Mac Can't Find Windows PC on Network

[Howard54]

I just got my first Mac and I am trying to integrate it into my home network with a number of Windows PCs. I have turned on sharing on the Mac and on all of the PCs.

The Mac finds the router and connects to the internet with no problem. The PCs all find the Mac and can access the shared folders.

However, the Mac does not find any of the PCs, and no shared resources show up in the Finder Sidebar.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Tiki35]

In Finder, use the Go menu, then Connect to Server, then enter
smb://pc-computername (or ip address), you should then see a prompt for the login credentials of the PC.

 

[toolbox]

Is file and printer sharing turned on - on the windows PC'S ? Are they on the same workgroup. No firewalls turned on etc?

I think by default apples use the Workgroup network name.

 

[Howard54]

Problem Solved, Now Another Question

OK, I solved the problem and it had an interesting twist to it. I tried Tiki's solution and got to the credentials box but when I typed in the user name and password it didn't work. I got a message saying that I had an invalid password. But when I tried the same solution from the Mac to access my Windows laptop on the network it did work.

Turns out that an account password it not enough, you must also be required to use that password at startup on the PC. My desktop is used by the family and has only one account which did not require a password on startup. My laptop did. Once I changed the setting on the desktop, Tiki's solution worked on the desktop too.

Now each time I start my Mac I have to mount the shared drive. Is that normal under Mac/UNIX, or is there a way to have the shared drive show up automatically as they do under Windows?