Macintosh (Mac) computers have the ability to access other computers, regardless of whether they are running the MacOS or Windows operating system. To access other Mac computers, you must edit the user rights on the network using the network administrator's profile, username, and password. If you want to access a Windows computer, you will also need to know the Windows computer administrator profile information, in addition to the name of the Windows workgroup that contains the files you need to access.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Accessing Another Mac Computer
Step 1. Log in to the computer using the network administrator username and password
Administrator rights are required to enable and configure file sharing options preferences so that you can access other computers.
Step 2. Open the Apple menu and select "System Preferences"
Step 3. Open the “View” menu and select “Sharing“
Step 4. Select the files you want to access from your Mac computer
- To find the file or folder you want to access, click the plus sign icon under the " Shared Folders " column and select the folder/file you want to access.
- You can also select the files you want to access using the Finder. From the desktop, click the Finder icon that resembles a smiling face, then locate the file or folder you want to access. Go to the “File” menu, select “Get Info“, and check the box next to “Shared Folder“.
Step 5. Select the Mac username from the list of users (“Users”)
That way, you can access the specified folders.
To search for a username, click the plus sign symbol under the "Users" column and scroll through the list until you find your username
Step 6. Change editing rights
By default, each user only has “Read Only” rights, unless you modify the user profile.
- Look for the rights status to the right of the username and click the arrow next to "Read Only" to change the status if you want.
- You can also use the Finder menu to gain access to the file. Open Finder from the desktop and select the folder you want to access. Click the “File” menu, select “Get Info “, then click “Sharing and Permissions “to add your username and edit profile rights.
Step 7. Enable Apple Filing Protocol (AFP)
With this network protocol, you can use your personal computer to access the specified files from the administrator's computer.
- Click the “Options” button in the lower-right corner of the “Sharing Preferences” window.
- Select "Share files and folders using AFP".
Step 8. Click the " Done " button to complete the process
That way, you can go back to using your personal Mac and access the files or folders that you have specified.
Method 2 of 2: Accessing Another Windows Computer
Step 1. Open "System Preferences" from the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the desktop
Step 2. Select "Network Preferences"
This menu allows you to define and configure access to Windows computers.
Step 3. Make sure the lock icon in the lower-left corner of the window appears “open”
If the lock icon appears “locked”, click the icon, then enter the Windows network administrator username and password
Step 4. Enter “Workgroup” in the search field in the “System Preferences” window
Step 5. Type a unique name for your Mac next to the "NetBIOS Name" field
Step 6. Select the name of the Windows workgroup you want to access using the drop-down menu next to the “Workgroup” option
If your computer is in an office environment with multiple servers, you will need to enter a specific IP address in the " WINS Servers " field. In such a situation, you need to get the IP address from the Windows network administrator
Step 7. Click the "OK" button, then select "Apply"
Step 8. Wait for the Windows workgroup to appear on the Mac computer
- It can take a few minutes for the network to connect the Mac computer to the Windows workgroup folder. This group will appear in the Finder sidebar, under the " Shared " section.
- Once the Windows workgroup folder is displayed, you can access all the files in that folder directly from your Mac computer.
