File Station 6 Quick Start Guide

File Station 6 is a comprehensive file management application designed for QNAP operating systems, enabling you to access and manage files stored on your QNAP NAS and connected storage spaces. Similar to File Explorer on Windows or Finder on macOS, it lets you browse, open, search, upload, download, organize, securely share files and folders, and more. In addition to these core functions, File Station 6 allows you to create snapshots of your data, offering an added layer of protection. This app is essential for administering your NAS and handling everyday file management tasks.

You can connect external storage spaces to File Station 6, including myQNAPcloud storage, multiple Google Drives, other NAS devices, USB drives, and more, allowing you to centrally access files from various devices and storage solutions directly within File Station.

Supported NAS operating systems:

• QTS 5.2.4 or later
• QuTS hero h5.2.4 or later

If you are currently using File Station 5, you can use File Station 6 by doing the following:

1. Open App Center.
2. Join the QNAP App Beta Program. If you have already joined the QNAP App Beta Program, skip this step.
   1. Click on the top-right corner to open the Settings window.
   2. Go to the General tab.
   3. Select Join the QNAP App Beta Program to gain early access to apps before their official release.
      The QNAP App Beta Program terms and conditions agreement window opens.
   4. Review the terms and conditions.
   5. Select I have read and agree to the terms of the QNAP App Beta Program Agreement.
   6. Click Yes.
      The QNAP App Beta Program terms and conditions agreement window closes.
   7. Click Apply.
      App Center applies the modified settings.
   8. Click Close.
      The Settings window closes.
3. Download File Station 6.
   1. Click  to open the search bar.
   2. Enter File Station 6.
      The File Station 6 app icon appears in the search results.
   3. Click Install.
      
   4. Select the data volume where you want to install the application, then click OK.

After File Station 6 is installed, File Station 5 will be automatically disabled. If you want to switch back to using File Station 5 after installing File Station 6, then click  in the top-right corner of the File Station 6 window and follow the instructions.

Before you begin using File Station 6, you need to configure local storage spaces on your NAS. If you are upgrading from File Station 5, and you have already configured local storage spaces on your NAS, then you can skip this section and see the section Upgrading from File Station 5.  To configure local storage spaces, do the following:

1. Create a storage pool.
2. Create a volume (QTS only).
3. Create a shared folder (QuTS hero only).
   For details, see "Storing data" in the QTS User Guide or the QuTS hero User Guide.

 For details on creating and managing local storage spaces on your NAS, see "Storage & Snapshots" in the QTS User Guide or QuTS hero User Guide.

Files and folders stored on your NAS and connected storage spaces are accessible in the File Station 6 interface.

The File Station 6 User Interface

Configure the main panel display

You can customize how files and folders are displayed in the main panel of File Station 6.

To change the display layout:

1. Open File Station 6.
2. Click .
3. Select a display option.
   
   • List: Displays files and folders in a multicolumn list.
     • You can sort items by clicking a column header.
     • To show or hide columns:
       1. Click in the top-right corner of the table header.
          
          
       2. Click a column name to hide or show the column.
   • Tiles: Displays items as large icons, useful for visual browsing.

To change the scroll mode:

1. Open File Station 6.
2. Click .
3. Select a scroll mode:
   
   • Page mode: Displays content in pages
   • Sroll mode: Displays content in a continuous scroll

Connect external storage spaces to File Station 6

The QNAP NAS operating system can connect to a wide variety of storage types. Connected external storage spaces will appear as shared folders in the left navigation menu of File Station 6. Supported external storage spaces include:

• USB and eSATA storage devices, such as flash drives, portable hard drives, and storage enclosures
• Cloud storage services, including myQNAPcloud Storage and other NAS devices
  For details on connecting your NAS to cloud storage services and remote NAS devices, see HybridMount.

You can manage your files and folders by performing file and folder actions from the action bar or the context menu. File and folder actions apply to all selected files/folders.

Perform basic file and folder actions from the context menu

To open the context menu:

• Right-click a file or folder (this also selects the file/folder).
• Select one or more files or folders, and right-click anywhere in the main panel.

The file and folder operations available in the context menu vary based on the types of files and folders you select. However, essential actions such as renaming, copying, and deleting files and folders are always available, and are familiar to users of both Windows and macOS. For details on file and folder actions, see "File and folder operations" in the QTS User Guide or the QuTS hero User Guide.

Create new folders

To create a new folder:

1. Open File Station 6.
2. Click  in the action bar.
3. Click one of the following:
   • Create folder: Create a regular folder.
   • Create a Shared Folder: Create a shared folder. A shared folder is a type of folder that has additional settings and features that allow other users and applications to access the folder. For more details on shared folders, see "Shared folders" in the QTS User Guide or the QuTS hero User Guide.

Upload files

• Manually select files or folders to upload:
  1. Open File Station 6.
  2. Click  in the action bar.
  3. Click Upload File or Upload Folder.
  4. Select a file or folder, and then click Open/Upload.
  5. Choose how to handle duplicate files and click OK.
• Drag and drop files from your computer:
  1. Open your computer's file management application.
  2. Select one or more files/folders.
  3. Open File Station 6.
  4. Press and hold the left mouse button, then drag the selected files or folders into the File Station main panel.

File Station 6 offers features and settings for multimedia files, including images, audio files, and videos. For details on the multimedia services available on your NAS system, see "Multimedia" in the QTS User Guide or the QuTS hero User Guide.

Enable multimedia support in File Station

To enable multimedia features in File Station, including thumbnail display and media playback, follow these steps:

1. Open File Station 6.
2. Go to (More) > Settings.
   The Options window opens.
3. Go to the Multimedia tab.
4. Select Support multimedia playback, streaming, and thumbnail display.
5. Click Apply.

Open media files

To open a media file in the main panel, double-click the file. File Station 6 handles each file type differently, as described in the table below.

Allow multimedia apps to access your media files

Certain multimedia apps, such as QuMagie or Music Station, can only access your media files if they are in a content source folder. You can either put your media files into existing content source folders, or configure your media folder to be a content source folder. For more details on content source folders, see "Editing content sources" in the QTS User Guide  or the QuTS hero User Guide.

You can search for files and folders anywhere on your NAS by specifying keywords and various search criteria. Additionally, you can use Qsirch to perform AI-based semantic searches. For example, you can search for images that match a description, such as "dogs running in a field", and files whose contents contain certain keywords. For more details see How to search for files using Qsirch.

Search for files and folders

1. Open File Station 6.
2. Click the search bar.
3. Enter keywords.
4. Optional: Specify additional search criteria.
   1. Click  to open the advanced search options menu.
   2. Specify additional options, for example, file size or file type.
5. Press Enter.
   File Station 6 displays all files whose contents contain the specified keywords and match any additional criteria.

Search for files that contain keywords

1. Open File Station 6.
2. Click   to open the advanced search options menu.
3. Click the Qsirch toggle to enable Qsirch.
4. Enter keywords in the Keyword field.
5. Optional: Specify additional search criteria.
6. Press Enter.
   File Station 6 displays all the files whose contents contain the specified keywords and that match any additional specified criteria. 

You can share files and folders with NAS users and others using various methods, including email and share links.

Share files or folders

You can share files and folders via share links or directly with other NAS users. Share links are URLs that allow access to selected files or folders on your QNAP NAS. When sharing content, you can configure security options such as password protection and expiration dates to enhance access control.

1. Open File Station 6.
2. Right-click on a file or folder to open the context menu.
3. Hover the mouse cursor over Share.
   The share methods menu appears.
4. Click one of the following:
   • Create share link only: Creates a shareable URL link you can copy and paste.
   •  To NAS user: Share the file on the NAS with other NAS users. Requires administrator permissions.
     For details on other sharing options, see the "Share" operations section of "File and folder operations" topic of the QTS User Guide  or the QuTS hero User Guide.
5. Follow the remaining steps to share the selected file. For more details, see the "Share" operations section of "File and folder operations" topic of the QTS User Guide  or the QuTS hero User Guide.

Access files and folders shared with you

You can access files and folders that have been shared with you using the following methods:

• For files shared via a share link URL, open the share link URL in the browser.
• For files shared via Share > To NAS user, go to Share link management (left navigation menu) > Shared with me (tab).
  

To delete a file or folder:

1. Open File Station 6.
2. Select one of more files/folders.
3. Right-click to open the context menu.
4. Click Delete.
   A confirmation window appears.
   
5. Select an option.
6. Click OK.

Empty the Recycle Bin

To permanently delete all files and folders in the Recycle Bin:

1. Open File Station 6.
2. In the left navigation menu, go to Recycle Bin.
3. Click .
4. Click Empty All.
   A confirmation window appears.
5. Click Yes.

Recover files and folders from the Recycle Bin

Files and folders in the Recycle Bin can be restored to their original location by doing the following:

1. Open File Station 6.
2. In the left navigation menu, go to Recycle Bin.
3. Navigate to the desired files/folders.
   You can open a deleted folder in the Recycle Bin by double-clicking on it.
4. Select one or more files or folders.
5. Right-click to open the context menu.
6. Click Recover, and then confirm by clicking Yes on the confirmation message window.
   File Station 6 restores the deleted file. For more details, see "Restore a deleted file" in the QTS User Guide or the QuTS hero User Guide.

You can use File Station to access and manage files and folders on your QNAP NAS and connected storage spaces from your desktop computer, and you can also manage them from your mobile device using Qfile Pro. Qfile Pro is available for download on Google Play for Android devices and Apple Store for iOS devices. With Qfile Pro you can:

• Browse and manage files and folders on multiple NAS devices.
• Access and manage any cloud or remote storage space connected to your NAS.
• Manually upload and download files and folders to and from your NAS.
• Automatically synchronize files and folders between your mobile device and NAS.

For more details, see the Qfile Pro User Guide.

• File Station 6: QNAP product page for File Station 6
• Qfile Pro: QNAP product page for QNAP mobile apps
• Qsirch: QNAP product page for Qsirch
• Knowledge Base: Searchable database of FAQs, tutorials, and web helps
• QNAP College: Instructional video tutorials
• QTS User Guide: Web help for the latest version of QTS
• QuTS hero User Guide: Web help for the latest version of QuTS hero