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Related information:

Mac to PC
file sharing
Instructions for sharing files on your PC with your Mac

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Ping how-to
Directions for pinging one computer from another

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Having problems?

Disable Firewall

Change Windows File Sharing Workgroup
Apple KBase article

Error -43 When Copying Files to Windows Shared Volume
Apple KBase article

"Well Known" TCP and UDP Ports
Apple KBase article


Additional info.

Alternate Connection Methods
Connect to your Mac using slightly different steps

Share All Files
Access all of your Mac's hard drive(s) rather than just a single folder.

Note that you can also often connect to your Mac using its computer name (as specified in the Sharing control panel under System Preferences) rather than its IP address.

Sharing files on a Mac running Jaguar
with a PC running Windows 2000





Note: The below assumes you already have both your Mac and PC computers
connected to a network (ethernet or wireless) and that they can ping one another.

Once you know your computers can "see" one another, one way to share files between the two is to enable Windows file sharing on your Mac then connect to it from your PC. For an overview of the procedure, check the following Apple KB article: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107083


Begin by starting Windows file sharing on your Mac. Open System Preferences, select the Sharing control panel, and on the Services tab check the box next to Windows File Sharing. This should turn on file sharing, and the path for accessing your Mac from a Windows PC should be shown at the bottom of the window (e.g. \\192.168.1.2\shoemkr).
Next we need specify which users setup on your Mac can connect from a Windows computer. While still within System Preferences, switch to the Accounts control panel. Choose the Users tab, select one of the users you would like to be able login with, then click the Edit User button. At the bottom of the window that appears check the box to "Allow user to log in from Windows," then click OK. Perform the same steps for any other users you would like. (Note: Be sure to use the "Short Name" specified for this user - that is shown within this same window - when you actually attempt to connect to your Mac from Windows.)


Now move to your Windows PC and double-click to open the My Network Places icon on your Desktop. To add a network place for your Mac, double-click the Add Network Place option shown.
Within the first window you will be prompted for the Internet or network address you would like to connect to. Enter the address for accessing your Mac by using the path previously displayed within the Sharing control panel, then click Next. Note that you can also substitute your Mac's computer name (which is also displayed in the Sharing control panel, as shown below) for its IP address.


 You will now be prompted to type in a name for the network place you are setting up. Enter a name (for example, "My Mac") and click Finish. At this point you will be asked to login to your Mac. Type in the Short Name for the user you would like to connect with along with that user's password, then click OK.

If your login is successful a window showing your Mac's shared folder will automatically appear. In addition, an icon for this network place that you have setup will also be added within My Network Places. To make reconnecting to your Mac in the future even easier, you can make a shortcut to your "My Mac" network place on your Windows Desktop. Then you can just double-click that icon, type in a user name and password, and a window will again appear showing the contents of the Home folder for the user you logged in with.

This is one method we use for sharing files between our Mac OS X 10.2.x-based B/W G3/400 and our Windows 2000 Professional-based Dell P4 via a router/hub. Please keep in mind that you may run into some problems specific to your network and machine setup when trying to get your computers connected that could keep things from functioning properly. Be sure to check the extra tips and guides shown within the left frame of this page, as well as both the Apple and Microsoft knowledge bases for help in fixing the particular issues you need to resolve to get things working.

If you need additional assistance or would like to share your thoughts on this or any of our web pages, please visit our forum. There you can post questions, view previously answered topics, as well as submit feedback regarding this site.



Copyright © 2003-04, 2007

Hardware photos copyright Apple Computer
and Dell Computer Corporation