Link to network share in email?

Question

Assuming we are on the same network, is it possible to link to a Windows share through Gmail?

Something like \\Server\Folder\file.ext?

Is there a prefix for network paths, such as there is for web urls, ftp urls, email addresses (i.e., http://, ftp://, mailto:)?

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 04 '12 at 15:16

5

You can use the file URI scheme (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_URI_scheme). In you example it would be:

file://Server/Folder/file.ext

It depends on the application if it makes text "click-able", but this will work for most email application (including Outlook)

answered Nov 04 '12 at 15:16

2

This seems to be correct. Unfortunately, the web versions of Gmail and Hotmail will strip the link, so does the Windows 8 Mail App. Outlook Web Access sends it through their redirect service, which doesn't know what to do with it. Ironically, it's only clickable on my Windows Phone, but of course, goes nowhere. – Louis Waweru Nov 04 '12 at 15:27
Are you using HTML encoded emails? It you are, you could make hyperlink `a link to \\Server\Folder\file.ext `, depending on your browser this should work (unless the mailapp is doing some redirection/rewriting) – Kenneth Yrke Joergensen Nov 05 '12 at 12:24
Yes, I can see the HTML if I view the source of the message. The email providers strip it out in their webmail. They are clickable in OWA, but don't make it through the redirect service. – Louis Waweru Nov 05 '12 at 13:05

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 04 '12 at 10:08

0

The link won't work when clicked on in the browser, but the recipient can always copy paste is in an Explorer window.

answered Sep 04 '12 at 10:08

m4573r

2 Answers2