First, what ARE netFiles Folders?

Technology Services provides netFiles as a means of storing your files on the network so that you can access them from any computer on campus, or from off campus. There are two ways to connect to netFiles, from a web browser and from your PC when connected to the internet. The latter method is netFiles Folders.

netFiles Folders provide you with a way of accessing your files on your PC as if they were stored on your  PC. That is, you can open, save, move, copy files between folders.  The only differences are that accessing your files will be somewhat slower with netFiles as compared to working with files on your computer's hard drive.  PC using the connection called netFiles Folders. This document explains how to manage your files using the netFiles Folders connection, and also includes a few of the quirks… er, we mean features… you’re likely to notice. Most notably, some software can open files directly from or save directly to netFiles Folders, while other software cannot.

The very first time you connect to netFiles Folders…

You need to do so using the gray “netFiles_Folders” icon on your desktop, which looks like the one to the left. If you do not have this icon, please see Setting up netFiles Folders.

How to use netFiles Folders with software you CAN open from & save to directly

To open a file from the netfiles Folders view in Windows:

• Double-click the gray netFiles_Folders icon on your desktop or browse to My Network Places – [your_username] on netfiles.whitman.edu
• Double-click the file you want to open

To save or open a file from within your software:

• Click File in the netFiles-capable application
• Click Save or Save As or Open
• For Windows XP: Select My Network Places from the pull down menu
  For Windows Vista or Windows 7: Select Computer > Network Location
• Double-click your named netFiles Folder
• Navigate to the appropriate folder
• Select a file or name your file
• Click Save or Open (in some applications this will say “OK”)

How to use netFiles Folders with software you CANNOT save to directly

In order to use files from the Network Places connection that are NOT netFiles-capable, you need to copy the files to your computer, typically the Desktop. To copy a file or group of files:

  To Save a File

• Click Start
• Click My Computer
• Click My Network Places on the left hand side
  
• Double-click [your_username] on netfiles.whitman.edu
• Save each file to a place on your hard drive (like your desktop)
• Click and Drag the file(s) to your netFiles location

Noteworthy behaviors using netFiles Folders

Word will not see this as a valid path for linking between files such as a merge document data file or bookmark file.

It does work as a link in an Excel spreadsheet.