Even though inexpensive spare cables for the Dell Streak are becoming easier to find, I still prefer to do as much as I can without having to plug anything in. I download .zip files and flash new ROMs directly, update software, install apps, and make use of as many "push to phone" services out there. And now I access, transfer files, and manage my Streak's microSD card wirelessly too.
Find out how you can do it on your Windows computer below.
This tutorial originally appeared on Good and EVO, my HTC EVO site.
All we're really going to do is install an FTP server app on the Streak and then map the card as a network drive using Windows Explorer, so if you already know how to do that, then feel free to jump ahead and use any app/method you want.
For everyone else, let's get started.
IMPORTANT: This method will only work when the Streak and computer are connected to the same WiFi network or tethered to each other (i.e., when there's a static address). If you're on a 3G connnection, you'll need to use a standard FTP client on your computer.
1. Download Rapfox's FTP Server (free) from the Market.
There are other FTP servers you could use, but I like this app because it's free, very basic, and dead-simple to use.
2. Open the app on your Streak and tap Start. You can change the username and password by tapping Options.
3. On your Windows computer, go to Windows Explorer/Computer and click the "Map a Network Drive" button at the top.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to map a drive. The steps will vary slightly depending on which version of Windows you're using. In Windows 7, which is what I'm using, the steps are:
- Select a drive letter.
- Click "Connect to a Web site that you can use to store your documents and pictures," which launches the Add Network Location wizard.
- Click Next > Choose a custom network location > Next.
- Type the address shown in the FTP URL line in the Rapfox app on your Streak and follow the rest of the prompts.
When it's properly set up, the folder will appear in Windows Explorer/Computer, as shown in the first screenshot above.
5. Now whenever you want to access your Streak's microSD card, all you have to do is start the FTP Server app on your Streak and then open the folder on your computer. When you're done, just tap the Stop button.
It's fast, easy, and so much more convenient than using the cable.
This tutorial originally appeared on Good and EVO, my HTC EVO site.
How is the transfer speed? I’ve found that tranferring files via SMB via wifi with Astro is slooooow. Hoping this method is faster.
onair wifi disk is another option. literally one click set up. and it hosts it as FTP, HTTP or some mac protocol.
Very hand – love the clear instructions….even an IT dunce like me was able to set this up. Thanks!
Very neat trick. Thanks Jen!
What do you use for your battery meter to display percentages?
Battery Indicator from the Market
Cool thanks!
It varies depending on connection speed and file size/type. I transferred a 200MB video file in about 5 minutes, which is slow but not unbearably so if you’re doing other things while it’s transferring in the background. If you’re just sitting there watching it transfer, then yes, it’s like waiting for AT&T to release an update.
This was great, thank you!
Couldn’t find explorer in Vista then realised that it’s in the computer icon!
Or you could just use the “Web Share” option in File Expert. Under “Share” at the bottom of the screen.
Trickiest part was getting the password right. It’s “filexpert” with only 1 “e” in the middle.
To transfer files in Web Share, in the browser navigate to the folder you want to transfer to, then right click any open spot and select “Upload”. From there it’s very easy. However, Web Share only transfers files, not folders, so the easiest solution is to re-create the folder in Web Share. It does allow “Shift-click” or “Ctrl-click” to select multiple files at one time.
Transferring 84MB of MP3′s from a USB2.0 attached HDD took less than 2 minutes.
Thanks heaps for that tutorial, this will be very handy.. Loaded perfectly for me
or easier still, just use “dropbox”
hi there
will it work on ubuntu linux computer?
dropbox is great but you still have to manually download the specific files and also distribute them around your sd folders.