Windows 7: Want to share files on win7 machine with a mac

Hi all,

Sorry to have to ask and bother you guys, but this is harder than I thought I have already set up my Windows 7 machine such that it is in a home group, but I still can't get my mac to find the files I have shared.



Set up:
- Main desktop is a Windows 7 home premium 64 bit machine
- I want my newly acquired Macbook Air to view the shared files
- The desktop is connected to the router via LAN while my MBA via Wifi, if this is of any significance

I already have the IP addresses for both computers, and as they're both on 192.168.1.XXX it should mean that they're indeed both connected via the same router, which I thought would've made things easier.

I kept on trying to get my MBA to find my desktop by looking up the desktop's IP address but it doesn't work.

Was wondering if anyone know what I'm doing wrong, thanks so much in advance!!

Apparently there is a way to make a Mac work with a Windows 7 Homegroup although Homegroups wasn't really made to work with other Op systems.

Follow the link below for this.
File sharing between Mac and PC / connect Mac to Windows 7 homegroup. (part 1)- YouTube

Have you tried pinging the windows 7 computer from terminal on the mac ? How exactly are you "looking it up" are you using the connect to server option from the go menu ? If so are you using the smb:// prefix before the windows 7 IP address?

Thank you both very much! I have finally somehow connected to my PC, but it's not perfect yet.

I have shared a folder (right click, "share with" -> "Advanced sharing..." and then clicked all the relevant stuff to make sure the folder is shared), but when I see the folder on my Mac and try to double click into it I get the error that says "The operation can't be completed because the original item for "XXX" can't be found."

I have managed to gain access to the files in the "Public library", however, but this isn't as ideal as all my data is on the hard disk, and sharing stuff on the "Public library" will require me to move the files from the hard disk to my limited-sized OS SSD...

For my shared folders, under "Advanced sharing...", the status under "Network File and Folder Sharing" shows that it is already "Shared". Clicking on "Advanced sharing", the "Share this folder" box is checked, and under "Permissions" I have also added "Guest" as the youtube video suggested.

I just can't seem to figure out why my Mac can't open the supposedly shared files...

Thanks for the help guys!

Try adding "Everyone" or "Guest" and use the Security Tab rather than the sharing tab this time.

HDD sharing

Thanks very much chev for getting back to me. Will try this when I get home from work.

*fingers crossed*! Hope I can report back with good news

Thanks so much Chev. Changing the securities settings of the actual drive perfected it, it's now exactly what I wanted to do. Thanks so much again!

Good enough then.