---
title: "File Browser"
slug: "file-browser"
updated: 2026-03-27T14:45:30Z
published: 2026-03-27T14:45:30Z
canonical: "support.controlup.com/file-browser"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.controlup.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# File Browser

The **File Browser** feature lets you view and manage the file systems of devices directly from ControlUp, without interrupting the end user.

### Prerequisites

This feature is supported only for Windows devices with Agent version 2.17.7 or higher.

## Permissions

> [!NOTE]
> Permissions must be added to a custom role
> 
> To protect sensitive information, permissions to make changes to the file system or to open a file to see it’s contents are not included in any default role (including the Admin role). **Those permissions must be manually added to a custom role**. The default Admin role only allows a user to view the folder structure of the file system.

The following permissions for the file browser are located under **Device Permissions > Remote Management > Management > File Browser > System Files**.

> [!NOTE]
> Important
> 
> In the current version of this feature, the **permissions behave differently than their names might suggest**. The permissions under the **System files** category grant access to all files (both system files and user files). The permissions under the **User files** category aren’t currently used.

| Permission | Description |
| --- | --- |
| View Files | Allows the user to see the contents of folders (file names, file size, created, date, modified date, etc.). This permission does **not** allow the user to open a file. |
| View Folders | **Required for access.** Allows the user to load the directory tree and see the names of folders. |
| Modify Files | Allows the user to move and rename files. |
| Modify Folders | Allows the user to move and rename folders. |
| Create Files | Allows the user to copy a file to a new location. |
| Create Folders | Allows the user to create folders. |
| Delete Files | Allows the user to delete files. |
| Delete Folders | Allows the user to delete folders. |
| Download | Allows the user to transfer files from remote machine to local machine. |
| Upload | Allows the user to transfer files from local machine to remote machine. |

## Auditing

All file browser operations are recorded in the the Audit Log under `Activity = File Explorer`.

## Access the file browser

In **Devices**, drill down into the details for a specific device and go to **Management > File Browser**.

The device must be online to access the file browser. Note that only one ControlUp user can access the file browser for a specific device at any given time.

![Accessing Management and File Browser](https://cdn.document360.io/098100b7-b9da-4bea-b4b9-017140ab863e/Images/Documentation/FileBrowserForKB.png)

### Using the file browser

#### Folder tree

The **Folders** pane lists all local drives connected to the device (physical disks, USB drives, Google drives, etc). It does not list remote drives such as network drives.

Use the folder tree to navigate the device’s file system.

### Contents

The **Contents** pane displays all files and folders (including hidden folders) within the folder you have currently selected in the **Folders** pane.

Click on a file or folder to see more details and to select it before performing actions such as deleting, moving, or copying.

### Details

The **Details** pane displays the details for the currently selected file or folder.

Note that the created, modified, and accessed dates are recorded in the time zone of your local browser (not the time zone of the remote device).

## Operations

> [!NOTE]
> Uploads and downloads not working?
> 
> Uploading or downloading a file requires access to specific URLs. View the requirements in our [prerequsites article](/v1/docs/prerequisites-for-controlup-for-desktops).

#### Upload file

You can upload a single file only up to 250MB from your local machine to the remote machine. To upload a file:

1. In the **Folders** pane, select the folder in which you want to upload the new file.
2. Click **Upload** and select the file you want to upload to the remote machine.

#### Download file

You can download a single file only up to 250MB from the remote machine to your local machine. To download a file:

1. In the **Contents** pane, click on the file you want to download.
2. Click **Download**. The file downloads to your local machine’s Downloads folder.

#### Create folder

1. In the **Folders** pane, select a folder. The new folder will be created under the selected folder.
2. Click **Create Folder**.
3. Enter a name for the new folder and click **Create**.

#### Rename file

1. In the **Contents** pane, select the file you want to rename.
2. Click **Rename**.
3. Enter the new file name and click **Save**. You **must include the file extension**, or else the file is saved without a file extension.

#### Delete file or folder

1. In the **Contents** pane, select the file or folder you want to delete.
2. Click **Delete**.
3. In the confirmation window, click **Delete**.

Deleting a file or folder immediately removes it from the system. Items are not sent to the Recycle Bin.

#### Move file or folder

1. In the **Contents** pane, select the file or folder you want to move.
2. Click **Move**.
3. In **Move Files/Folders** window, use the drive tree to select the destination folder and click **Move**. The file is removed from its original location and moved to the destination path.

#### Copy

1. In the **Contents** pane, select the file you want to copy to a new location.
2. Click **Copy**.
3. In **Copy Files/Folders** window, use the drive tree to select the destination folder and click **Copy**. The file is copied to the destination path.