On a web page, I need to allow users to input the path to a file (on shares on servers) - which will be stored in a database so I can subsequently display 'a list of documents that apply to this project'.

If I put an input type="file" on the page, it makes it easy for the user to browse to the document ... but, when the form is submitted, the document will be uploaded to the server. I don't want the document, I just want the path.

How would you provide the functionality to allow a user to browse to a file so that you could record the path to the file without actually uploading the file itself?

I just want to end up showing, on a web page, a list of files like:

\\myserver\folder20\somefolder\somefile.doc

\\myserver2\folder50\somefolder\somefile2.doc

I need to give users an easy way to locate those files in the first place - without having to laboriously open Windows Explorer, find the file, and copy and paste the path. A file upload control gives you access to the path - which is what I need - but I don't want the file uploaded

If I do end up using a file upload control - I don't want to save the file on server - how can I dispose of it so I don't end up with hundreds of temp files?