Help › In the session › E22

Use your own USB stick or folder as a drive at the device

In the session you pick a folder or your USB stick — at the device it appears as the drive “BrowserDesk – <your name>” while the session runs. Nothing is copied; the device only reads what it opens.

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: Technician
Applies to: Cloud · Own relay
Licence: usbredirect
Controlled device: Windows · Linux · macOS
Control from: Program (Windows, macOS, Linux)
from version: 20261011.12

What it is for

You have drivers, setups or tools on your USB stick or in a folder. Instead of sending file by file, you pick the folder in the session. At the device it appears in Explorer as the drive "BrowserDesk – <your name>" while the session runs. The files stay with you; the device only reads what is opened there. No driver is installed for this.

What you need

Licence feature usbredirect: included in paid Cloud; with an own relay, with a licence for USB redirection. Never with Free.
On your side: the BrowserDesk program on a computer (Windows, Linux or macOS). It is not available on phones or in the browser.
At the device: a signed-in user session (not the lock or sign-in screen). - Windows: the Windows service "WebClient" (on Windows Server, the feature "WebDAV Redirector"). - Linux: gvfs ("gio") in a desktop session.
Rights: you control the device and have the "transfer files" permission.
A normal session — it does not work in a control-room tile (D8).

How to do it

In the session choose DateienLaufwerk freigeben … (Files > Share drive …).
In the window Laufwerk freigeben (Share drive) pick the stick or folder. Eine Ebene höher (One level up) goes back.
If the device may also create, change and delete there: tick Schreiben erlauben (Allow writing). The default is read only.
Click Diesen Ordner freigeben (Share this folder).
At the bottom left of your session window it says "„…“ am Gerät als X: · nur lesen" (at the device as X: · read only — or "lesen und schreiben", read and write) with Beenden (Stop).
At the device, open Explorer — the drive "BrowserDesk – <your name>" is there.
Done? DateienLaufwerk-Freigabe beenden (Files > Stop drive sharing) or Beenden at the bottom left. The end of the session stops the sharing too.

How you know it worked

The device's Explorer shows a drive "BrowserDesk – <your name>" with the contents of your folder.
On your side the display at the bottom left shows the drive letter at the device.

What the other side sees

Windows: a small window at the bottom right, always on top: "Laufwerk des Technikers eingebunden (X:)." (technician's drive connected) with Beenden (Stop).
Linux and macOS: the same line in the footer of the BrowserDesk window; it is stopped there via the tile "Dateien" (files).
If the person at the device switches off "Dateien", every drive sharing ends at once.

Good to know

Nothing is copied. The device only fetches the pieces it reads. Without a session the drive is gone.
Read only is the default. Your computer enforces it itself — attempts to change something at the device fail with "access denied".
Only the chosen folder is visible, nothing above it. Shortcuts pointing out of the folder stay invisible. A file autorun.inf in the top folder is not visible at the device.
50 MB limit on Windows: without the BrowserDesk service at the device, files over 50 MB cannot be opened there (limit of the Windows WebDAV service). With the service, BrowserDesk raises the limit for the session and resets it afterwards. Writing large files is not affected.
Programs run "as administrator" do not see the drive on Windows; Explorer and normal programs do.
One drive at a time per direction and device.
The other direction — a stick at the device appears on your side — is E23. Passing on a smart card: E24.

If it does not work

You see	Meaning and fix
Menu item greyed out, hint "Die USB-Umleitung ist in der Lizenz dieses Zugangs nicht enthalten." (USB redirection is not in this access's licence)	Feature `usbredirect` missing (G4).
"Nur in einer angemeldeten Benutzersitzung (nicht am Sperr- oder Anmeldebildschirm)." (only in a signed-in user session)	Nobody is signed in at the device or the screen is locked. Sign in or unlock first.
"Das Gerät kennt diese Funktion noch nicht (BrowserDesk am Gerät aktualisieren)." (the device does not know this feature yet)	An older version runs at the device. Update it.
"Laufwerk freigeben darf nur, wer das Gerät steuert." (only whoever controls the device may share a drive)	You are only watching. Take control.
"Dafür fehlt die Freigabe „Dateien übertragen“." (the "transfer files" permission is missing)	"Dateien" is off at the device or in the console.
"Der Windows-Dienst „WebClient“ fehlt auf diesem Gerät (Windows Server: Funktion „WebDAV-Redirector“ installieren)." (WebClient service missing)	On Windows Server install the feature "WebDAV Redirector".
"Der Windows-Dienst „WebClient“ ist deaktiviert (Fehler 1058)." (WebClient is disabled)	The WebClient service is switched off at the device. An administrator of the device has to allow it again.
"Windows hat das Laufwerk abgelehnt (Netzwerkname nicht gefunden, Fehler 67)." (Windows refused the drive, error 67)	See H21.
"Auf diesem Linux fehlt gvfs („gio“, Paket gvfs bzw. gvfs-backends) — …" (gvfs is missing on this Linux)	Install gvfs on the Linux device.
"Dateien über 50 MB lassen sich hier nicht öffnen …" (files over 50 MB cannot be opened here)	The 50 MB limit applies (see above). Send large files with file transfer (E8).

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