I recently upgraded one of my computers to Windows 10 and set up a shared folder so that I can easily transfer files from MacBook Pro and Windows 7 computers to Windows 10 over my home network. I did a clean install of Windows 10, created a shared folder and tried to connect to my shared folder from OS X.
Unfortunately I was unable to connect and it took me a little while to figure it out. In this article, I’ll show you how to connect to a shared folder in Windows 10 from OS X.
Step 1 – Configure Windows 10 for sharing
Obviously, the first thing you need to do is create a shared folder in Windows 10. Right-click the folder, select Properties and go to the Sharing tab. Go ahead and share the folder and set the permissions you need in terms of access.
I suggest clicking on Advanced Sharing as you have finer control over everything. Select the Share this folder checkbox and give the share a name. Click Permissions and then add the groups or users you want to grant access to.
If you want to keep things simple and there is no sensitive data in the folder, just add the Everyone group and give them full access. This way, you will be able to access the folder from any computer or device without having to worry about entering credentials.
The next thing you need to do is make sure file and printer sharing is enabled and allowed through Windows Firewall in Windows 10. Go to Control Panel and click Windows Defender Firewall. Then click “Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall.”
Scroll down to File and Printer Sharing and make sure it is set for a private network. You may need to first click the Change Settings button at the top before you can select a field.
Finally, you can decide how you want users to access the folder in Windows 10. By default, when connecting from another computer, you must enter the username and password of the account that has access to this shared folder in Windows 10. If you set up a Windows 10 user account without adding a password, you won’t be able to connect to the shared folder.
You will need to add a password first and then you can connect. However, if you think your home network is very secure, you can always turn off password-protected sharing, which means anyone can connect to the shared folder without having to enter a username or password.
You can do this by going to Control Panel, Network and Sharing Center, Advanced Sharing Settings, and then expanding All networks. Here you will see an option for Password Protected Sharing that you can turn off. I personally keep it on, but if you really don’t like entering your username and password to connect, this is an option.
Plus, if you’re using Windows 10 without a password, it saves you the hassle of setting a password for your account. Note, even if you have a Windows account with a password, if you turn off password-protected sharing, people can still connect without entering any credentials.
Step 2 – Connect to Windows Shared Folder from OS X
Finally, on Mac, open Finder and find your Windows 10 PC under Shared. If Shared is missing from the sidebar, you need to add it. With Finder open, click Finder and then Preferences at the top. Click on the sidebar and check all the items under “General”.
Now go back to Finder and wait until your computer appears. Please note that it may take some time before Windows 10 PCs appear. If it doesn’t appear after 5 minutes, try restarting your computer once.
If your Windows computer does not appear in the list of shared devices in Finder, you can try manually connecting using SMB. To do this, open Finder and click “Go” and then “Connect to Server”.
Now enter the following as shown, replacing the below IP address with the IP address of your Windows 10 PC.
smb: //192.168.1.43
Click the Connect button and you will be prompted for your credentials again. If entered correctly, you will be asked which volume you want to mount.
If you still can’t connect using SMB, then there is a problem on your Windows PC. You need to make sure the firewall is configured correctly.
Once it appears in the sidebar, click on it. When you click on it, it will try to connect and you might get a message that the connection failed or not connected.
Everything is good! This is where setting up a password protected folder in Windows 10 comes into play. If enabled, you need to connect using your Windows 10 credentials. You can do this by clicking the Connect As button in the upper right corner.
Go ahead and enter your credentials and then click OK. Please note, if you set up a Microsoft account on Windows 10, you will need to enter your full email address and the same password that you use to sign in to your Microsoft account.
That’s all! You should now see Windows 10 Shared Folders in Finder on your Mac. If you have any questions about connecting to Windows 10 PC from Mac, leave a comment here and I’ll try to help you. Enjoy!
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