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Google Chrome does not save files directly network-attached storage (NAS) and cloud backup drives, multiple reports have claimed.
A first bug report (opens in new tab) in January 2023 reported that the 32-bit Windows version of Chrome 109 was getting an “unable to open this file” error when saving files using a UNC (Universal Naming Convention) path, with the error claiming to fix the problem is that the save destination folder “contains system files”.
Well in testing bug demo code (opens in new tab) from another report The register (opens in new tab) also encountered the issue while opening a Dropbox file on the Arm64 version of Chrome 109 on macOS. It also noted that competing browsers, such as Mozilla Firefox and the chromium-based Microsoft Edgewere able to save files to network locations just fine.
Google’s Project Fugu, misprepared
The problem is rooted in the showOpenFilePicker() (opens in new tab) method Google file system access API (opens in new tab)an attempt to allow web apps to access local files and folders.
The API, introduced in its current form in 2019, comes as part of the tech giant Project Fugu (opens in new tab)an initiative that aims to give the same permissions as native platform apps in the wake of web apps Apple’s own tendency to neuter its flagship browserthe Webkit based ones Safarithat is often susceptible until Security issues.
Varied, privacy-focused browsers have been available on Apple devices for some time, with the option to set a default other than Safari coming in September 2020 as part of iOS 14.
As a result, Project Fugu’s distinct sound sounds like a great way to open up an Apple device in light of Apple’s tight grip on the applications users want to use, even in light of consternation from the European Union.
The Register reports that Google has made fixing the issue a priority as part of its release of the stable version of Chrome 110 on the last day of January 2023, citing a company engineer as saying, “Blocking UNC paths broke some legitimate use cases.”