# Send A Link To A File Or Folder

Users can send links to files and folders to their colleagues through the File Explorer context menu. Users can choose whether the linked file should open in its associated application, be highlighted in Windows File Explorer, or open in the web browser. For Office documents, users can choose to have the document opened read only or in presentation mode (for PowerPoint documents).

To send a link, right click the file or folder in File Explorer, open the <code class="expression">space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME</code> menu and choose the send link option.

<figure><img src="/files/dKy47Ujvvf9KqlbJK1mx" alt=""><figcaption><p>The send link option is available from the File Explorer context menu</p></figcaption></figure>

There are different link options users can choose from. Read only ensure the document cannot be overwritten when the link is clicked.

<figure><img src="/files/Hz8jXnzySKzBwuKdqcFW" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

After clicking the Next button, users can choose whether to copy the link to the clipboard or to send via an email. Clicking the blue link will test it out before they send it.

<figure><img src="/files/SfWVnVni7DcjankWA3YV" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Clicking the Open Email button will open a new email in Outlook with the link ready to send.

<figure><img src="/files/8BsdN3HE46x1bZlXsMaY" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

When a user clicks on a read only link, in this example it is a Word document, Word will open the document for read only as can be seen in the title bar of Word.

<figure><img src="/files/8DjiFYg9KteNyzLhAzoe" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Links can be copied and pasted in to documents such as Word or Excel.

<figure><img src="/files/Fzf4xddAl65jT2IfMWuK" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

For a recipient user to successfully open the link in File Explorer or in the associated desktop application, they will need to be running <code class="expression">space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME</code> and have the same network drive mapped. In the case of a link to a [shared OneDrive for Business file or folder](/administration-guide/set-up-drives-for-file-sharing.md), <code class="expression">space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME</code> will automatically resolve the path to the file or folder in the shared with me drive.

When <code class="expression">space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME</code> is installed on a personal computer, <code class="expression">space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME</code> creates an entry in the user's registry hive to indicate to Microsoft Office that the <code class="expression">space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME</code> URI protocol is to be trusted. This means that when a user clicks a <code class="expression">space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME</code> link (one starting with zeedrive:) in an Office application, Office will hand the link over to <code class="expression">space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME</code> to open without warning the user.

For hot desk computers and desktop servers the <code class="expression">space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME</code> URI protocol will not be trusted by Office by default so the appropriate registry entry will need to be created via Group Policy if you want to avoid the warning from Office when a link is clicked.

The registry key that will need to be created to trust the <code class="expression">space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME</code> URI protocol is `HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Security\Trusted Protocols\All Applications\zeedrive:`

<code class="expression">space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME</code> provides two command line options that can be used to create or remove the trusted URI protocol entry in the registry. Refer to the <code class="expression">space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME</code> [command line usage guide](/how-to/use-the-command-line.md) for more information.

In the case of a web link (https) that opens in the web browser, <code class="expression">space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME</code> does not need to be running on the recipient's computer as the link will open in their default web browser.

For a step-by-step guide, refer to [Sending A Link](/user-guide/sending-a-link.md)


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