WebDAV has been around for a long time. It is a widely adopted protocol that you can find on just about every device. Windows 10 has a built in client that supports the WebDAV protocol and enables you to (with some limitations) map a drive. However there are some minor issues that need correcting that I believe are just due to evolving needs. We’ll discuss some limitations and implement some Windows WebDAV fixes in this post.
As always before you continue, the modifications below involve changes to the Windows Registry. Please be aware that you could seriously harm your the functionality of your computer, so use these suggestions at your own risk. In addition, while these have been tested on Windows 10 Pro (20H2), your results may vary on other versions of Windows.
50MB file size limit
This limitation is a holdover from a previous generation of devices where internet services were slow, files were small and transfers took a long time. Unfortunately Windows restricts data transfers of any single file to 50MB. Nowadays when cameras are rounding the bend on 60-100 megapixels, this is quite small.
Attempting to work with a file bigger than 50MB on a WebDAV share in Windows Explorer will result in various error messages, so lets implement this first WebDAV fix.
- Type “regedit” (without quotes) in the search box beside the start menu, and press enter.
- Navigate to the following registry subkey. For faster access you can also paste it in the bar at the top of the page:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WebClient\Parameters- Right click on the FileSizeLimitInBytes item
- On the Edit menu, click Modify.
- Click the Decimal radio button
- The value entry is in bytes, so 50MB is listed as 50000000 (50 Million), increase this number to something more reasonable like 1GB (1,073,741,824 bytes).
- When done, exit Registry Editor (it saves settings when you change them).
- Restart the Web Client Service or simply just restart your PC.
A few years ago I’d have probably set this value to 100,000,000 (100MB) but today with people saving more media rich content, 1GB is a much safer limit that ensures you’ll probably not need to change this for a while. If you want to set this once and forget it, the maximum limit is 4,294,967,295 (4GB). This is the largest file Windows Web Client will support.
Mapped folder size reporting
Do you wonder why in Windows 10 under the “This PC” view in File Explorer, the space used and space available on your WebDAV drive is identical to your drive C:? This is a limitation of WebDAV, and one that Microsoft hasn’t worked around. This normally is not much of a problem unless you have less free space available on C: than the files you are trying to upload, or are running up against limits on your WebDAV account. You can safely ignore the file size listing here because it will not be accurate.
To get an accurate amount of space used vs space free for your WebDAV storage space, you’ll need to download a program that can enumerate the folder and provide you a number (WinSCP comes to mind).
Of course this is not an issue if you’re using Linux or a Mac to mount the WebDAV folder as those operating systems can show the correct space available/used.
Mapped drive WebDAV credential prompting upon restart or login
Another “by design” feature of Windows 10 is that when accessing mapped DAV storage locations outside your local network using WebDAV, the Web Client will always prompt for credentials upon first login/access of those resources. This will occur upon computer restart or login/logout of user accounts.
Over the years several fixes have been proposed and used, however in the most modern version, there is no workaround for this.
Final thoughts
These issues only affect the built-in Windows 10 Web Client program and not other third party programs or backup software that uses WebDAV. We believe the advantages of:
- Convenience with drives mapped for all programs to use natively
- Secure – TLS 1.3 encrypted communications
- Built in to Windows without any additional software required
- Does not require additional VPN’s or Firewall rules because it uses HTTPS just like your web browser
- Easily implemented to support remote workers
Are just a few of the compelling reasons that overcome the limitations of the Windows 10 built-in WebDAV client. However your mileage with the built in client may vary and for a more robust experience consider using a third party tool like WinSCP.
Check out more of our How-To’s for additional great tips like this one.