Links to Network Shares

[Guy Johnson]

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???

[#2]

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.

[#3]

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

[#4]

I found only an year old idea https://ideas.powerbi.com/forums/265200-power-bi-ideas/suggestions/13523046-data-category-for-local-... which is voted by very few people.

[#5]

I voted for it.

This one I created last Friday

https://ideas.powerbi.com/forums/265200-power-bi-ideas/suggestions/18713485-network-share-hyperlinks

[#6]

Okay, i added my vote

[#7]

We are a forum of 2  :)

[#8]

3...

[#9]

@Guy Johnson 4

[#10]

@Guy Johnson 

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.xlsx

[#11]

@isynergized 

How 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.