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    Elastic Compute Service:Upload files to a Windows instance

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    Elastic Compute Service:Upload files to a Windows instance

    Last Updated:Jun 21, 2026

    You can transfer files to a Windows ECS instance from your local computer. Use the built-in Remote Desktop Connection on a Windows computer, or the Windows App on a macOS computer. This topic describes how to use both tools to transfer files.

    Tools

    • Remote Desktop connection (MSTSC) for Windows

      Remote Desktop Connection (MSTSC) is a built-in Windows tool for transferring files to a Windows ECS instance.

      Limitations

      Local operating system

      Instance network requirements

      File size limit

      Transfer speed limit

      File count limit

      Windows only

      Requires a public IP address or EIP

      None

      None

      None

    • Windows App for macOS

      The Windows App is an official remote connection tool from Microsoft. After installing it on a macOS device, you can transfer files to a Windows ECS instance.

      Limitations

      Local operating system

      Instance network requirements

      File size limit

      Transfer speed limit

      File count limit

      macOS

      Requires a public IP address or EIP

      None

      None

      None

    Before you begin

    • Check the instance status: Only instances in the Running state support the operations described in this topic.

      Check the instance status

      You can view the status of an instance in the Instances section of the ECS console.

      For more information about how to view the instance status, see View instance information.

    • Obtain the public IP address of the instance:

      Obtain the public IP address of the instance

      You can find the public IP address of the instance in the Instances section of the ECS console.

      For more information about how to view instance information, see View instance information. For more information about how to enable public network access, see Enable public bandwidth.

    • Check the security group of the instance: Before using Remote Desktop Connection or the Windows App to transfer files, ensure the instance's security group allows traffic on the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) port, which is 3389 by default.

      Required security group settings

      Both Remote Desktop Connection and the Windows App use the RDP protocol for file transfers. You must add an inbound rule to the instance's security group to allow traffic on the RDP port (default 3389). For more information about how to add a security group rule, see Add a security group rule.

      Action

      Priority

      Protocol type

      Port range

      Authorization object

      Allow

      1

      Custom TCP

      Set to the RDP port of the instance (default: 3389).

      Set this to the public IP address or CIDR block of your local computer.

      Warning

      Using 0.0.0.0/0 allows all IP addresses to connect to the remote service port. This configuration poses a security risk and should be used with caution.

      You can find your local IP address by visiting https://cip.cc/.

      For example, if your local computer's IP address is 118.xxx.xxx.xx8, configure the rule according to the table above.

    Use Remote Desktop Connection to transfer files

    If your local machine runs the Windows operating system, you can use the built-in Remote Desktop Connection tool, MSTSC (Microsoft Terminal Services Client), to upload local files to a Windows ECS instance.

    Important

    For large or numerous files, we recommend compressing them into a single archive file before uploading. This improves transfer efficiency. For more information, see Compress and upload files.

    Step 1: Connect and redirect a local drive

    1. Press Win+R to open the Run dialog box. Type mstsc and press Enter to launch Remote Desktop Connection (MSTSC).

    2. In the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box, follow these steps to connect to your Windows ECS instance:

      1. Click Show Options.

      2. On the General tab, configure the following parameters:

        • Computer: Enter the public IP address or EIP of your Windows ECS instance.

        • User Name: Enter the user name. The default is Administrator.

      3. On the Local Resources tab, select the Clipboard checkbox and click View Details.

      4. Under Drives, select the checkbox for the drive where your files are stored, and then click OK.

      5. Click Connect to connect to the Windows ECS instance. The remote desktop of the instance appears.

    Step 2: Upload and download files

    After connecting to the instance, you can find your local computer's drive in the instance's This Computer window. Double-click the drive to access your local files directly. You can move files from this directory to the Windows instance (upload) or move files from the instance to this directory (download).

    • Double-click the redirected drive on the instance.

      This drive appears in the This Computer window, under the Redirected drives and folders section.

    • Upload a file to the ECS instance

      This example shows how to upload a file to the instance's desktop. You can also use Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V to copy and paste files between your local Windows computer and the Windows instance.

      After the upload is complete, you can see the uploaded file, such as test.txt, in the instance's File Explorer.

    • Download a file from the ECS instance

      This example shows how to download a file from the instance's desktop. You can also use Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V to copy and paste files between your local Windows computer and the Windows instance.

      In this example, a text document named test is on the instance's desktop. Drag and drop (or copy and paste) this file into the redirected local drive to complete the download.

    Use the Windows App to transfer files

    If your local computer runs macOS, you can use the Windows App to remotely connect to a Windows cloud server instance and transfer files to the instance. This topic uses a computer that runs macOS and the Windows App as an example.

    Important

    For large or numerous files, we recommend compressing them into a single archive file before uploading. This improves transfer efficiency. For more information, see Compress and upload files.

    Step 1: Download and install the Windows App

    Click Windows App to download and install the Windows App from the Mac App Store.

    Step 2: Connect to the instance

    1. Open the Windows App and click image > Add PC in the upper-right corner.

    2. On the Add PC page, enter the instance's IP address.

      Enter the IP address in the PC name field. Keep the other settings at their default values and click Add.

    3. Redirect a folder.

      This step maps a local folder to the ECS instance, making its files accessible from the remote session. Follow these steps:

      Click Folders, select Redirect folders, and then click the image icon. Follow the prompts to add the folder you want to redirect. The folder then appears in the list of redirected folders.

      This example uses the macOS Documents folder (/Users/<username>/Documents).

    4. Click the Add button to finish adding the ECS instance.

    5. On the devices page, find the ECS instance you just added. Double-click it and, when prompted, enter the instance's User Name and Password. Then, click Continue to connect. After the connection is established, the desktop of the Windows instance appears.

    Step 3: Upload and download files

    After connecting to the instance, you can find your local computer's drive in the instance's This Computer window. Double-click the drive to access your local files directly. You can move files from this directory to the Windows instance (upload) or move files from the instance to this directory (download).

    • Double-click the redirected drive on the instance.

      Under This Computer in the Redirected drives and folders section, you can see the redirected folder from your local computer, such as Documents on U-K23YRH02-1940.

    • Upload a file to the ECS instance

      This example shows how to upload a file to the instance's desktop. You can also use Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V to copy and paste files between your local macOS computer and the Windows instance.

      Open File Explorer on the Windows instance. Drag the file, such as test.txt, from the redirected local folder to the Windows instance desktop.

    • Download a file from the ECS instance

      This example shows how to download a file from the instance's desktop. You can also use Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V to copy and paste files between your local macOS computer and the Windows instance.

      Drag a file from the instance's desktop to the redirected local folder in File Explorer, such as the Documents folder on U-K23YRH02-1940.

      The downloaded file is then available in the redirected folder on your local computer.

    References

    • After uploading files to a Windows ECS instance, you can back up important files. For more information, see Manually create a single snapshot.

    • You can also use Object Storage Service (OSS) to store and manage your files. For more information, see Console quick start.