I have some files I need to get off my work Dell computer. Long story on why I can't just use a thumb drive or a DVD. I have tried unsuccessfully to get the Windows computer to join my wireless network. I am thinking of just hard wiring them together via ethernet. What do I need to know to make that work?
MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2011), OS X Mavericks (10.9.2), iLife 11 + Aperture 3
The following may help on either approach. One thing that I don't see mentioned and could be wrong about, but if I remember correctly I had some difficulty doing it with a Windows 7 computer that didn't have any login password. Once I added a login password for a user on that computer it worked fine. http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-move-files-by-networking-a-pc-to-a- mac.html
Thanks, FoxFirth. Unfortunately, this didn't work. My Mac can see the Windows 7 computer just fine, but the Windows computer refuses to see the Mac. I tried connecting wirelessly (same network at home) and via ethernet. The Windows computer does not see the Mac. When I start from the Mac side and try to connect to the Windows computer, I get a Connection Failed message. The network is set up to allow file sharing. Since I have nearly 4 gig of media files to move, I was really hoping to do this via ethernet rather than wireless, but when I connect the two computers via ethernet, Windows deletes the internet connection. So right now, the Mac functions perfectly, but the Windows computer sits there in isolation, connecting to the internet but refusing to acknowledge my Mac is there. Any further suggestions?
I can't help on the ethernet direct connection as I haven't done that and don't have time right now to try it.
My memory may be wrong but my Windows 7 computer had previously been setup for a home network of windows pcs. When I got the Mac I went through some steps on the Mac side to allow it to print to a printer connected via usb to the windows computer (that is where I found that I needed to have a password protected account on the Windows side). I used the following instructions OS X Mavericks: Connect to a printer shared by a Windows computer
For sharing files from the windows computer to the Mac I think all I did was changes some file sharing settings on the Windows side.
Note: On the Windows machine I see no evidence that it knows about the Mac. The Mac doesn't show up in Windows Explorer and it isn't anywhere in Network but if I open Finder on the Mac side, the Windows 7 computer is there (under Shared in the sidebar) and I can navigate to any users and folders and drag or copy files to the Mac. I haven't tried to make the Windows computer recognize the Mac as it has never mattered for what I want to do.
The following may also help (and be more accurate than my memory): OS X Mavericks: Connect to a Windows computer from a Mac
How do I create windows to mac peer to peer network?
