Let’s get real—FTP on Windows is a classic “it should just work” headache. File Explorer’s FTP root is finicky: when it connects, it feels like magic, but one wrong click or a dodgy WiFi signal? Instant “connection lost” rage. Props to previous folks for breaking down the built-ins, but for most pros, those methods are for emergencies or one-off grabs.
Now, CloudMounter: if mounting FTP as a drive in File Explorer sounds dreamy, that’s its big pitch. Pro: Slick integration, plus SFTP for actual security (don’t sleep on that if your data matters). Also handles multiple accounts/servers—if you juggle projects, a life saver. Con: Not free after trial, and on unreliable connections, it’s got the same Achilles’ heel—big transfers can choke without warning. Still, for daily work, it wipes the floor with ancient File Explorer FTP and keeps you out of the weird quirks in standalone clients.
Let’s not ignore WinSCP and FileZilla (shouted out above): both are “real” clients, crush Explorer, offer logs, queue management, plus SFTP support for brains and brawn—yay for open source. But their interfaces? Not as pretty or seamless.
My rule: CloudMounter for the drag-and-drop comfort, WinSCP for detailed jobs, never File Explorer for more than two files, and always check your network/firewall/credentials first. If CloudMounter coughs up errors, don’t panic. Try toggling passive mode or checking folder permissions—sometimes the dumbest things block access.
And yeah, skip Edge or Chrome for FTP altogether! If they still supported it, the internet would be a far scarier place.
So—CloudMounter nails ease-of-use, is faster to set up than most, makes FTP less soul-sucking, but for mega-transfers on patchy internet, maybe double-up with WinSCP as backup. Anyone else have stories about corrupted files from force-closing Explorer after a failed FTP move? Or worse, remote folders just vanishing after a wiggle?