On 14/03/2018 21:10:57, ultred ragnusen wrote:
mick wrote:

I have found that it is windows 10 that won't share without a password,
it needs one to share between windows computers.

Hi mick,

Thanks for that confirmation, which makes sense, that it's Windows that
won't share to the FileExplorer app over WiFi without Windows having a
password.

This requirement for a Windows password is a limitation that the other apps
I tested didn't have because they didn't use whatever file-sharing
mechanism this FileExplorer app is using.

Hence, the obvious question is...

What "is" this file-sharing mechanism that FileExplorer is using anyway?
Is it SMB?

I have no idea, SMB/CIF is mentioned in the blurb on the website.
You could always ask,


Any idea why I can't get into those 4 folders which seem to be my C, D, and
E drives (where I'm not sure what ADMIN$ indicates)?

Because you were not sharing them.

That makes too much sense.

So far so good.
The last part, Homegroup.
I have 'Use user accounts and passwords to connect to other computers@
I don not use the Homegroup option.

Hmmm... I don't use any workgroups, but since it worked in the end, I won't
worry about "homegroup" options.

With password protected sharing off you will only ever see the Public
folders.

Actually, that's fine to only see the C:\Users\Public folder because I'm
never going to store anything in C:\Users so it's just a temporary drop off
point.

By using password protected sharing you will be able to set sharing on
any folder or drive on your windows machine.

That's more direct, but I'd prefer to have no passwords whatsoever since
passwords are just something to be forgotten and I don't need them.

You only ever use the same logon password irrespective of how many
drives/folders/files you share. Not a different password for each
drive/folder/file.

File sharing on win 10.
Pick a personal folder on one of your drives.
Right click, choose Properties, choose Sharing tab, click the Share
button, choose or add ultred, make sure Permission Level is
Read/Write, click Share, click Done, close the Properties window.
That folder should show up now in Networking as shared.

OK. I'll share a folder /outside/ of the C:\Users hierarchy, such as
C:\data\sharedstuff for the iPad to access with FileExplorer

Right now, for whatever reason, File Explorer won't connect to Windows, so,
I may need to start over. Sigh.
http://i.cubeupload.com/XLmc84.jpg

There are no usable error messages so I don't even know how to
troubleshoot..

You can share whole drives but that may be a bit too far at this stage.
Small steps first :-)

Yup. Small steps.
The biggest small step is /identifying/ what protocol FileExplorer is using
to connect to Windows shares.

Is it SMB?

See reply above.

On the iPad you want to install Word and Excel from the app store on
the iPad, they are free. Foxit PDF also on the iPad is useful for
reading PDF files.

Thanks. That advice will be helpful to me and to others.

I had put the Microsoft read-only apps on a different iPad /years/ ago on
the day that they came out on iOS for the first time and never used them
once since, so I won't bother with MS Office read-only apps on the new
iPad.

Any mobile device is too small a screen and too limited in keyboard to be
worth the trouble when Windows already has Microsoft Office and a real
keyboard.

They are not read only apps, they are fully functionable.


So I need to ask you, mick, if you've been able to get files from iOS to
Windows using the "File Explorer" app on iOS? If so, what's the trick?

OK, lets send a photo from the iPad to windows.
Choose FE
Choose Photo Library
Choose Camera Roll
Choose Edit top right
Tick a photo
Choose Copy to at the bottom
Choose your shared folder
Choose Save
Choose Done after it has finished uploading.

Good instructions. The tribal knowledge archives are improved by your post!

The main question is what protocol FileExplorer uses.
Is it SMB?

If so, these are the solutions to date we've tested somewhat.
1. USB (works seamlessly both ways for Windows, one way for Linux)
2. FTP (works seamlessly both ways for both Windows & Linux)
3. HTTP (works seamlessly both ways for both Windows & Linux)
4. SMB (probably works - but smb:// URIs are foreign to me in Win/Linux)
5. Bluetooth (this would work but I don't have BT or WiFi on my desktop)
6. App-specific transfer (e.g., "File Explorer" & "VLC" work both ways)
7. Desktop apple-services (e.g., iMazing - which works - but not on Linux)

--
mick