Accessing local computer files on VMware Horizon Client
You can configure the Horizon Client to share folders and drives on your local system with remote desktops and applications. Drives can include mapped drives and USB storage devices.
In a Windows remote desktop, shared folders and drives appear in the Devices and drives section in the This PC folder, or in the Other section in the Computer folder, depending on the Windows operating system version.
In a remote application, such as Notepad, you can browse to and open a file in a shared folder or drive. The folders and drives you select for sharing appear in the file system as network drives that use the naming format name on MACHINE-NAME.
Connecting your local folders or drives to the Horizon Client:
Configuring your local computer files for access though Horizon is done from the desktop and application selection window. It will be configured for all available desktop pools and applications
- Once you have logged into a server (i.e. ETB or MARC) select the settings cog in the top right from the desktop and application selection window
2. From the menu on the left select the “Sharing” tab
3. To share all your local user account files, simply check the “Share your local files name”. This will allow you to access all your files on your personal computer (documents, downloads, pictures, etc.)
4. To share a specific folder or drive with the remote desktop or application, click the “Add” button and then navigate to the folder or drive you want to share and press “Ok” The shared content will now appear in the This PC menu shown on page 1.
5. To remove a shared folder, select it from the list and click the “Remove” button
6. To easily share a connected USB Drive with the remote host, check the “Allow access to removable storage” box. This will automatically add any connected USB Drives to the shared folders list. Note: If you have already connected your USB Drive using the USB Redirection option it will not be available for sharing. More information on connecting USB devices to remote systems can be found in the Connecting USB Devices to the VMware Horizon Client document.
7. Configuration for local folders and drives can also be done from within a remote desktop session. From within the remote desktop, click on the options button in the top left and then select the “Share Folders” button. This will open the same menu as discussed previously. When changes are made, they will automatically become available in the This PC folder on the remote desktop.
Opening local files in hosted applications:
Hosted applications in VMware Horizon can be set up with a shortcut to your local desktop. This provides direct access to the software as if it is running on your machine.
One feature of this is the ability to open local files that you previously saved to your computer in remote applications. This removes the hassle of having to add a shared folder or drive in the settings menu to open your file from the “Open file” button in the specific application.
To do this, navigate to the “Sharing” tab in the settings menu, as described above. From here, ensure the “Open local files in hosted applications” box is checked.
Once selected, you can proceed to where any program files are saved on your computer and open them with the remote application. To do this, right-click on the file and then select “Open With”. From the menu that appears, select the appropriate remote application. You can also drag local files into the remote application if it is already open.
Your local file is now being used by the remote application and will be saved on your machine.
