No longer able to connect to server: "URLs with the type "smb:" are not supported"

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No longer able to connect to server: "URLs with the type "smb:" are not supported"

I use a MacBook Pro (2020, Intel, running Ventura 13.5) at work, where it is unofficially tolerated and very emphatically unsupported by our IT group. I've used Macs here for years and have made things work, but yesterday, mid-day, I tried to connect to our server and got the message "URLs with the type "smb:" are not supported". I hadn't changed anything, and the server had worked in the morning, and continues to work for my Windows colleagues.

My understanding of these things is limited, so forgive me if there's an obvious solution I'm missing here. I initially connected to the server by typing in the URL—when I try to look for servers on the network nothing comes up (and never did), but I may be doing this wrong.

Anybody have any suggestions? This is the main place my team keeps files so just living with it is not really an option. If I can't figure anything out in the next couple days I'm literally just going to order a Windows computer because I really can't live without access to this (right now people are moving things to me on USB sticks but I'll need overseas access soon).

MacBook Pro 13″

Posted on Aug 9, 2023 10:31 AM

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Answer 1

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BobTheFisherman

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81,529 points

Aug 9, 2023 2:08 PM in response to elakazal

elakazal wrote:

I use a MacBook Pro (2020, Intel, running Ventura 13.5) at work, where it is unofficially tolerated and very emphatically unsupported by our IT group. I've used Macs here for years and have made things work, but yesterday, mid-day, I tried to connect to our server and got the message "URLs with the type "smb:" are not supported". I hadn't changed anything, and the server had worked in the morning, and continues to work for my Windows colleagues.

<snip>

The above may be a clue as to why it is not working. Maybe the IT support team has restricted access to their servers.

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Answer 2

elakazal Author

Level 1

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Aug 9, 2023 2:16 PM in response to BobTheFisherman

That's what I'm kind of afraid of. If I can't find another fix, I'll ask, but honestly I don't want to get on their radar if I can avoid it, because the manager who unofficially approved the purchase of the Mac was fired a few years back and I don't really want to remind anyone there I'm still out here using it for fear they'll take it away.

That said, "URLs with the type "smb:" are not supported" sounds like an issue on my side of things, as the server is still working for my Windows colleagues, though cryptic error messages that don't tell the full story are not unprecedented.

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,206 points

Aug 9, 2023 2:17 PM in response to elakazal

Do you manage the computer, or does the IT department use some sort of MDM to manage it?

If you manage it, try creating a new user account and test there.

If that fails, maybe try reinstalling the OS.

If they manage it, that is likely your answer.

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Answer 4

elakazal Author

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Aug 9, 2023 2:59 PM in response to Barney-15E

It's true, you didn't. Been a long time since I did a full re-install, and honestly I wouldn't even know how without a little research—last time would have been in the CD-ROM era.

Between when the problem started and now I did do the most recent MacOS update, which didn't fix the problem—would a re-install do more than that or would that be functionally the same?

Anyway, probably very relevant—I now have confirmation from another Mac user at my company that he now has the same problem (he connects to this server very rarely, so he can't say for sure when it started). So it's looking more likely that it's on the server side of things.

I appreciate all the thoughts on this!

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