Hi everyone, just thought I'd write up some quick instructions on how to set up file sharing between Android and a PC - both mounting Windows shares on Android, and Android on Windows. I was always frustrated by iOS's inability to do this easily, and it was one of the major reasons I switched to Android. With the following two (free) utilities, you'll almost never need to connect your phone to your PC using the USB cable (to transfer files at least).
(It should be noted that both these utilities require root permissions)
Anyway, here goes:
First, mounting Windows shares on Android.
Step 1: Install CIFS Manager
Step 2: Set up file sharing on Windows
Back on Android, launch CIFS Manager, click the menu button and select Settings:
In settings, click the checkboxes for Load cifs module and Load via insmod.
Next, you need to enter the path(s) to the cifs module(s) you placed on your SD card. If you're on Android 2.1, you only have one of these, on Android 2.2, there's two.
On 2.1, using my example of placing the files in folders Stuff/System, you'd enter /sdcard/Stuff/System/cifs_3.ko If you placed the files elsewhere, adjust this path accordingly.
On 2.2, you need to load two files and you do that by entering them both, separated by a colon. So, you enter /sdcard/Stuff/System/slow-work.ko:/sdcard/Stuff/System/cifs.ko (slow-work needs to be first). Back back out to the main CIFS Manager screen.
Step 4: Configure the share
Click the menu button and then select Add new share. In Share Path, type in the IP address of your PC, followed by the name you gave your share. For me, this is: 192.168.1.42/D Drive
If you don't know your IP address, start a command prompt (Start>run>cmd), and then type ipconfig in the command window. Your IP address will be listed under IPv4 address under Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection.
For mount point, type /mnt/cifs/D Drive or whatever name you want it mounted at. (I've read conflicting things on this, but it seems safer to mount shares under /mnt as opposed to somewhere on your SD card.)
For Username and Password, enter the username and password of a valid Windows user account. (It seems to require a password to work, so if you don't use a user account password, you'll have to set up a second account with a password)
Save the share settings and return to the main CIFS Manager screen.
Step 5: Mount the share
In CIFS Manager, click on the share and it should mount. If it mounts successfully, the little gray dot next to the share will turn green. If not, you'll get some completely useless error message, so let's hope it mounts successfully!
Now, just launch a root file explorer like Root Explorer and navigate to the share location you set up, in my case, /mnt/cifs/D Drive. You should have full read/write access to the share (assuming you shared it with R/W access).
Next, mounting your SD card on your PC
Step 1: Install Samba server on Android.
Step 2: Configure Samba on Android.
Launch Samba Filesharing, click the menu button and select settings.
For password and username, enter the username and password you'd like to use to access your SD card over the network.
Enter your network workgroup name, this is commonly just "Workgroup" on Windows.
For Netbios name, enter whatever you'd like your phone to appear as to other systems on your network. This is Android by default.
You can check or uncheck Enable Wakelock depending on your preference. If selected, this will keep your phone awake when Samba is sharing your SD card.
Step 3: Starting sharing
Return to the main Samba Filesharing screen, click the menu button and select Enable
If all goes well, you should get a message that the Samba service will be automatically started and stopped with your WiFi connection, and then you'll return to a screen indicating that sharing is enabled and listing your phone's IP address.
Step 4: Access your SD card from your PC.
In windows, open up your network window and you should see a new connection called Android (or whatever you entered in the Netbios setting). Open that, and you should see your shared SD card, and in that, you should have full read/write access to your SD card.
Step 5: Enjoy not having to dig up your USB cable every time you want to get a file on or off of your phone!
(It should be noted that both these utilities require root permissions)
Anyway, here goes:
First, mounting Windows shares on Android.
Step 1: Install CIFS Manager
Download and install CIFS Manager from the Android Market.
Download one of the following two files:
CIFS Module for Android 2.1
CIFS Module for Android 2.2
Unzip whichever one of these you'll be using and place the file(s) on your SD card somewhere, I put them in /sdcard/Stuff/System.
Download one of the following two files:
CIFS Module for Android 2.1
CIFS Module for Android 2.2
Unzip whichever one of these you'll be using and place the file(s) on your SD card somewhere, I put them in /sdcard/Stuff/System.
Step 2: Set up file sharing on Windows
(These screengrabs are from Windows 7, but previous versions of Windows should be sufficiently similar to follow along)
Go into My Computer and select the drive or folder you want to share. In my case, I'm sharing my entire D Drive. Right click on your drive/folder, select Properties, then the Sharing tab, then click the Advanced Sharing button:
Click the Share this folder checkbox to enable sharing. Type in a name for the share and click OK. At this point, Windows is now sharing your drive/folder.
Step 3: Configure CIFS Manager
Go into My Computer and select the drive or folder you want to share. In my case, I'm sharing my entire D Drive. Right click on your drive/folder, select Properties, then the Sharing tab, then click the Advanced Sharing button:
Click the Share this folder checkbox to enable sharing. Type in a name for the share and click OK. At this point, Windows is now sharing your drive/folder.
Back on Android, launch CIFS Manager, click the menu button and select Settings:
In settings, click the checkboxes for Load cifs module and Load via insmod.
Next, you need to enter the path(s) to the cifs module(s) you placed on your SD card. If you're on Android 2.1, you only have one of these, on Android 2.2, there's two.
On 2.1, using my example of placing the files in folders Stuff/System, you'd enter /sdcard/Stuff/System/cifs_3.ko If you placed the files elsewhere, adjust this path accordingly.
On 2.2, you need to load two files and you do that by entering them both, separated by a colon. So, you enter /sdcard/Stuff/System/slow-work.ko:/sdcard/Stuff/System/cifs.ko (slow-work needs to be first). Back back out to the main CIFS Manager screen.
Step 4: Configure the share
Click the menu button and then select Add new share. In Share Path, type in the IP address of your PC, followed by the name you gave your share. For me, this is: 192.168.1.42/D Drive
If you don't know your IP address, start a command prompt (Start>run>cmd), and then type ipconfig in the command window. Your IP address will be listed under IPv4 address under Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection.
For mount point, type /mnt/cifs/D Drive or whatever name you want it mounted at. (I've read conflicting things on this, but it seems safer to mount shares under /mnt as opposed to somewhere on your SD card.)
For Username and Password, enter the username and password of a valid Windows user account. (It seems to require a password to work, so if you don't use a user account password, you'll have to set up a second account with a password)
Save the share settings and return to the main CIFS Manager screen.
Step 5: Mount the share
In CIFS Manager, click on the share and it should mount. If it mounts successfully, the little gray dot next to the share will turn green. If not, you'll get some completely useless error message, so let's hope it mounts successfully!
Now, just launch a root file explorer like Root Explorer and navigate to the share location you set up, in my case, /mnt/cifs/D Drive. You should have full read/write access to the share (assuming you shared it with R/W access).
Next, mounting your SD card on your PC
Step 1: Install Samba server on Android.
Download and install Samba Filesharing from the Android Market.
Step 2: Configure Samba on Android.
Launch Samba Filesharing, click the menu button and select settings.
For password and username, enter the username and password you'd like to use to access your SD card over the network.
Enter your network workgroup name, this is commonly just "Workgroup" on Windows.
For Netbios name, enter whatever you'd like your phone to appear as to other systems on your network. This is Android by default.
You can check or uncheck Enable Wakelock depending on your preference. If selected, this will keep your phone awake when Samba is sharing your SD card.
Step 3: Starting sharing
Return to the main Samba Filesharing screen, click the menu button and select Enable
If all goes well, you should get a message that the Samba service will be automatically started and stopped with your WiFi connection, and then you'll return to a screen indicating that sharing is enabled and listing your phone's IP address.
Step 4: Access your SD card from your PC.
In windows, open up your network window and you should see a new connection called Android (or whatever you entered in the Netbios setting). Open that, and you should see your shared SD card, and in that, you should have full read/write access to your SD card.
Step 5: Enjoy not having to dig up your USB cable every time you want to get a file on or off of your phone!
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