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Can't connect to Windows PC Homegroup

Y

yoe91

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 7, 2011
70
2
Hi,
I've seriously tried it all. Here's my setup:
wifi router, MBPro and PC connected to internet, no problem.
Mac=10.8.5
PC desktop=Windows 7

Can see PC appear in finder on left column under network, but cannot access. Files are shared on PC, worked just fine in my other house, could access files from my Mac, just not here. I just moved.
As 'guest' or as 'permissioned user', doesn't work. I tried the smb:// thing with the PC name, or local IP address. Nothing.
Constantly get the error:
"There was a problem connecting to the server "hp-pc".
This file server is available on your computer. Access the volumes and files locally.

I even tried turning my anti-virus off on the PC.

Can anybody help me, there's got to be something I'm not doing here...
 
satcomer said:
This is a little older but you will get the pint in the blog article File Sharing: Win 7 and Snow Leopard but you will get the idea how to set it up in OS X 8.x.

If you decide in the future to use Windows 8 then read the blog post Access Your Mac Data from a Windows 8 PC.
Click to expand...
thanks a lot man. Hope this works I've tried loads of forum solutions before...will try right now and get back to you.

EDIT:
Nope. Same thing. I get this same error message:
2h81x20.jpg


As I try to "Connect to Server" on my Mac. occasionally, it asks me if I want to enter as a guest or enter a password, either way nothing ever works.
 
Last edited:
I going ask tis, are you on the same subnet between the Windows 7 PC and the Mac? Are you using the PC's Administrator account to log on the PC? Did you restart the PC after setting up the Advanced Sharing in Windows 7?
 
satcomer said:
I going ask tis, are you on the same subnet between the Windows 7 PC and the Mac? Are you using the PC's Administrator account to log on the PC? Did you restart the PC after setting up the Advanced Sharing in Windows 7?
Click to expand...

subnet: I don't know, but I suppose so. How do I check, really quick ?

PC's Administrator: I think so, but not 100% sure.

Did I restart the PC: yes.
 
yoe91 said:
subnet: I don't know, but I suppose so. How do I check, really quick ?

PC's Administrator: I think so, but not 100% sure.

Did I restart the PC: yes.
Click to expand...

1. Subnet: In laymen's terms you it means that the first three octets have to be the same.

2. Do you own the PC and have an Account setup when you first got it? Do you own the PC?
 
satcomer said:
1. Subnet: In laymen's terms you it means that the first three octets have to be the same.

2. Do you own the PC and have an Account setup when you first got it? Do you own the PC?
Click to expand...

What 255.255.255.0 ?...it's hard to understand point 1. And yes, definitely I own the PC. Like I said, it was working just fine some weeks ago in the old house, the only thing that's changed is this new router I guess. Same two computers, same everything.
 
satcomer said:
The bookmark the Apple site Well known TCP and UDP ports used by Apple software products. So just make sue the new router allows port 139 on it's LAN port for SMB. Plus make sure windows 7 firewall is allowing file sharing too.
Click to expand...

I only managed to do it now. Port forwarding was hard to figure out on this router, dang...check it out, it's in French but all the same words as in English:
s2bi53.jpg


The info you see is the default stuff in grey. When I created a new condition in my router firewall, I wrote everything as this is, with only 139 at the end in stead of the '443'. Like this:
jjsqkk.jpg


And then I tried connecting, and still got the same error message.
But now that I think about it, it's less a problem with the Mac and more with accessing the HOMEGROUP at all, as I tried from my WD TV Live device, and couldn't access files from the PC from there either...so it must be the medium of communication, i.e. the router. So I think we're on the right track.

Could you just tell me if that last pic I posted seems sound to you in the parameters for the 139 TCP port ?
 
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