Short answer: File Manager in your control panel browses the files on your server from an ordinary web page. It is not how you should work day to day — but when you cannot open a session at all and someone needs a document now, it is the tool that saves the afternoon.
Applies to: Infosaic cloud desktops and VPS · the control panel
Most of the time you will reach your files the obvious way: open a session and use File Explorer. File Manager exists for the times when that is not possible — a network blocking RDP, a borrowed computer, a desktop that will not accept connections, or simply being somewhere with only a phone.
Knowing it is there, before you need it, is most of its value.
When File Manager is the right tool
- You cannot connect at all and someone is waiting for one file.
- You are on a locked-down or borrowed computer where even browser access is awkward.
- You want to check whether a file is actually there before troubleshooting anything else.
- You need to move something small and starting a whole session is more trouble than it is worth.
What it is not good for: moving large amounts of data, working on documents in place, or anything you would do repeatedly. For those, connect properly — see copying files over RDP.
How to use it
- Sign in to your control panel.
- Open File Manager.
- Browse the folder tree to where your files are. If you have followed where to save your files, that will be Documents.
- Download the file you need, or upload one you want to put on the server.
- Sign out when you are finished, particularly on a shared computer.
It works perfectly well on a phone, which is exactly the situation it is most useful in.
A few sensible cautions
- Do not reorganise from here. Moving and renaming in bulk is much safer in File Explorer inside a session, where you can see what you are doing.
- Leave Windows and Program Files alone. System folders are not a place to be experimenting through a web interface.
- Do not edit a file that is open on the desktop. Two things writing to one file ends badly.
- Clear the browser download afterwards if you are on a computer that is not yours.
- Large files are slow through a web page. If it is more than a few tens of megabytes, connect properly instead.
Try it once while everything is working. Sign in, find a file, download it. Two minutes now means that on the day you are locked out at an airport, you already know exactly where to click.
Questions and answers
What is File Manager in the control panel for?
Browsing, downloading and uploading files on your server from an ordinary web page, without opening a remote desktop session.
When should I use it instead of connecting normally?
When you cannot connect, are on a borrowed or locked-down computer, or only need one small file quickly.
Can I use it from a phone?
Yes. It is a web page, and that is one of the situations where it is most useful.
Is it good for moving lots of files?
No. Use a redirected drive over RDP for anything substantial; a web interface is slow for bulk transfers.
Can I reorganise my folders with it?
You can, but it is safer in File Explorer inside a session where the whole structure is visible.
Where will my documents be?
Wherever you saved them — usually the Documents folder for the Windows user, if you have followed the recommended layout.
Is it safe to use on a public computer?
Use it if you must, then sign out and clear the downloaded file from that machine.
Can I edit a file directly in File Manager?
Treat it as download and upload rather than live editing, and never edit a file that is currently open inside a session.
Related articles
- A tour of your control panel: what everything does
- Where to save your files on a cloud desktop
- How to copy files between your computer and your cloud desktop over RDP
- Browser session problems: a checklist that actually works
Still stuck?
Open a support request from your control panel — that is the fastest route, because it reaches the team who can already see your account and your desktop. You can also email [email protected].