Allow File Protocol Links

This feature allows you to open Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files located on drives or drive shares directly in Octaved Flow. To do this, right-click on a file in Windows and select "Copy as path." Then paste the file path, for example M:\Projects\Sample Customer\Concept.docx, into the Link list board element in the Octaved Flow board.

When a user clicks on this link in the Link list, Windows Explorer opens with the correct folder and the linked file is selected. The file is opened with a second click or by pressing the Enter key. It is also possible to link folders. In this case, the folder opens, but no file is selected.

For this to work, the following requirements must generally be met:

• Windows is used.
• Microsoft Edge is used as the browser.

In addition, the Windows administrator must configure the following:

• The browser policy IntranetFileLinksEnabled must be enabled. It is created under SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge and must contain the value 1.
• The URL of your Octaved Flow instance must be entered as an intranet zone in the Windows Internet options.
• The link target must be entered as an intranet zone.
• Note: These settings can be automated via group policies.

Technically speaking, this function allows links of the type file:// to be opened. If you do not activate this function, no buttons for directly opening files on drives will be displayed in the board element Link list. However, there is always a button that you can use to copy the link, for example, to paste it into Windows under Search and open it. Links in the Link list on websites, such as intranets or web applications like SAP or Microsoft SharePoint, will always open regardless of these settings.