Remote Files Access

Remote files is a service provided by ITS to enable Staff to access files on their University provided home drive from a remote computer such as a personal computer (at home or via wireless connectivity on campus).

This enables Staff to transfer files between the computer they use to access remote files and your university home drive and shared drives.

Note: This document is also available for download as a word document

VISTA USERS

You may need to add the address https://remotefiles.adelaide.edu.au to your browsers trusted sites, before being able to access remote files. To do so follow the below steps and then the continue with the rest of the instructions.

Open Internet Explorer and then left click on the "Tools" menu, then internet options

Then left click on "Trusted Sites" and click the button marked "sites"

Click add then, close and then close the browser and follow the rest of the instructions

• Requirements
• Usage Summary
• Connecting Using Microsoft Internet Explorer
• Connecting Using Mozilla Firefox
• Using Remote Files
• Copying files between drives
• Viewing Files
• Logging Off
• Troubleshooting and Frequently asked Questions

Requirements

• A reliable and fast broadband internet connection.
  • Wireless internet on campus
  • Broadband at home
  • Any other computer connected to the University network
• Your computer is set-up correctly to access the internet.
  • Proxy settings
  • Internet firewall settings
  • Browser security settings
• You have a user account.
• You are using Internet Explorer or Firefox as your web browser.

Usage Summary

• Point your web browser to https://remotefiles.adelaide.edu.au
• Logon using your University of Adelaide username and password
• After logging in you may copy files between local and remote drives, including portable USB drives
• Once you have finished using remote file access, choose logoff from the start menu.

Note: To help better understand what the drive letters represent, see this section.

Connecting Using Microsoft Internet Explorer

1. Open Internet Explorer, and in the address bar type https://remotefiles.adelaide.edu.au


2. A security alert similar to Figure 1 may appear. You must click 'Yes' in order for the application to work correctly.



3. The application will prompt you with a 'Remote Desktop Security Warning' dialog. In order for files to be shared between your desktop computer and the remote server, the 'Connect your local disk drives to the remote computer' option must be checked, as per Figure 2.




4. A login dialogue as in Figure 3 will now appear. Enter the username and password. This is the same user name and password you use to login to the student labs on campus.



5. This completes the login process and you will be presented with the remote files window.



6. For more information regarding general usage of the system, refer to 'Using Remote Files'

Connecting Using Mozilla Firefox

1. Open Mozilla Firefox, in the address bar type: https://remotefiles.adelaide.edu.au


2. A login screen will appear. Enter the username and password. This is the same user name and password you use to login to the student labs on campus.



3. After a successful login you will see a box with the title 'Available Applications'. Click on �Remote Files Access�



4. Your browser will then proceed to run the 'Java runtime environment'; you should allow it to install. You must have the latest version of the Java runtime environment for Firefox. This can be downloaded from http://www.java.com/en/download/


5. You will be presented with several warning dialogues regarding security certificates for the application. You must click �yes� to all of these warnings in order for the application to install.



6. If successful, the application will launch, presenting you with an interactive remote desktop session within your browser.

Using Remote Files

• To begin click on the 'START' button and select 'My computer'.
• A window will open with all accessible drives.

Explanation of drives under Internet Explorer

Network Drives

• U:\ is your home drive.
• S:\ is the shared drive

Other drives

The drive letters under Other will match the drive letters on your local computer.

• C:\ is your local computers hard drive
• D:\ may be a secondary drive on your local computer such as a CDROM or another hard drive.
• F:\ or H:\ may be a USB thumb drive.

Explanation of drives under Firefox

• H: is the local drive on your computer, C:\
• U: is your home drive.
• S: is the share drive.

Copying files between drives

•  
  1. Navigate to the file you wish to copy.
  
  
  2. Right click and select 'copy to folder'

  

  3. Navigate to the location you want to copy the file to.

  

  4. Right click and select paste. This file will be copied to the folder selected.
  
  
  5. Alternatively you can click and drag the file as you would on a standard windows computer. Please note the right click menus are disabled.

This process is exactly the same process used if you were copying a file from your U:\ drive on a standard university desktop to your USB drive or a floppy disk.

Viewing Files

• Remote Files has some limited document viewers built in.
• You cannot edit documents or print.
• The following viewers are available for their corresponding documents.
  • Word
  • Excel
  • Image Viewer
  • Text
• To view a file double click on the file and the document will open in the associated viewer.

Logging Off

• When you are finished using Remote Files you must logoff rather than just closing the browser window or web page.
• Select START -> Logoff



• The logoff process will occur and your browser window will close.

Firefox Users

• To complete logging off in Firefox an extra step needs to occur.
• Select the Log Off button on the Applications screen.

Troubleshooting and Frequently asked Questions

I can't see my USB drive

Drives are not dynamically mapped by remote files. You cannot insert a USB drive half-way through a session

For a USB drive to appear you must have it plugged in before you login to remote files.

I don't have access to all my Local drives under Firefox

•  
  1. Press the Setting button in the bottom right corner of the remote files window.

  

  2. Select the Drive Mapping tab. Press Add.

  

  3. Select a drive letter for the drive mapping to appear against. Use the browse button to select the drive on the local computer you want to map to and press OK.

  

  4. To complete the drive mapping process log off and log back into remote files.
The set up of drive connections to local disk drives is a one-off set up for each workstation used. If you are using a different local workstation each time you connect then this will need to be set up each time for that workstation.

Support Options

If you are having problems using remote files or have questions relating to this document please direct your enquiries to The University of Adelaide ITS Helpdesk on 830 33000.