How to Setup File Sharing on a Mac

By connecting several computers with either a wireless or local Internet router, you gain the ability to share files between computers. As a result, you can quickly open or copy any file on another computer, as long as the system is on the same Internet network and has file sharing enabled. In Apple's Mac OS X operating system, file sharing options are configured through the System Preference control panels. This article explains how to enable file sharing on a Mac computer.

Things You'll Need

• Mac running OS X 10.5 or later
• Local network

Instructions

1. Open System Preferences by clicking on the "Dock" icon.

2. Choose the "Sharing" control panel underneath the "Internet and Network" heading.

3. Select "File Sharing" from the list on the left side of the control panel window.

4. Click the plus sign under the "Shared Folders" list to select the folders or files that you want to share over the network. Select a file or folder in the pop-up window and click "Add" to add it to the list.

5. Adjust the security settings by clicking the drop-down menus next to the user groups to determine who can access your shared files.

6. Check the box next to "File Sharing" on the left side of the control panel window to enable file sharing and start sharing the specified files over your network.