OS X Lion: Connect to Windows computers and servers from your Mac
You can connect to Windows computers and servers on your network from your Mac.
To locate and connect to Windows computers on your network, click the disclosure triangle next to Shared in a Finder window sidebar to display the computers connected to your network.
If you can’t locate the Windows computer in the sidebar, you may be able to connect to it using the “Connect to Server” dialog in the Finder.
To locate the Windows computer, you need to know the workgroup name and the network name (called the “computer name”) for the computer. To connect to the computer, you also need a user name and password and the name of the shared folder you want to access. If you don’t have this information, contact the person who owns the computer or your network administrator.
- In the Finder, choose Go > “Connect to Server.”
- Type the network address for the computer in the Server Address field using one of these formats:
smb://DNSname/sharename
smb://IPaddress/sharename
- Follow the onscreen instructions to type the workgroup name and a user name and password, and choose the shared folder you want to access.
If you connect to the shared folder using the “Connect to Server” dialog, the folder’s icon may appear in the Finder window sidebar or on your desktop.
Passwords for Windows computers and servers are most often 14 characters or fewer. Check with the owner or administrator to be sure.