Getting Started with Azure Storage Explorer

Azure Storage Explorer is a free, standalone and a powerful tooldesktop application from Microsoft that allows you to easily work with Azure Storage data on Windows, macOS, or Linux. Using this application, developers can testing storage-based apps.

This post, we will help you to explore Azure Storage Explorer desktop application to manage your files.

Getting Started with Azure Storage Explorer

Getting Started

Microsoft Azure Storage Explorer is an indispensable tool for anyone managing Azure Storage resources. Its intuitive design, cross-platform availability, and deep integration with the Azure ecosystem make it a go-to solution for developers and IT professionals alike.

What It Does

Azure Storage Explorer helps you manage the following Azure storage resources:

• Blob Containers (object storage)
• File Shares (SMB file shares)
• Queues (message queuing)
• Tables (NoSQL storage)
• Data Lake Storage Gen1 and Gen2

Use Cases

• Developers testing storage-based apps
• Admins managing backups or static websites
• Data engineers exploring and verifying blob datasets
• Quick data uploads/downloads without using the Azure portal

Download And Install Azure Storage Explorer

Azure Storage Explorer Download

You can download Azure Storage Explorer from the official Microsoft website using this link: Download Microsoft Azure Storage Explorer
Steps to Download:

1. Visit the link above and scrop down to get Download Menu.
2. Click on the Download Menu, it will navigate to download page
3. Select your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux). You will get the operation system options when you click on the Download now button
4. The download will start, you can see it in your broser's download list.

Azure Storage Explorer Install

Here are the step-by-step instructions to install Azure Storage Explorer on different platforms:

Windows

1. Once the .exe file downloads, double-click the installer.
2. Follow the installation wizard:
   • Accept the license terms.
   • Choose install location (default is fine).
   • Click Install, then Finish.
3. Launch Azure Storage Explorer from the Start Menu or Desktop shortcut.

macOS

1. Open the downloaded .dmg file.
2. Drag the Azure Storage Explorer icon into the Applications folder.
3. Open Applications and launch Azure Storage Explorer.

   macOS may show a security prompt since the app is downloaded from the internet. Click “Open” when prompted.

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)
Option 1: Using .deb package

1. Open a terminal and run:

   sudo dpkg -i storage-explorer*.deb
   sudo apt-get install -f
   

Option 2: Using Snap (recommended if available)

sudo snap install storage-explorer

Then launch it with:

storage-explorer

Connect To Azure

To connect to Azure Storage from Azure Storage Explorer, follow these steps:

1. Open Azure Storage Explorer.
2. In the left panel, click on "Plug icon" or go to “Add an Account” from the top toolbar or menu.
3. Choose "Add an Azure Account".
4. A browser window will open. Sign in with your Azure credentials.
5. After signing in, it will list all subscriptions and storage accounts associated with your login.

Different Options Of Microsoft Azure Login

You can connect using different methods:
Using Azure Account

• Best if you have an Azure subscription and want to browse all resources.
• Follow step 2 above.

Using Connection String

1. In Azure Portal, go to your Storage Account.
2. Navigate to: Access Keys → Copy the Connection String.
3. In Storage Explorer:
   • Click "Add Account" → "Use a Connection String".
   • Paste the string and name the connection.

Using Shared Access Signature (SAS)

1. Generate a SAS token from the Azure Portal (from the Storage Account).
2. In Storage Explorer:
   • Click “Add Account” → “Use a Shared Access Signature (SAS) URI”.
   • Paste the SAS URI.

Using Storage Account Name and Key

1. In Azure Portal, go to the Storage Account → Access Keys.
2. Copy the account name and key.
3. In Storage Explorer:
   • Choose “Use Storage Account name and key”.
   • Enter the info.

Manage Azure Resources with Azure Storage Explorer

Create a blob Container

The following steps illustrate how to create a blob container within Storage Explorer.

1. Open Storage Explorer.
2. In the left pane, expand the storage account within which you wish to create the blob container.
3. Right-click Blob Containers, and - from the context menu - select Create Blob Container.
4. A text box will appear below the Blob Containers folder. Enter the name for your blob container.
5. Press Enter when done to create the blob container, or Esc to cancel. Once the blob container has been successfully created, it will be displayed under the Blob Containers folder for the selected storage account.

Note:- All blobs must reside in a blob container, which is simply a logical grouping of blobs. An account can contain an unlimited number of containers, and each container can store an unlimited number of blobs.

View Contents of Container

The following steps illustrate how to view the contents of a blob container within Storage Explorer:

1. Open Storage Explorer.
2. In the left pane, expand the storage account containing the blob container you wish to view.
3. Expand the storage account's Blob Containers.
4. Right-click the blob container you wish to view, and - from the context menu - select Open Blob Container Editor. You can also double-click the blob container you wish to view.
5. The main pane will display the blob container's contents.

Delete a Blob Container

The following steps illustrate how to delete a blob container within Storage Explorer:

1. Open Storage Explorer.
2. In the left pane, expand the storage account containing the blob container you wish to view.
3. Expand the storage account's Blob Containers.
4. Right-click the blob container you wish to delete, and - from the context menu - select Delete.You can also press Delete to delete the currently selected blob container.
5. Select Yes to the confirmation dialog.

Copy a Blob Container

The following steps illustrate how to copy a blob container from one storage account to another.

1. Open Storage Explorer.
2. In the left pane, expand the storage account containing the blob container you wish to copy.
3. Expand the storage account's Blob Containers.
4. Right-click the blob container you wish to copy, and - from the context menu - select Copy Blob Container.
5. Right-click the desired "target" storage account into which you want to paste the blob container, and - from the context menu - select Paste Blob Container.

Create SAS Token

The following steps illustrate how to create a SAS token for a blob container:

1. Open Storage Explorer.
2. In the left pane, expand the storage account containing the blob container for which you wish to get a SAS.
3. Expand the storage account's Blob Containers.
4. Right-click the desired blob container, and - from the context menu - select Get Shared Access Signature.
5. In the Shared Access Signature dialog, specify the policy, start and expiration dates, time zone, and access levels you want for the resource.
6. When you're finished specifying the SAS options, select Create.
7. A second Shared Access Signature dialog will then display that lists the blob container along with the URL and QueryStrings you can use to access the storage resource. Select Copy next to the URL you wish to copy to the clipboard.
8. When done, select Close.

Manage Access Policies

The following steps illustrate how to manage (add and remove) access policies for a blob container:

1. Open Storage Explorer.
2. In the left pane, expand the storage account containing the blob container whose access policies you wish to manage.
3. Expand the storage account's Blob Containers.
4. Select the desired blob container, and - from the context menu - select Manage Access Policies.
5. The Access Policies dialog will list any access policies already created for the selected blob container.
6. Follow these steps depending on the access policy management task:
   • Add a new access policy - Select Add. Once generated, the Access Policies dialog will display the newly added access policy (with default settings).
   • Edit an access policy - Make any desired edits, and select Save.
   • Remove an access policy - Select Remove next to the access policy you wish to remove.

Set the Public Access Level

The following steps illustrate how to specify a public access level for a blob container.

1. Open Storage Explorer.
2. In the left pane, expand the storage account containing the blob container whose access policies you wish to manage.
3. Expand the storage account's Blob Containers.
4. Select the desired blob container, and - from the context menu - select Set Public Access Level.
5. In the Set Container Public Access Level dialog, specify the desired access level.
6. Select Apply.

Managing Blobs in a Blob Container

Once you've created a blob container, you can upload a blob to that blob container, download a blob to your local computer, open a blob on your local computer, and much more.

The following steps illustrate how to manage the blobs (and virtual directories) within a blob container.

1. Open Storage Explorer.
2. In the left pane, expand the storage account containing the blob container you wish to manage.
3. Expand the storage account's Blob Containers.
4. Double-click the blob container you wish to view.
5. The main pane will display the blob container's contents.
6. Follow these steps depending on the task you wish to perform:
   • Upload files to a blob container
     1. On the main pane's toolbar, select Upload, and then Upload Files from the drop-down menu.
     2. In the Upload files dialog, select the ellipsis (…) button on the right side of the Files text box to select the file(s) you wish to upload.
     3. Specify the type of Blob type.
     4. Optionally, specify a target virtual directory into which the selected file(s) will be uploaded. If the target virtual directory doesn’t exist, it will be created.
     5. Select Upload.
   • Upload a folder to a blob container
     1. On the main pane's toolbar, select Upload, and then Upload Folder from the drop-down menu.
     2. In the Upload folder dialog, select the ellipsis (…) button on the right side of the Folder text box to select the folder whose contents you wish to upload.
     3. Specify the type of Blob type.
     4. Optionally, specify a target virtual directory into which the selected folder's contents will be uploaded. If the target virtual directory doesn’t exist, it will be created.
     5. Select Upload.
   • Download a blob to your local computer
     1. Select the blob you wish to download.
     2. On the main pane's toolbar, select Download.
     3. In the Specify where to save the downloaded blob dialog, specify the location where you want the blob downloaded, and the name you wish to give it.
     4. Select Save.
   • Open a blob on your local computer
     1. Select the blob you wish to open.
     2. On the main pane's toolbar, select Open.
     3. The blob will be downloaded and opened using the application associated with the blob's underlying file type.
   • Copy a blob to the clipboard
     1. Select the blob you wish to copy.
     2. On the main pane's toolbar, select Copy.
     3. In the left pane, navigate to another blob container, and double-click it to view it in the main pane.
     4. On the main pane's toolbar, select Paste to create a copy of the blob.
   • Delete a blob
     1. Select the blob you wish to delete.
     2. On the main pane's toolbar, select Delete.
     3. Select Yes to the confirmation dialog.
   • Delete a blob along with snapshots
     1. Select the blob you wish to delete.
     2. On the main pane's toolbar, select Delete.
     3. Select Yes to the confirmation dialog.
     4. Under Activities the deletion of the blob will be skipped now click on retry.
     5. Retry Azcopy window will open and from Snapshot select Delete blobs with snapshots option from dropdown then select Retry selected.

Summary

As cloud infrastructure becomes central to modern application development, efficient management of cloud storage is more crucial than ever. Azure Storage Explorer is a free, standalone app and a powerful tool for Cloud Storage Management from Microsoft that simplifies working with Azure Storage data.

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