How to share a Mac’s files with a PC via network connection (OS X 10.4 Tiger)

Is there a way to get files from my Mac to my PC without having to use USB drives, CDs/DVDs or e-mail?

There is a much better way to share your Mac’s files with your PC besides resorting to the sneakernet: network file sharing. Specifically, Mac OS X contains a sharing feature called “Windows File Sharing” that lets you share any of the files on an Apple computer with any other computer on a network (Mac or PC).

To use Windows File Sharing on your Mac, there are just a few short steps…

Turn on Windows File Sharing

You must be a system administrator to make the following changes. You will be asked for the administrator’s name and password before you can continue.

1. Click the System Preferences icon that’s located in the dock, at the bottom of your Mac’s screen.When the System Preferences window appears, click on the Sharing icon, which is found under Internet & Network.
2. Under Services you should see a list of services with checkboxes next to them. Some of the boxes may be checked and others may be empty. Locate Windows File Sharing and check off the box next to it.
3. You’ll see the screen change, to say “Windows Sharing On”. The bottom of the window will have a notice that reads similar to this: Windows users can access your computer at \\xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx\Username. The x’s will be numbers that form an IP address, and “username” will be the username you’re currently logged into your Mac as. Remember (or write down) this address for later.
4. The last step before Windows File Sharing will work is to tell your Mac which users are allowed to access files from Windows PCs. You do this by enabling accounts. Locate the notice that says Click Accounts to choose which accounts can use Windows Sharing and the subsequent button labeled Accounts…. Click that button.
5. A new window will open and show you a list of the users with access to your Mac. Check off the box next to each user who’s allowed to access their files from Windows PCs. You’ll be asked for each user’s password and given a warning about storing your password in a less secure manner. Enter each password for each username and click OK. Once you’ve enabled all the accounts that need access, click the Done button and close the System Preferences window.

Access your Mac files from a PC on the network

Now you’re ready to access the files on your Mac from any PC on the network.

1. Click the Start button.
2. Click on Run.
3. Type in the address given by your Mac earlier, in the form \\xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx\Username, where the x’s are numbers and “Username” is your Mac username.
4. A dialog box will pop up and ask you for a username and password. Enter the username and password that you use to access your Mac.
5. Once you enter your username & password and hit enter, an Explorer Window will open up and display all of the files you have stored under that username’s account on your Mac.

A note about where you can access your files from

This how-to article assumes that both the Mac and PC you are using coexist on the same network. If these computers live on different networks across the Internet from each other, accessing your files will require further configuration of your router and firewall that is beyond the scope of this article.

A note about security

Enabling accounts to use Windows Sharing lets users of your Mac access that Mac from any other computer on your network. Make sure you know who you’re enabling. Additionally, you should always use a secure password and encourage others to do the same. Fortunately, Of Zen and Computing has published an article entitled “Create a strong, secure password“.

Enabling accounts to use Windows Sharing requires OS X to change the way it stores those user’s passwords. OS X will notify you of this each time you enable an account to use Windows Sharing. If you are not comfortable with this, you should not enable accounts to use Windows Sharing.

[tags]file sharing,networking,windows,mac os x[/tags]