SharePoint Tip of the Month

Linking to a SharePoint Library via WebDAV

This month’s SharePoint tip will show users how to connect to a SharePoint library via WebDav. But first, it is important to explain what WebDAV is.

WebDAV, or web-based distributed authoring and versioning, is a near cousin to FTP, or File Transfer Protocol. Both WebDAV and FTP allow users to transfer files over the internet; however, WebDAV, which utilizes HTTP (port 80), allows for more collaborative editing and file management.

Now, with WebDAV growing in popularity, many customers have begun to ask how they can link to their SharePoint document libraries via WebDAV. SharePoint has built in WebDAV capabilities, allowing you to connect to a document library within a site as if it were a local drive on your computer. To get started, follow the steps below. (Note, these steps are intended for Windows XP users.)

1. Go to your "My Network Places" folder.
2. Select "Add a network place" in the left hand navigation bar. A network Place Wizard will appear. Click Next.
3. Select "Choose another network location" and click Next.
4. Enter the URL of the SharePoint site. If you are prompted to enter login credentials, use your SharePoint username and password. Click Next.
5. Create a name for the new network place you have created, click Next, then click Finish.

Once complete, you should see your SharePoint site listed in your "Network Places" folder. Now you can access all lists, images, documents, etc. from your SharePoint site without having to navigate the SharePoint frontend.

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