Forum Discussion
Links to Network Shares
I am working in Power BI Desktop and I need to be able to access files that are stored on a network share. I'd like to be able to just click on the link and get the file.
I have 2 columns named Folder_Location(UNC path - \\Server\Folder\) and FileName.
I merged these 2 columns into FileLocation(\\Server\Folder\FileName). These steps work.
How can I turn the FileLocation column into a link the user can just click on to get the file??
I see that a web URL can be accessed but how about a Network Share???
10 Replies
In fact, the functionality exist in PBI to open an external link; access a local network drive or open a file directly through a browser (not in PBI) but it's not known even to Microsoft Admins. Here is what you can do to access a network drive or a file.
Tricks:
1. works with Edge or IE browsers
2 use "file://" at the beginning
2. map using "/" instead of "\"https://www.google.ca/
file://abc-fb2/homedir$
file://abc-fb2/homedir$/HafizT/BRD Template.xlsxHow to generate links in Power BI Desktop or Power Pivot is here Add hyperlinks (URLs) to a table or matrix - Power BI | Microsoft Docs, but that doesn't work in Power BI service and file:// links are not supported.
Hi Guy,
For my knowledge that doesn't work so far. Power BI Desktop (as well as G&T with Power Pivot, same engine) converts the text into the hyperlink if only your text starts with "http://..." and the column is categorized as Web URL.
Workaround with text like
"<a href=""file:///\\myserver\path\file.txt"" </a>"
also doesn't work - no way to say to Power BI that's HTML code.
Thanx Sergei - That seems to be what I'm finding out
It was also suggested in another place I try this - file://///myserver/path/file.txt This also didn't work
Maybe it's on a "drawing board" somewhere
I found only an year old idea https://ideas.powerbi.com/forums/265200-power-bi-ideas/suggestions/13523046-data-category-for-local-file-file which is voted by very few people.
