How to Access a PC From a Mac
PC and Macs are not normally compatible with one another because each uses a proprietary, and different, operating system. You can access files on a PC from a Mac by taking advantage of a file sharing protocol found on both the OS X and the different "flavors" of the Windows operating system. The Mac and the PC can either be connected on the same home network or connect to one another over the Internet. Either way, you will not need to buy any additional software for either computer.
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Instructions
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Connecting Over A Home Network
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1
Right-click on the "My Computer" icon on the desktop of the PC. Select "Properties" from the drop-down menu. Write down the computer's name that is at the top of the window that appears. Write down the "Workgroup" name that is beneath the computer's name. Click "OK" on the bottom right corner to close the window.
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2
Select "Connect to server" from the "Go" drop-down menu at the top of the Mac's screen.
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3
Click on the name of the PC in the center column of the window that appears. If the name doesn't appear, type "smb://xxx" where xxx is the name of the PC that you wrote down in the "Server Address" field at the top of the window.
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4
Click the "Connect" button at the bottom right corner of the window.
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5
Enter a username and a password into the appropriate columns of the window that appears. Click the "Add to Keychain" checkbox on the window.
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6
Enter the workgroup name of the PC that you wrote down in the column beneath "Workgroup/Domain." Click the "OK" button at the bottom of the window to go to a new window.
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7
Select "home" from the "Select a share" drop-down menu at the top of the window. Click the "OK" button at the bottom right corner of the window.
Connecting Over the Internet
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8
Select "Control Panel" from the PC's "start" pop-up menu. Click on the "System and Maintenance" tab. Click on the "System" tab. Memorize the PC's computer name that is listed beneath the "Computer name" tab. Close the window by clicking on the red "X' in the upper right corner.
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9
Select "Control Panel" from the PC's "start" pop-up menu again. Click on the "System and Maintenance" tab. Click on the "System" tab that appears after you have clicked on "System and Maintenance."
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10
Click on "Remote Settings" in the left column of the window. Click on "Allow remote connections" beneath the "Remote Desktop" tab. Enter an administration password into the appropriate column of the pop-up window. Click "OK" to close the window.
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11
Click on the "Select Users" tab in the left column of the window. Select a user name whose contents on the PC will be accessible from the Mac. Close the window by clicking on the red 'X" at the upper right corner.
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12
Download the free Remote Desktop Connection program to the Mac's desktop (see the link in Resources). Double-click on the file once downloaded. Follow the menu commands to install the program onto the Mac's hard drive.
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13
Double-click on the icon of the Remote Desktop Connection program that is inside of the "Applications" folder to launch it.
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14
Enter the name of the PC computer that you have memorized in the "Computer" column of the Remote Desktop Connection program's main screen. Click the "Connect" button at the bottom of the screen.
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15
Enter the PC's "user name" and "password" into the appropriate columns if a pop-up window appears. Click the "OK" button to close the pop-up window.
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Tips & Warnings
Firewall security software on the PC can interfere with the Mac's ability to access the PC.
