One level up) goes back.
- If they may also change and delete there: tick Schreiben erlauben (Allow writing). The default is read only.
- Diesen Ordner freigeben (Share this folder) — or Ablehnen (Decline).
- While sharing runs, Windows shows "… liest Ihr Laufwerk „E:“." (… is reading your drive E:) at the bottom right with Beenden (Stop).
How you know it worked
A new drive "BrowserDesk – <device> <folder>" with the contents of the shared folder is there on your side, and the display at the bottom left names its location.
What the other side sees
- The question Laufwerk für den Techniker freigeben?. Without an answer everything stays closed; after two minutes it counts as declined.
- While the question is open, the technician's clicks and keys do not reach the device — they cannot click "share" themselves.
- While sharing on Windows, a small window with Beenden (Stop); on Linux and macOS a line in the footer of the BrowserDesk window, stopped via the tile "Dateien" (files).
- Switching off "Dateien" ends every drive sharing at once.
Good to know
- Only the chosen folder is visible, nothing above it. The default is read only.
- Every request is asked separately. A consent applies to this one sharing, not to the whole session.
- 50 MB limit on your side on Windows: files over 50 MB cannot be opened on the mounted drive. Fetch large files with the file manager (E8).
- One drive at a time per direction. The other direction — your stick at the device — is E22.
- A Mac or Linux device only asks if the BrowserDesk window is running there. A device that runs only the service without a window does not offer the feature.
If it does not work
| You see | Meaning and fix |
|---|---|
| "Am Gerät kann niemand zustimmen — ein Laufwerk des Geräts gibt es nur mit Zustimmung am Gerät." (nobody can agree at the device) | There is no window for the question at the device (lock screen, sign-in screen, service only). Have someone sign in first. |
| "BrowserDesk am Gerät aktualisieren" (update BrowserDesk at the device) in the hint | The device runs a version before 20261011.15. |
| "Ein Laufwerk des Geräts darf nur einbinden, wer das Gerät steuert." (only whoever controls the device may mount its drive) | You are only watching. Take control. |
| "Es ist schon ein Laufwerk des Geräts freigegeben." (a device drive is already shared) | End the running sharing first. |
| "Dafür fehlt die Freigabe „Dateien übertragen“." (the "transfer files" permission is missing) | "Dateien" is off at the device or in the console. |
| Linux: an address instead of a drive | gvfs is missing on your side. Enter the address in the file manager under "Connect to Server". |
| The drive does not appear | H21. |