Difference between revisions of "ES File Explorer"

Latest revision as of 08:33, 27 February 2015

Orthodox File Manager for Android.

Lets you cut and copy, rename, search through, delete, and explore the properties of your Android device files and folders. Ability to create folders. Manage files by their functions, such as Local, Bluetooth, LAN, and FTP. Sort files by name, type, size, or time modified. Built in Root Explorer. You can now automatically upload modified network files. Does sharing files between an Android device and Windows computer via WiFi. Has built-in file viewer, FTP client, app management, and pkZIP support.

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Review for this File Management App

• last update to this review 10/2019
• ES File Explorer is banned from Google Play Store due to violation of their terms
• free
• tracker uses advertising

File manager & App manager which can explore the phones & computers. Gathers data for advertising trackers, but doesn't display ads in main interface.

review: ES File Explorer is useful for navigation of the Android file system. Allows connection to PC file shares on a LAN! (the key feature). Allows bookmarking internal memory or SD card paths, and LAN paths. There are very few android apps capable of viewing and accessing files from a Microsoft Windows network share. ES File Explorer can access files on a Windows share in a view only, local caching capacity. Due to the advertising trackers and no pay upgrade option this app loses review points.

updated 2019: ES File Explorer is the victim of its own success and the greed of the developers. The app has turned into a big fat piece of bloatware. The devs violated Google Play Store's terms and are therefore banned from Google Play at current. Although this file manager still offers features that are not available from most of the other file managers, there's too much bloat that relates to unnecessary fluff as well as marketing and anti-privacy components. To get ES File Explorer you'll have to download the apk directly from the developer site. Use at your own risk.

Tips and Tricks

LAN Sharing

On my PC

1. Right click My Music -> Properties -> Sharing tab -> Share button
2. Select by username
3. Also click Advanced Sharing, check "Share this Folder"
4. Control Panel -> Windows Firewall -> Turn Windows Firewall On or Off -> turn off private network firewall (Public is on with "Notify me when Windows Firewall blocks an incoming connection" checked)

On my phone:

1. Open ES File Explorer -> LAN tab
2. Add "New Server"
3. Server <ip of computer>/share name ex: 192.168.1.10/music
4. Enter SMB username and password

Finding LAN Image Cache on local memory

When viewing images from a network LAN share (SMB) the images are cached to one of the path:

• /data/data/com.estrongs.android.pop/tmp
• /mnt/sdcard/Android/data/com.estrongs.android.pop/tmp/
• /misc/android/Android/data/com.estrongs.android.pop/tmp/remoteimg

If the device is not rooted, and ES is not running to SD card, Android OS will hide the /data/data/com.estrongs.android.pop path. ES File Explorer stores the full images locally. They will be stored on only one of the three possibilities listed.

So, if at a later time when you are not connected to the LAN you may still be able to view the images that you previously viewed while connected that were on the network share.

The cache location can be the source of much used space on the device. You can manually clear the cache by deleting all of the files in that location to clear up storage space on your Android device.

Backup Apps to apk

On the sidebar menu is the App Manager. App Manager does things including backup installed apps.

Troubleshooting

LAN Browsing once worked, now never stops loading

There are multiple possible culprits. To troubleshoot, do the following:

1. Ensure settings correct. Works best if windows share has a password that is alpha numeric. Some special characters cause trouble. Did you recently change your SMB password?
2. After checking to ensure username, password, and trying to access the share via IP address, closing ES File Explorer and clearing the App Cache might resolve. Procedure example for ES on Kitkat Android:

1. Settings -> Application manager -> ES File Explorer ->
2. tap "Force stop", then "Clear cache," then "Clear data" in that order. Although tap "Clear data" also should clear cache, sometimes cache is not cleared unless done first.
3. restart Android

1. If that fails, try to reinstall ES File Explorer
2. If that fails and if you have the luxury of owning a root'd device you can manually clear the cache folders (see above: data/data/com.estrongs.android.pop/tmp)
3. Finally if all else fails, the issue could be with network discovery on the LAN itself. (details below)

ES File Explorer and Network Discovery

ES File Explorer keeps spinning due to Network Discovery issues on your Microsoft / CIFS network. Network Discovery is the mechanism that enables machines or devices with shares to be visible in the Network Resources (Network Neighborhood or My Network Places.)

Network discovery is not a single thing. In general terms it is the process of gathering information about the Network resources near you. It consists of a group of protocols that all report to the Function Discovery platform. Probably the most well-known protocol is NetBIOS Browsing, but it also includes WSD, UPNP, SSDP, and back in the day WINS.

ES File Explorer is very picky when it comes to accessing a CIFS or SMB share. If there are any problems with network discovery or the various protocols involved on your network, due to misconfiguration, or another resource related issue, ES File Explorer will fail to access shares that are otherwise accessible to a Windows PC.

For example, on some NAS devices after extended uptime network discovery will become problematic to where the server is no longer visible in the Network Resources, however, still directly accessible by CIFS, Samba, and Microsoft PCs. In this condition the problem may go unnoticed so that it is assumed that ES File Explorer is suspected as suddenly broken.

In short, try to reboot the NAS or the machine with the share. Troubleshoot the share, although it might be accessible via the LAN using another PC, a minor glitch with Network Discovery can make ES File Explorer refuse to load from the share. It is a confirmed fact that the visibility of the directly accessible share in "My Network Places" is directly related to the problem ES File Explorer may have in accessing the share: ES File Explorer just keeps searching / spinning / hangs.