# How to open files in locally hosted n8n

**URL:** <https://community.n8n.io/t/how-to-open-files-in-locally-hosted-n8n/160363>\
**Category:** Questions\
**Tags:** node, extract-from-file\
**Created:** [August 1, 2025, 12:31pm UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/how-to-open-files-in-locally-hosted-n8n/160363 "2025-08-01T12:31:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cray\_1234](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/n8n/user_avatar/community.n8n.io/cray_1234/32/106059_2.png) [@cray\_1234](https://community.n8n.io/u/cray_1234)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2025, 12:31pm UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/how-to-open-files-in-locally-hosted-n8n/160363/1 "2025-08-01T12:31:31Z")

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When I try to open file locally through my mounted directory (D:/n8n-data —\> /home/node/.n8n), n8n cannot retrieve anything from this file, because error is “Access to the file is not alowed”. In my case it is news\_output\_pap.xlsx. What can I do about that?

 ![image](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/n8n/original/3X/b/8/b8fedc03f6ef06abafe5b0dad0eb4acc013314db.png)

## Information on your n8n setup

- **n8n version: 1.94.1**
- **Database (default: SQLite)**
- **n8n EXECUTIONS\_PROCESS setting (default: own, main)**
- **Running n8n via Docker**
- **Operating system: Windows**

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![trijste](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/n8n/user_avatar/community.n8n.io/trijste/32/24327_2.png) [@trijste](https://community.n8n.io/u/trijste)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2025, 3:40pm UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/how-to-open-files-in-locally-hosted-n8n/160363/2 "2025-08-01T15:40:16Z")

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I think I had to map a directory between the container and my local environment, like

```
  - ./shared:/data/shared

```

Then I could put files there and access them from the read from disk node. Have you done that?

Otherwise, I’ve done it where I’ve used a Chat node with Attachments turned on and uploaded from my local environment that way, then pinned the uploaded files and used them further in my work. The form node does the same.

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**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/n8n/user_avatar/community.n8n.io/system/32/195824_2.png) [@system](https://community.n8n.io/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 3:40pm UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/how-to-open-files-in-locally-hosted-n8n/160363/3 "2025-10-30T15:40:29Z")

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Closed on October 30, 2025, 3:40pm UTC

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