How to Share OS X Files with Windows XP
- 1). Make sure that the Windows XP computer and the Mac are connected to the same physical network, such as through a network switch or router.
- 2). Go to the Windows XP computer. Right click the "My Computer" icon and click "Properties."
- 3). Click the "Computer Name" tab, then record what you see next to "Workgroup." The name might be as simple as "WORKGROUP."
- 4). Go to the Mac computer and click the gear-shaped "System Preferences" icon on the dock. If you have removed the System Preferences icon, click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of the screen, then click "System Preferences."
- 5). Click the "Network" icon. Select the connection that you are using for your network on the left side of the window, e.g. "Ethernet," then click the "Advanced" button.
- 6). Click the "WINS" tab at the top of the screen.
- 7). Click the box labeled "NetBIOS Name" and type the name that you would like to use to identify your Mac on the network, such as "MyMac."
- 8). Click the box labeled "Workgroup" and type the same workgroup name (e.g. "WORKGROUP") that you found on the Windows XP computer.
- 9). Click "OK," then click "Apply."
- 10
Click the "Show All" button in the upper-left corner of the window, then click "Sharing." - 11
Place a check in the box next to "File Sharing." To add a shared folder, click the "+" icon under "Shared Folders." - 12
Click the folder that you are sharing, then click the "Options" button. Place a check in the box labeled "Share files and folders using SMB" and click "Done." - 13
Close the "System Preferences" window when you are finished, and restart the Mac. - 14
Go to the Windows XP computer, and double click "My Network Places" on the desktop. Click "View Workgroup Computers" on the left side of the window. The Mac should now be visible. Double-click the icon representing the Mac to see the folders that you have shared. You may now move files from the shared folder on the Mac to the Windows XP computer. - 15
Press the Windows logo and "R" keys simultaneously to bring up the "Run" dialog box. Type "cmd" without quotation marks in the box and press "Enter" to display the command prompt. - 16
Type "ipconfig" in the command prompt and press "Enter." Find the number next to "IP Address" under the network connection that you are using to network the Windows XP computer with the Mac, such as "Ethernet Adapter Local Area Connection." The IP address is a string of numbers, such as "192.168.0.1." - 17
Go to the Mac. Click the "Go" menu at the top of the screen, then click "Connect to Server." Type "SMB://" followed by the IP address that you obtained in the previous step. The completed command will look like "SMB://192.168.0.1" when it is finished. - 18
Click "Connect." A new window opens asking for your login credentials. To access a public shared folder, click "Guest" then click "Connect." - 19
Select the shared folder that you want to connect to, then click "OK." A new Finder window will open on the Mac showing the shared folder that you have connected to. You may now move files from the shared folder on the Windows XP computer to the Mac.
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