Furthermore, if the search results point at a resource currently accessible to the computer (whether that’s because the search result is local, on a network share, or the indexed DVD is current in the drive) you can right click on the entry and open the file or explore the path directly from Cathy. Map a Network Drive on a Mac Sep 20, 2010 - 45 Comments If you frequently access a file server from a Mac it’s pretty helpful to map the network drive to your desktop.
So you've made the switch to Mac, but kept your old PC, and now you've got both connected to your home router. How do you access your Windows files from OS X?
Sure you could set up an FTP or SSH server, but that's overkill for a regular home network. Turns out that Mac OS X can connect to Windows shared folders very easily. Read on to find out how.
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How to set up a home FTP server
If you've been following the the Lifehacker Home Server Series of articles, you know how to do …
Read more ReadSet up sharing on your PC. To get this going, make sure your PC is set up for file sharing. In Windows, choose the folder you want to access from your Mac, and right-click to get to its Properties dialog box. From the sharing tab, turn on sharing, and choose a name for the shared folder. (This is the name you'll see on your Mac.)
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If you try to use a name more than 12 characters long, Windows will warn you about some operating systems not being able to grok it. To be safe, stick with something less than 12. Here, I'm sharing the 'My Documents' folder as 'PC - My Docs.' Also, check the 'Allow network users to change my files' if you want to save files to this share from your Mac.
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Determine your PC's IP address. You'll need to give your Mac an address to look for this shared folder, so get your PC's local IP address from the command line by running ipconfig. In my setup (shown below), that address is 192.168.1.102. Write that number down.
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UPDATE: Several readers have pointed out that you can use your PC's name versus its IP address to connect to it. Using the name is a better method than IP address because the IP can change if it's assigned dynamically, but the name won't unless you change it.
Connect to the server on your Mac. Now, on your Mac, from Finder's Go menu, choose 'Connect to Server.' Enter the IP address you just obtained from your PC, preceded by smb://, as shown:
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UPDATE: To use your PC's name instead of IP address, replace the number with the name. So if your PC's name is 'MyWindowsBox', you'd use smb://mywindowsbox (not case-sensitive).
Accessing Network Drive On Mac
If it finds your server, you'll get prompted to enter your network credentials - by default, your Windows username and password:
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Once you're in, you'll get to choose which shared folder you want to mount on your Mac. In this case, we're going to choose the 'PC - My Docs' share:
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And you're done! Now the 'PC - My Docs' folder will be mounted on your Mac, and accessible from your desktop and in Finder. If you've allowed reading and writing to the shared folder in Windows, you can drag and drop and save files to it as if it were any disk.
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This technique comes in very handy for backing up your Mac's data to a PC, too - just set your Mac's backup software destination to the Windows drive. Also, using Hamachi, you can also do this over the internet when you're away from home.
Geek to Live: Create your own virtual private network with Hamachi
by Gina Trapani
Read moreMount Network Drive On Mac
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UPDATE: You can automatically mount your Windows drive every time you login to your Mac by adding it to your Login items. In System Preferences, Accounts, choose the 'Login Items' tab and add the Volume to the list of apps that automatically start up. Thanks, Snorbalp!
How to mount a Windows shared folder on your Mac
So you've made the switch to Mac, but kept your old PC, and now you've got both connected … How to get paint tool sai for free mac.
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How do you get your Mac and PC to talk to one another? Let us know in the comments.
The ability to switch between different sets of network settings (locations) can be useful in circumstances such as these:
- You use the same type of network (such as Ethernet) at work and at home, but the settings you use at work don't allow your Mac to automatically connect to the same type of network at home.
- Your Mac connects to more than one type of network service (such as both Wi-Fi and Ethernet) at work and at home, but at work you want your Mac to try connecting to the Ethernet network first, and at home you want your Mac to try connecting to the Wi-Fi network first. In other words, you want to set a different service order for each location.
- Your Mac isn't connecting to your network and you want to quickly reset your network settings for testing purposes, without losing your current network settings.
In each of these examples, the Location feature of Network preferences can help.
How to add or remove a network location
- Choose Apple menu () > System Preferences, then click Network.
- The Location pop-up menu shows the name of your currently selected set of network settings. The default location is named Automatic. Choose Edit Locations from this menu.
- Click the Add (+) button below the list of locations, then type a name for the new location, such as Work or Home or Mobile. (To remove a location, use the Remove (–) button below the list.)
- Click Done. The Location menu should now show the name of your new location. Any changes you now make to your Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or other network settings will be saved to that location when you click Apply. The network settings in your previous location remain as you left them, so you can use the Location menu to switch back at any time.
- Click Apply to save your settings and complete the switch from the previous location to the new one. Your Mac then automatically tries to determine the correct settings for each type of network. If you need to change the settings manually, remember to click Apply again after making your changes.
How to switch between network locations
If you have more than one location, you can use either of these methods to switch between them:
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- Use the Location pop-up menu in Network preferences, as described above. Remember to click Apply after choosing a location.
- Or choose Apple menu > Location from the menu bar, then choose your location from the submenu.
How to change the network service order
If you're using network locations because you want each location to prefer a different network service (such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet) when connecting, follow these steps to change the service order (also known as port priority) in each location.
Add A Network Drive On Mac
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Network.
- Use the Location menu to choose the location you want to modify.
- Click below the list of services, then choose Set Service Order.
- Drag services within the list to change their order. Your Mac will try to connect to the service at the top of the list first, then continue in descending order until a connection is successful.
Virtual private network (VPN) connections can't be reordered, because they always take priority over other connections. - Click OK, then click Apply to make the updated service order active.
How to prevent a network service from being used
Adding Network Drive On Mac
By default, the location named Automatic makes all available network services (also known as ports or network interfaces) active, whether or not they are being used to connect to a network. Your Mac automatically searches these services for a network or Internet connection. For example, you might use a Wi-Fi network at home but an Ethernet network at work. Your Mac automatically detects which of these network services to use when it connects.
If you want to make sure that your Mac doesn't use a particular network service, such as Wi-Fi, you can make that service inactive in any of your network locations:
Connect Network Drive On Mac
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Network.
- Use the Location menu to choose the location you want to modify.
- Click below of the list of services, then choose Make Service Inactive.
- Click Apply.