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I have a Macbook Pro linked with a Thunderbolt cable to an iMac. Previously I was able to view the Documents folder on the iMac from the MacBook, through the Network, but since upgrading the operating systems on both machines I can no longer view the iMac Documents folder: I just get a blank window.
MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 11.5
Thank you for the description, however if you simply turn on iCloud on both devices (and your IOS devices assuming you have some) you can sync your computers automatically. You are using a very old method of attempting to sync your work, iCloud is both simple, safe and invaluable.
If you are not familiar with iCloud please navigate to both
Thank you for the description, however if you simply turn on iCloud on both devices (and your IOS devices assuming you have some) you can sync your computers automatically. You are using a very old method of attempting to sync your work, iCloud is both simple, safe and invaluable.
If you are not familiar with iCloud please navigate to both
Since both systems were running Mojave before and are both now running macOS 10.15+, the problem lies in the fact that beginning with macOS 10.15 that the drive layout has changed. With macOS 10.15+, there is a read-only system volume and a read+write user volume.
About the read-only system volume in macOS Catalina - Apple Support
On the read-only system volume there is indeed a "/Users" folder listed, but it will not contain any data as that is just used to link the read-only and the read+write volumes together. There is actually another APFS volume that contains a "/User" folder with all the home user folders and the data. The APFS volume with the actual data in it is called either "Data" or possibly "Macintosh HD - Data" (assuming you did not change the default name). The name & mount point varies depending on the version of macOS installed on both systems. macOS will magically combine the two APFS volumes (system & user) together behind the scenes for the boot drive, but does not do so when connecting to the drive externally (or in any other manner) so you will need to figure out the mount point of the "Data" or "Macintosh HD - Data" volume keeping in mind to find the mount point for the external drive and not getting it confused with the internal boot drive which will also have two separate mount points listed with the same names.
Please read carefully and answer ALL questions.
We have no idea of the method you were using so please describe in detail if you were using File Sharing, Target Disk Mode, etc. Also please let us know what if any troubleshooting you have already tried and last what version of Mac OS is installed on the iMac and MBP?
I have a late 2013 MacBook Pro running OS Big Sur (just upgraded from Mojave). This is connected via a Thunderbolt cable to a 2019 iMac running Monterey (also just upgraded from Mojave). From the MacBook I was able, before the upgrades, to access the folder structure on the iMac. i did this by clicking Network in the finder window sidebar, then navigating to the folder that I wanted to see. Now, I can navigate through the volume iMac, Users, [my name], so that I can see the Documents folder in the finder window, but when I try to view the Documents folder I just get an empty window, and cannot see any of the contents of the folder.
I need to be able to see the Documents folder on the iMac, across my network, so that I can synchronise the two devices, which I do using the Chronosync application.
I've been in touch with Apple Support who told me the MacBook was too old (less than ten years...) for them to be able to support, although they did ask me to check that file sharing was turned on for both devices.
Thanks for that very helpful reply @HWTech: working from the iMac I was able to locate the Data folder on the MacBook and when I had done this the Chronosync application was able to see the MacBook directory and carry out the synchronisation.
I realise that lots of people use iCloud for synchronising machines, but I would have needed to purchase 2Tb of storage at £6.99 per month, which all adds up. Plus, I find iCloud quite confusing as I'm never quite sure what I'm looking at, and always scared of deleting something permanently!
Check if the Documents folder is an alias for the actual files stored on iCloud. This is how it is on my M1 iMac with Monterey.
Thanks for the advice!
Unable to view directory on linked iMac
