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GUIDE: Networking Windows with OS X
- Thread starter edesignuk
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I had finally networked my old Dell and my iMac on Tiger. And then...you guessed it, I upgraded to Leopard. Now no matter what I try, nothing. Very frustrating. With all these cross-platform headaches I may just give up and get a macbook. Imagine the surprise.
Is anyone out there able to access a PC from their mac?
Seriously, I have tried as many of the suggested fixes that I have found but still no luck. Seems like I'm not alone. When I connect to server I can see my shared files on my XP (home edition) PC but when I try to open them I get the error "a volume failed to mount".
If anyone has been able to access PC files from a Mac using Leopard can you please help us so we can be as happy as you
Seriously, I have tried as many of the suggested fixes that I have found but still no luck. Seems like I'm not alone. When I connect to server I can see my shared files on my XP (home edition) PC but when I try to open them I get the error "a volume failed to mount".
If anyone has been able to access PC files from a Mac using Leopard can you please help us so we can be as happy as you
Can't access PC user account from Leopard
I spoke to soon - having gotten rid of old Mac user account data, I did manage to see the PCs on my network and connect, as Guest.
I can't log on to them, though, with a user number and password I set on the XP machine - the finder window just returns to logged in as guest, and I can't copy/change anything in the shared PC folders.
Like someone else, it's a real pest because I have data on the PC's I really need on my mac.
I spoke to soon - having gotten rid of old Mac user account data, I did manage to see the PCs on my network and connect, as Guest.
I can't log on to them, though, with a user number and password I set on the XP machine - the finder window just returns to logged in as guest, and I can't copy/change anything in the shared PC folders.
Like someone else, it's a real pest because I have data on the PC's I really need on my mac.
Shared folder in system preference missing!
In attempting to connect my home PC to my mac laptop, I discovered that the shared folder under Internet & Network in my system preferences is missing. I recall seeing it before.....Does anybody have any idea how to get it back?
In attempting to connect my home PC to my mac laptop, I discovered that the shared folder under Internet & Network in my system preferences is missing. I recall seeing it before.....Does anybody have any idea how to get it back?
I was trying to follow the original thread but I'm stumped on Directory Access which apparently is suppose to be in the utilities folder but I only have Directory and directory utility... tried both.. I'm stumped... I'm already brain fried as I've been trying with an ethernet cable and even my HDD isn't showing on the pc so I can't transfer all my stuff that way.. I just want to get rid of the pc from my desk and have fun with my new iMac .........*sob*
finally got some help from a friend - I connected the external HDD to the pc and went to c: right click and 'manage' then found the drive that way and did a quick format... once done then I can transfer my stuff on to the HDD - then unplug it from the PC and connected to the mac.. then remove everything over and I'll reformat the HDD back to mac afterwards!
relived that I've finally got a way to get my stuff over and then I can get rid of the PC!
yay.
(I thought I'd write this up to help anyone else who is a complete newbie and not very computer literate)
finally got some help from a friend - I connected the external HDD to the pc and went to c: right click and 'manage' then found the drive that way and did a quick format... once done then I can transfer my stuff on to the HDD - then unplug it from the PC and connected to the mac.. then remove everything over and I'll reformat the HDD back to mac afterwards!
relived that I've finally got a way to get my stuff over and then I can get rid of the PC!
yay.
(I thought I'd write this up to help anyone else who is a complete newbie and not very computer literate)
Debugging Workgroup name problems, XP to 10.4
Hello!
Perhaps you can help me figure this mess out...
We're running a home network with three XP machines, one NAS that runs LINUX / Apache, and an iMac running OS X 10.4. All connections are over Cat5. The Windows network existed first (Belkin router as the switch), and we got tired of calling it WORKGROUP and picked a name. That's the first oddity...
The name we type in (on the Windows XP network wizard) goes in as all uppercase characters: thus, we type "Panama-someday", the wizard displays it as "PANAMA-SOMEDAY" as we're typing it, but in the Windows Explorer folder tree it shows as "\\Panama-someday" (quotes of course not typed or used). The LINUX box takes whatever we type but displays it in all uppercase.
Now we go over to the Mac... and whether I am in FINDER, or in System Preferences/Networks, or in Applications/Utilities/Add Printer/More Printers/Windows Printing/Network Neighborhood.... EVERYWHERE on the Mac, that workgroup shows up as "Panama-Someday". Even when I try a /Utilities/Directory Access/SMB-CIFS/ and literally type in the name... well, the MAC shows me what I type but the darned name still ends up as each word capitalized...
SO it seems like my efforts to tell it "no, look in this workgroup" for the printer (attached to one of the Windows boxes) is stymied. Windows file sharing is turned on (personal is turned off) on tha Mac; printer sharing is turned on.
I have been successful using FINDER to GO SERVER, and do a //(ipaddress of a windows share)/(sharefoldername), and those connect up justfine. Windows machines can see the public folders on the Mac.
It's just the MAC still can't see the durned printer on the Windows machines. Nor, by the way, could it see the shared printer (LP) on the LInux box, even though it clearly sees the individual shares when they are moutned with FINDER/GO SERVER.
Help? Ideas? Troubleshooting tips? Anybody?
Emails direct to me at willsmike@hotmail.com greatly appreciated....
cheers,
mike
Hello!
Perhaps you can help me figure this mess out...
We're running a home network with three XP machines, one NAS that runs LINUX / Apache, and an iMac running OS X 10.4. All connections are over Cat5. The Windows network existed first (Belkin router as the switch), and we got tired of calling it WORKGROUP and picked a name. That's the first oddity...
The name we type in (on the Windows XP network wizard) goes in as all uppercase characters: thus, we type "Panama-someday", the wizard displays it as "PANAMA-SOMEDAY" as we're typing it, but in the Windows Explorer folder tree it shows as "\\Panama-someday" (quotes of course not typed or used). The LINUX box takes whatever we type but displays it in all uppercase.
Now we go over to the Mac... and whether I am in FINDER, or in System Preferences/Networks, or in Applications/Utilities/Add Printer/More Printers/Windows Printing/Network Neighborhood.... EVERYWHERE on the Mac, that workgroup shows up as "Panama-Someday". Even when I try a /Utilities/Directory Access/SMB-CIFS/ and literally type in the name... well, the MAC shows me what I type but the darned name still ends up as each word capitalized...
SO it seems like my efforts to tell it "no, look in this workgroup" for the printer (attached to one of the Windows boxes) is stymied. Windows file sharing is turned on (personal is turned off) on tha Mac; printer sharing is turned on.
I have been successful using FINDER to GO SERVER, and do a //(ipaddress of a windows share)/(sharefoldername), and those connect up justfine. Windows machines can see the public folders on the Mac.
It's just the MAC still can't see the durned printer on the Windows machines. Nor, by the way, could it see the shared printer (LP) on the LInux box, even though it clearly sees the individual shares when they are moutned with FINDER/GO SERVER.
Help? Ideas? Troubleshooting tips? Anybody?
Emails direct to me at willsmike@hotmail.com greatly appreciated....
cheers,
mike
I like to know that too!
Display of newest verstion of MAC Os x (10.5.7) is different...
me three, having a hell of a time trying to connect to network printer which was working perfectly with my old XP laptop
how do i connect to a windows vista home edition from a mac 10.5.8 in another network? i cant find anything talking about vista home edition, any idea? i want something like remote desktop, something that gives me full control over the vista.
thanks.
thanks.
Accessing Mac Files from a PC (Works at least with OSX 10.5.8 & XP Pro)
This is an updated version of the networking method offered by Gina Trapanis article on Lifehacker, see http://lifehacker.com/247541/how-to-access-a-macs-files-on-your-pc. I haven't read this entire thread; perhaps this article has already been mentioned. I offer this because it seems I wasn't the only one looking for a good way to network Leopard with PCs. I'm happy to attest that Gina's basic method still works under Leopard. Perhaps this will also still work with Snow Leopard and/or Vista, others will have to try it, and perhaps further modify it.
This assumes that both the mac and the PC are connected through an ethernet connection in some kind of a local network, which in my case was an ethernet switch.
I really like this method because its short and simple. I also like it for security reasons, because my ethernet switch acts as the portal for both computers to access the internet, which in theory makes my computers accessible and vulnerable from the the internet.
The only file sharing that needs to happen is from the Mac side, which better shields the PC from all the viruses and hackers that might be looking for it. I think hackers would also have a hard time getting anywhere on the mac without the right username and password.
On the Mac, Go to the Sharing options under System Preferences.
If it doesn't already have one, give your computer a really short, simple name without spaces, like MyMac.
Turn on file sharing, then click the options button in the lower right.
Turn on FTP and SMB file sharing. With SMB sharing on, select the account username(s) youll want to access from the PC. Press the "Done" button, and now you can close the sharing preferences. There's no need to select any other type of sharing, and no need to mess with shared folders unless you want to. Simple!
On the PC, Select the Run command from the start menu
When the Run window opens and asks you what to open, type in "\\MyMac\Username" (filling in your mac's computer name and your account name, and leaving off the quote marks.)
When a window opens to connect to MyMac.local, again type in your Mac username, and this time add your password.
Thats all there is to it! Youll get an open window into your Mac accounts root folder, so youll have access to pretty much everything youre likely to need, and with the same read & write access rights youd normally have in that account. If you've also set up shared folders or drives, you can also navigate to them by navigating upwards in windows, or shortening the address in the MyMac window to "\\MyMac". When I do this I also see a listing for "Printers and Faxes", so perhaps this would get you access to the Mac's printer from the PC if the sharing was set up for this. I don't have a printer hooked up right now, so I haven't tried this.
Happy networking!
This is an updated version of the networking method offered by Gina Trapanis article on Lifehacker, see http://lifehacker.com/247541/how-to-access-a-macs-files-on-your-pc. I haven't read this entire thread; perhaps this article has already been mentioned. I offer this because it seems I wasn't the only one looking for a good way to network Leopard with PCs. I'm happy to attest that Gina's basic method still works under Leopard.
Perhaps this will also still work with Snow Leopard and/or Vista, others will have to try it, and perhaps further modify it.This assumes that both the mac and the PC are connected through an ethernet connection in some kind of a local network, which in my case was an ethernet switch.
I really like this method because its short and simple. I also like it for security reasons, because my ethernet switch acts as the portal for both computers to access the internet, which in theory makes my computers accessible and vulnerable from the the internet.
The only file sharing that needs to happen is from the Mac side, which better shields the PC from all the viruses and hackers that might be looking for it. I think hackers would also have a hard time getting anywhere on the mac without the right username and password.
On the Mac, Go to the Sharing options under System Preferences.
If it doesn't already have one, give your computer a really short, simple name without spaces, like MyMac.
Turn on file sharing, then click the options button in the lower right.
Turn on FTP and SMB file sharing. With SMB sharing on, select the account username(s) youll want to access from the PC. Press the "Done" button, and now you can close the sharing preferences. There's no need to select any other type of sharing, and no need to mess with shared folders unless you want to. Simple!
On the PC, Select the Run command from the start menu
When the Run window opens and asks you what to open, type in "\\MyMac\Username" (filling in your mac's computer name and your account name, and leaving off the quote marks.)
When a window opens to connect to MyMac.local, again type in your Mac username, and this time add your password.
Thats all there is to it! Youll get an open window into your Mac accounts root folder, so youll have access to pretty much everything youre likely to need, and with the same read & write access rights youd normally have in that account. If you've also set up shared folders or drives, you can also navigate to them by navigating upwards in windows, or shortening the address in the MyMac window to "\\MyMac". When I do this I also see a listing for "Printers and Faxes", so perhaps this would get you access to the Mac's printer from the PC if the sharing was set up for this. I don't have a printer hooked up right now, so I haven't tried this.
Happy networking!
slow network drives
Hey thanks for your guide, works really well.
I don't know if its just me, but whenever I access the shared folder on my windows computer from my mac, the copy\write speeds are incredibly slow.
To copy 1MB from my mac to the pc, it took about 15 minutes..
I'm using Windows XP pro and Mac OS X, 10.4.
Thanks!!!
Hey thanks for your guide, works really well.
I don't know if its just me, but whenever I access the shared folder on my windows computer from my mac, the copy\write speeds are incredibly slow.
To copy 1MB from my mac to the pc, it took about 15 minutes..
I'm using Windows XP pro and Mac OS X, 10.4.
Thanks!!!
"You need to put your Mac in the same workgroup as your Windows PC. To do this open “Directory Access” (Applications > Utilities > Directory Access). Click on the padlock in the bottom left corner to make changes; you will be prompted for your password. If “SMB” is not ticked off, then tick it off. Select “SMB” and hit the “Configure…” button. Now enter the name of your Windows workgroup. In my case the name is “AD”.
im on 10.5.4 and above is not applying to me.
ive made a workgroup name on pc, now how do i tell my mac?
i just want to set up a shared folder on my pc.
so my macbook can download files from it.
is this possible?
when i try to connect to server, mac says failed to connect to server.
thanks
im on 10.5.4 and above is not applying to me.
ive made a workgroup name on pc, now how do i tell my mac?
i just want to set up a shared folder on my pc.
so my macbook can download files from it.
is this possible?
when i try to connect to server, mac says failed to connect to server.
thanks
THANKS EWTHeckman!!!
I gather you're not around here anymore ... but in any case your registry correction to fix the "visible but not open-able" files on an XP machine from a Mac worked EXACTLY as you said.
After two weeks of hair pulling, my system is finally working right again.
Thanks, thanks, thanks. Just wish I had found that sooner!!!
Alan
I gather you're not around here anymore ... but in any case your registry correction to fix the "visible but not open-able" files on an XP machine from a Mac worked EXACTLY as you said.
After two weeks of hair pulling, my system is finally working right again.
Thanks, thanks, thanks. Just wish I had found that sooner!!!
Alan
Question:
Is there any way to hook up an external HDD to my mac, and have it share that without sharing anything else.
Also, can i use that same HDD for time machine if i partition it and share one partition?
Is there any way to hook up an external HDD to my mac, and have it share that without sharing anything else.
Also, can i use that same HDD for time machine if i partition it and share one partition?
Unfortunately in Snow Leopard (OS X) there is no Directory Access any more. The only place you can change the workgroup is in the Network "Wins" Settings which will allow you to attach to the Windows (2000 in my case) PC but it will not be able to see your Mac's drive. As my task if to be able to access my Mac from my home windows 2K PC this technique has not really helped me much.
i.e. I can access my Windows PC Transfer Drive from both my Office Macs but not the reverse. Any ideas?
i.e. I can access my Windows PC Transfer Drive from both my Office Macs but not the reverse. Any ideas?
Just wondering, is there a way to network Win98 with Panther? And what about networking Windows with Jaguar?
I'm sure there are still some people out there with older systems with that question. I can't try it out because I don't have a single PC in the house
I have the necessary setup to do this.
My Powerbook G4 (OSX 10.4.11), Win7 Netbook, and Win98SE laptop see each other but I cannot log onto win7 shares from win 98 laptop, however I can log into my mac (from the Win98 laptop) and see my shared user directory. I can log into and work with files on the Win98SE laptop from all computers on the network.
I found the solution on this site early in this thread. #1 "Accessing your Mac from your PC
Click “Start > Run” and enter “\\192.168.1.2\edesignuk”, replacing the IP address with the IP address of your Mac, and “edesignuk” with the short user name of your account in OS X."
My main reason for this setup is to use an old Logitech Pagescan Color that has had no drivers since Win9x. I just set this up last week and so far have saved scanned files to the Win98 machine and later copied them to the mac and the win7 netbook. However I want to be able to save the scans directly to an external drive that is connected to the netbook. Otherwise the solution will be to use the mac as my "file server" or get a networkable hard disk.
Motivated by the shortcomings of many tutorials of this topic, I studied Samba and wrote The Ultimate Guide of Sharing between Mac and Windows in my blog. I put a lot of work in the guide and hope that it work out for all of you as it did for me.
There is no need to configure anything whatsoever on the Windows Computers. Setting up Samba Config and User management on MacOS the right way will solve any problems. As always in Linux/Unix: Know what you are doing and it will work.
There is no need to configure anything whatsoever on the Windows Computers. Setting up Samba Config and User management on MacOS the right way will solve any problems. As always in Linux/Unix: Know what you are doing and it will work.