Shared Macs Connection Failed

I have the same issue but it didn't appear just after the update to Maverics. It was working fine for about a month, but suddenly stopped working with the same message "Connection failed". Turning off SMB doesn't help, keeping only SMB doesn't help, nothing I could find in internet doesn't help.

This may be obvious, but the connection has to be with the account name not the visible user name. Either change your user name to be the account name or type in the account name when you try to connect. Ridiculous that the prompt is for the user name, but in reality they are asking for the account name. To find the account name, you have to go to users and right mouse click on the user name, click on advanced options and then see the account name. The account name is also the home directory for that user name.

I had the same issue and turning off SMB, using only AFP for file sharing also worked.

More details:

Error: "connection failed". Verbose error if explicitly connecting to shared folder as Guest: "Access to your account on the server "Laura's iMac" has been denied. Contact your system administrator for more information".

Configuration details:

File sharing between two iMac 27s running 10.9. Both iMacs are on the same network connected to the same router, one using wired ethernet, the other using 802.11ac WiFi. Goal is have a single shared folder on each iMac which Guest can access from the other iMac.

Verified both iMacs can ping each other. Firewall off on both, no anti-virus or other security software in use. On both iMacs, System Preferences -> Users & Groups -> Guest User have both these options enabled:

"Allow guests to log in to this computer"

"Allow guests to connect to shared folders"

Sharing was enabled for the shared folder on each iMac using System Preferences -> Sharing, and the Shared folder on each enabled for read/write access for user "Everyone".

For both iMacs, both SMB and AFP were enabled for folder/file sharing via System Preferences -> Sharing -> Options, and selecting "Share files and folders using SMB" and also "Share files and folders using AFP".

In my situation, accessing the shared folder as Guest from one iMac worked, but from the other iMac it failed with the above errors. Why it worked one direction and not the other, I don't know.

Note this was a connection failure due to an account problem, not a permissions problem for specific files.

Accessing files on the other iMac via SMB was still possible IF connecting as a registered user on that machine. IOW from the client iMac, in Finder click the target iMac name, then the "Connect As" button, select "Registered User", and provide a valid username/login for that target iMac.

However this should not be necessary. The very reason for granting Guest access to selected folders is to avoid messing with accounts.

Disabling folder/file sharing via SMB in System Preferences -> Sharing fixed the problem.

I reported this to Apple support and asked them to document this. The first and second level support tech I spoke to were unware of the problem and it was not listed in their internal knowledgebase.

Note this does not mean you're globally disabling the SMB protocol, only restricting file sharing of certain folders to AFP. E.g, you could still use SMB and print to a shared Windows printer or access shared files on a Windows PC via SMB.

This is a significant problem and lies in a common path of frequently used activities. I am shocked it is not already well documented or (if a bug) fixed.

I managed to connect to my shared folder with Cmd+K afp://my-mac-mini, but not with Guest (though Guest is allowed for file sharing on my mac mini), only with my username and password

This problem still exists and is not fixed on 10.9.1. I just encountered it (yet again) when sharing files between two iMacs, both running 10.9.1. The error is "connection failed" when trying to access a network-shared folder as Guest, even though that folder is properly shared.

It is apparently related to problems with the updated SMB file sharing protocol Apple implemented.

In my case *both* machines must have SMB disabled for Guest file sharing to work. If one machine is on SMB + AFP, and the other on AFP, it still won't work. This appears to be yet another bug, as it shouldn't even be trying to connect on SMB if it's disabled on one machine.

I still don't see any KB article, any assistance, any official guidance from Apple on this widespread pervasive issue in a common user activity.

Part of this was discussed on ZDNet here: http://www.zdnet.com/mavericks-smb2-problem-and-fixes-7000022519/

Hello! Have you tried to activate Guest User System Preferences/ Users & Groups?

Yes, as indicated above:

On both iMacs, System Preferences -> Users & Groups -> Guest User have both these options enabled:

"Allow guests to log in to this computer"

"Allow guests to connect to shared folders"

Thanks. Thanks. Thanks.

After a re-install of a old Vista box, shared folders were not accessible. Now. They. Are.

Thanks. Thanks. Thanks.

Thank you for your post. After hours of trying to figure this out, unchecking the SMB box worked for us.

Fabien,

I had this exact problem.

I had to turn file sharing on and off and on again then reboot both computers (smb --UNchecked).

Now everything works fine just like you said.

But unless I rebooted after having stopped and started file sharing with smb UNchedked, it would not work.

Thanks a million for this great workaround for another Mavericks bug.

pvmikev

Everyone may have figured this out but I was having the same issue with two Mac Minis inside the office, 7 others were fine after the upgrade and the SMB check box didn't fix it. I did figure out that just changing your computer name seems to fix the issue, at least it did for the two problematic machines here. Removing the apostrophe should work because it ultimately changes the name. Goto System Preferences -> Sharing -> Change Computer Name. Hope this helps someone! :-)

Thanks for the great information, we had the exact problem as well. Our Machines are all 10.9.2 .

I hate to say so but Maverick really *****.

Thanks for this.

I have also had same problems

I did the change to AFP connection, guest login under users and changed computer name.

Not sure which cured it but its now working.

Thanks for posts on this.

I tried to unclick "share files and folders using smb", that didnt work.

What I realized was the connection failed because while both computers were shared and on the same network, they required passwords to log into each computer. When I clicked "registered user" my screename came up and I tried my password, but thats wrong - it needs to be a screen name and password that is on the book you want to access. I got a screename and pw on the book I wanted to access, and finally got it.