In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to let Claude Desktop read and write files on your computer by connecting it to the Filesystem MCP server. You can follow the same steps to add other servers to any AI application that supports MCP.

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Prerequisites

  • Download and install MCP Now.
  • Install Claude Desktop (Download here). If you already have Claude Desktop installed, make sure it is updated to a version that supports MCP.

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Add Claude Desktop as a host

  1. Open MCP Now.
  2. Click Dashboard on the left navigation bar.
Add Host
  1. Click Scan for Hosts. MCP Now will automatically detect all MCP hosts on your computer.
  2. Select Claude Desktop, then click Add Selected Hosts.
  3. Launch Claude Desktop to connect it to MCP Now. If needed, relaunch it to update its connection status to Connected.
Add Host

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Add the Filesystem server

  1. In the Dashboard page, select Claude Desktop.
Add Server
  1. Click Add Server.
  2. Enter Filesystem in the search bar. When you see Filesystem MCP Server in the results, click Set Up.
Search Server
  1. Fill the configuration form:
    • Connection Method: Select STDIO: npm server-filesystem as the connection method.
      After selecting the connection method, you can hover over Quick Start to view the server’s official setup guide. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for installing dependencies and explains each configuration field in detail. Be sure to follow it closely to ensure proper setup.
    • Install Node.js, as instructed in the official get started guide.
    • Command Arguments: Enter the full path to a folder on your computer that you want Claude to access (for example, /Users/yourname/Documents). Make sure the path is correct. If there’s a typo, the server connection will fail.
Server Config
  1. Click Set Up.
If setup is successful, you’ll see Filesystem MCP Server listed with its Active toggle switched on. Server Connected

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Try it out!

With all the setup work done in MCP Now, it’s time to see the Filesystem MCP server in action.
  1. Open Claude Desktop. To confirm that MCP Now is connected, click the Search and tools button. If you see mcp-now in the dropdown list, the connection is active.
Claude with Filesystem Server
  1. Now you can ask Claude to perform tasks involving your computer’s files.
Here are some example prompts you can try:
  • “Create a new folder called ‘Test’ on my desktop.”
  • “Show me all PDF documents in my Documents folder.”
  • “Delete any temporary files in my downloads directory.”
When a file operation is required, Claude may prompt you for permission before proceeding.