Cannot connect to windows machine using SMB

Question

Level 1

23 points

Cannot connect to windows machine using SMB

I'm running MacOS Sonoma. I have a PC running windows 11 and I need to share a folder on my PC with my mac - specifically I need to access it on my mac.

On the windows machine, I'm on my home wifi, so it's a private network. In control panel > programs > windows features >> SMB 1.0 File sharing support I have all of that turned on. The folder on the windows machine that I want to share, it's called "Python" - for that folder if I go to properties > sharing > advanced sharing I have "share this folder" checked. If I then go to permissions under advanced sharing for everyone I have full control/change/read permission.

I have also tried this with the windows defender firewall both on and off, same result.

So on the mac I go to go > connect to server and I type in smb://192.168.1.190 (that's the IP of the windows machine). The mac tells me I'm trying to connect to the other machine, I confirm, and then I get a login window where I choose guest or registered user. So I know that my mac is communicating with the windows machine.

This is where my breakdown happens. I have no idea what name to use.

For security I'm not going to put my login details here, but let's say that on Windows my user account name is John Doe, microsoft account email is johndoe@gmail.com, my username is johndoe, and computer name is john-computer.

I have tried logging in with as username:

johndoe

johndoe@gmail.com

john-computer\johndoe

And the same password that I use to unlock my windows computer. I even tried my microsoft account password when trying with johndoe@gmail.com when logging in but that didn't work either.

What am I doing wrong? How do I get this sharing to work?

Posted on Apr 5, 2024 6:41 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Jake6877 Author

Level 1

23 points

Apr 6, 2024 6:47 AM in response to Randall_2023

Thanks Randall, so putting the share name in the path was essential. But the other thing I did in windows was to create another user account on the windows machine, a local non-microsoft live account, and using that new account I was able to log into the share on my mac.

Why it wouldn't work with my main, admin account on Windows? Who knows... but it works now and this solution is fine to me. Thanks again!

Reply

Answer 2

Apr 6, 2024 6:11 AM in response to Jake6877

It only asked me once. And it was only the username I use on the Windows machine. Not the computername\username.

The only other thing you might try (if not already done) is add the Windows share name when you enter the SMB path on the Mac. EG

smb://192.168.1.190/Python

Reply

Answer 3

Apr 6, 2024 5:55 AM in response to Jake6877

All I have left to offer is what I've done.

On the windows machine, in the search field type "Turn Windows Features" to get to Turn Windows Features on or off setup window.

Then in the list enable the following:

Simple TCPIP services

SMB 1.0/Client

SMB 1.0/Server

SMB Direct

Those allowed me to successfully access my windows machine from my mac. Of course you need to create shares on the Windows machine first which I believe you said you already did.

Those changes above might require you to reboot your Windows machine after setting them. And also reboot the Mac before trying to access the share.

Reply

Answer 4

Apr 6, 2024 4:13 AM in response to Jake6877

Do you happen to use a VPN on the Mac computer? If so, you probably need to enable the VPN setting that allows LAN traffic.

Reply

Answer 5

etresoft

Level 9

56,924 points

Apr 6, 2024 5:01 AM in response to Jake6877

This is not really the best forum to ask questions about Windows 11. The last versions of Windows that I used for more than a few minutes were Windows NT and Windows 2000.

It appears that the easiest solution would be:

MicrosoftAccount\johndoe@gmail.com

I'm not sure what you mean regarding "my user account name is ..., my username is johndoe". When asking questions about any kind of networking involving more than one computer, you simply can't ever use words like "a, the, my, its". This is a problem that involves more than one system. Every piece of information must be specified - "the client computer", "the server account", etc.

Reply

Answer 6

Apr 6, 2024 4:26 AM in response to Jake6877

With your example of, john-computer\johndoe

Shouldn't that be a forward slash? john-computer/johndoe

Another question:

Can you reach a share on the Mac from the Windows machine as a test?

Reply

Answer 7

Apr 6, 2024 5:13 AM in response to Jake6877

Can you send us a snapshot of the window asking for the login name?

It might actually be asking you for the login name of the Mac and it's password rather than the Windows machine. Have you tried that?

Reply

Answer 8

Jake6877 Author

Level 1

23 points

Apr 6, 2024 5:00 AM in response to Randall_2023

I tried it with a forward slash, john-computer/johndoe but that didn't work either. Windows is weird with the backslashes, I don't really understand why. I just know that when I do whoami in the windows command prompt it gives me exactly:

john-computer\johndoe

with the backslash.

I can reach the mac from the Windows machine. However, I prefer not to do that as it will make my workflow longer. I need to run some python scripts that take many hours to execute - they process source data from some CSV files - all of that stuff is on my windows machine. To speed things up, I want my mac running the python scripts too. So I just want to access the windows filesystem directly from my mac. I could of course manually copy the things I need to my mac, run them, and manually copy them back by logging into mac from windows machine, but that is extra steps. If I can log into windows from the mac, then I just need to run the script on mac without other steps.

Reply

Answer 9

Jake6877 Author

Level 1

23 points

Apr 6, 2024 5:06 AM in response to etresoft

"I'm not sure what you mean regarding "my user account name is ..., my username is johndoe"

The thing is... I'm not sure either.

The crux of my issue is I don't know what I need to type in the "username" field in the login window of the mac when connecting to the windows machine. Every thing that I have tried seems to not work.

Reply

Answer 10

Jake6877 Author

Level 1

23 points

Apr 6, 2024 4:16 AM in response to Randall_2023

No, I am not using a VPN

Reply

Answer 11

Jake6877 Author

Level 1

23 points

Apr 6, 2024 5:16 AM in response to Randall_2023

I did try to use my mac username/pass in the login window, it did not work.

See attached screenshot. This is from my mac - 192.168.1.190 is the IP of the windows machine.

Reply

Answer 12

Jake6877 Author

Level 1

23 points

Apr 6, 2024 5:59 AM in response to Randall_2023

I have all of those on - but let me ask you this - what username are you typing in on your mac in the login field when successfully logging into your windows machine?

Reply

Answer 13

Apr 6, 2024 9:16 AM in response to Jake6877

You're welcome. Glad you got it fixed. Not sure why it didn't work before. That's weird especially if the account was a local admin.

Reply