How to edit files on a Windows FTP folder?

Question

I own several FTP sites and I always used FileZilla to copy/edit files on them. Now I'm trying to take advantages(?) from "FTP folders" on Windows 8.1. My intent is to transfer and edit my remote files using just the Explorer, without additional programs.

I've managed to create a network shortcut and I can see all the files, but I can't open them. I just can copy them on my local hard drive. Is it a limit of the FTP explorer or am I missing something?

Solution

The FTP integration in Explorer does not provide the capability to open, work with, and save files directly to the FTP location.

Even if you opened Notepad and used File -> Open to open a file from that location, what's actually happening behind the scenes is that it is downloading it to Temporary Internet Files and opening that copy from there. Hitting save will prompt you for a save location and then error out when you select a location at the FTP site.

Incidentally, if you try to do this with Word 2013, it will realize that it's an FTP site and launch it's own built in FTP functionality separate from Explorer to allow the save.

At the end of the day the FTP integration in Explorer is still just the FTP protocol and Explorer behaves as an FTP client. FTP folders are not treated as filesystems.

Comments

[Rudolph]

Depends what the permission for the files are, i.e does your user have write access?

[TheUnexpected]

Yes, in fact I can write on folders by copying local files, but after that I can't edit them by double-click, I just can copy back to the HD.

[TheUnexpected]

To be clear, there is no "Open with editor" in the right-click menu