Web Folders / Web disk / WebDAV problems on Windows 7
If you’re using Windows 7 and you encounter problems in using web folders or web disks (or more technically known as Windows Web Client or WEBDAV) how do you fix it?
Ever since the launch of Windows 7, I’ve been asked this question several times. Many people have already reported to me that they’re experiencing connection and setup problems for web folders or web disks (also called web client or WebDAV) .
I personally have Windows 7 64-bit in one of my PCs and I’m also having problems using web folders. Whenever I try to setup a web folder by “adding a network location” or “map a network drive” through My Computer, I’m given an error saying that either “The folder you entered does not appear to be valid. Please choose another” or “Windows cannot access… Check the spelling of the name. Otherwise, there might be…”. These errors appear whether I’m using SSL or non-SSL.
Your problem on Web folders or the WebDAV client in Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit may be a little different, but I’m guessing that what you’re experiencing falls under these two main categories:
1. Connection to a web folder or web disk cannot be established.
Whenever you try to setup a web folder or web disk (whether it is through “add a network location”, “map a network drive”, through the “net use” command, or any other method), it fails.
2. You can establish or setup a web folder but can only view contents.
Here, you can setup a web folder but you can only browse the root folder. When you try to open a folder or transfer a file to it, you won’t be able to.
What to do
This problem on web folders was also present on Windows Vista but it was easily resolved when Microsoft released a hotfix for it – Software Update for Web Folders (KB907306). I thought Windows 7 won’t encounter this kind of issue, but I guess it was just expecting too much.
To cut the long story short, I’ve tried to resolve the Web Folder problem of Windows 7 myself and have also sought help from other people as well. I’ve tried several solutions some of which are: using the update above, modifying registry settings (by modifying how the web client accepts Basic Authentication or by adding the “AuthForwardServerList” registry key), or by using different “net use” commands – all to no avail.
So to be able to setup or use web folders in Windows 7, we would be using a web folder or web client software until Microsoft fixes the problem.
BitKinex Web folder software
I’ve tested several free web folder software and found BitKinex to be the best so far. First of all is it’s completely free – it was once paid software but is now freeware. It’s very easy to use and work both for Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit. Bitkinex can be downloaded from their official website bitkinex.com or from download.com.
You can also just drag and drop files from your PC to the BitKinex window to copy files to your server or online storage (similar to windows explorer drag and drop functionality).
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| Just drag and drop files to the middle pane window (once you’ve chosen the correct folder on the left pane explorer window) to copy files to your server or online storage. |
Setting up the web folder or WebDAV connection in BitKinex is easy as well. Once you’ve finished installation, it will automatically direct you to its network setup wizard – which would help you configure the application so it can have access to the Internet.
Once network setup is complete, it would ask you if you want to configure a WebDAV or FTP connection next. I suggest you DON’T click “yes” as it will direct you to another configuration wizard which doesn’t really properly configure the connection.
You could manually set-up a WebDAV or web folder connection in the BitKinex window by right-clicking Http/WebDAV then choosing New then Http/WebDAV.
You would then need to type a name for the connection. Once you’ve specified a name and pressed the “Enter” key, a new window would appear for you to specify the connection details.
After this, just double-click the newly created connection to connect to your server or online storage and start using WebDAV or web folders in Windows 7!
Do you know of another freeware which can use WebDAV in Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit? Please don’t hesitate to post it below so we can all check it out. I’ll also be updating this article (if in case Microsoft releases a fix for WebDAV or web folders) so be sure to check back to the site or subscribe to the feed or email updates. It’s free!
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Netdrive (only 32 bit), Webdrive (both 32 and 64 bit) achieve the functionality
Thanks for the suggestion J but Netdrive as you say only works for 32-bit and Webdrive unfortunately is NOT free.
You make a big deal about Netdrive being 32 bit only but fail to mention that BitKinex is as well.
Netdrive is 32-bit and I can’t install it in a 64-bit system.
BitKinex is 32-bit and I CAN install and use it in a 64-bit system.
Unfortunately, BitKinex refuses to open. It keeps telling me to install an emailclient, even though I have Thunderbird installed and configured as the standard email client (mailto: from Open office works fine).
That’s odd as it doesn’t do that to me. Does it tell you to install an email client during installation or after? Have you tried reinstalling?
Thanks for the great article. For me, Bitkinetix is the first one to work on Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit – and I have tried almost everything else, including Webdrive, Anyclient and many others.
I think it is a policy at MS that they don’t want to fix WebDav. Perhaps it has to do with that WebDav is “foreign” to the MS server architecture? This is just a guess though.
same story here, Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit – I’ve tested a lot of clients, the only working is Bitkinex
anyone got it working without a client yet?
I don’t think it works perfectly without a client yet (with the exception of a few cases – one reader suggested the use of the “net use” command, but it would only work when you don’t need to specify a port. But still even if you don’t need to specify a port, it’s not 100% working. See our thread of replies here -http://www.techiechips.com/web-folders-web-disk-webdav-problems-on-windows-7/comment-page-1/#comment-1603)
I’ll update this article once this is resolved and we don’t need a client anymore.
superb, thank you! Headache solved!!! would have thought that cPanel could have releases a W7 script by now or that W7 WebDisk would work properly :S
Glad I helped. Hope someday, we won’t need a client anymore.
Instead of going through the GUI it said you should go to a command prompt and type in a command simlar to this one:
net use * https://mywebdav.testserver.com/testfolder
It prompted me for a username and password and then mapped the drive.
I was able to access my files this way. Hope it works for you.
Yes it’s been reported that the method you’ve mentioned works in some cases. However, if you need to specify a port to map it (ex. port 8080), this won’t work. That’s why I mentioned above that even if we use the net use command, most people cannot establish a connection.
For CPanel users, this won’t work as they need to specify a specific port to connect to their Web Folder.
Still can’t work for me on W7 Ult 64
Get the message
Method PROPFIND is not defined in RFC 2068 and is not supported by the Servlet API
when trying to double click on the link.
The WebDav is apache and the URL is:
http://localhost:8080/B1iXcellerator/exec/dummy/
solution:
http://www.sevenforums.com/network-sharing/9042-network-location-hosted-sharepoint-webdav-issue.html
Thanks mecane but unfortunately, that doesn’t work for cPanel webdisk. As pointed in the link you’ve shown, it is for SharePoint server and is for Windows 7 32-bit.
Th fix is :
go to registry
\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlset\services\WebClient\Parameters\BasicAuthLevel
and change the value to 2
Enjoy!
You will ned to open up services, and restart the WebClient service
I have it working without a client on an Apache based webdav server on Windows 7 64 bit clients. There are multiple steps but the biggest issue was the webdav server was using “Basic” Authentication instead of “Digest”. Windows 7 does not support this configuration.
For instructions: http://shon.org/blog/2010/03/04/howto-fix-windows-7-64bit-webdav/