Access Mac Pro from MacBook Air

Question

Access Mac Pro from MacBook Air

At the moment I cannot access my MacPro directly (I am using a PC to play games) so I do so from my MacBook Air and it works fine (I use Quicken to pay bills). I need to load TurboTax on my Mac Pro but cannot open the drive drawer. Can anyone tell me how to do it. I even tried my portable Mac drive that I use to load programs on my MacBook Air but plugging it into the front panel USB port doesn't work (seems as if the port is not powered).

Thanks

Alan

MacBook Air, OS X Yosemite (10.10.2)

Posted on Nov 23, 2015 1:00 PM

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Answer 1

lllaass

Level 10

210,411 points

Nov 23, 2015 1:16 PM in response to English Rebel

What model USB optical drive?

I could be that it is bus powered and the USB ports on the Mac Pro (what model) do not provide the necessary power.

If the MacAir work y can use CD sharing.

Use the CD or DVD drive from another computer with your Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 2

Nov 23, 2015 1:49 PM in response to English Rebel

Do you have the Eject symbol on the MenuBar? it is an upward-facing triangle over a horizontal bar. If you are using Screen Sharing, just click on that Icon on the Mac Pro menuBar.

If you do not have that Icon, launch this:

/System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras/Eject Menu

... and it will appear there and persist.

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Answer 3

Nov 24, 2015 4:28 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I'm not sure that I'm screen sharing as there is no dock visible. I access the MacPro via Finder -- it appears in the left pane and I just click on it and it logs in. I can access all the files and start applications.

When I connect the external to the MacPro it will not accept a disk. How do I share a disc?

Thanks

Alan

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Answer 4

lllaass

Level 10

210,411 points

Nov 24, 2015 6:59 AM in response to English Rebel

As I said in my previous reply. to share a CD/DVD drive

Use the CD or DVD drive from another computer with your Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 5

Nov 24, 2015 7:04 AM in response to English Rebel

I can access all the files and start applications.

If the Applications you start in this way run on the Mac Pro, then you are indeed using screen sharing. If you have a Mac Pro 42lb silver tower, click on the Eject Icon in the MenuBar and the drawer on the drive will open, if the drives are working properly.

If you have a MacBook, it has a slot-loading DVD, and no drawer will open, you just insert the Disc.

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Answer 6

Nov 24, 2015 9:29 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I only see the file structure -- no menu bar. I have an early 08 MacPro.

I'll try the drive sharing as suggested by the other reply.

Alan

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Answer 7

Nov 24, 2015 9:36 AM in response to lllaass

The problem is that I cannot open a Finder Window on my Mac Pro. This screenshot shows what's available when I click on the MacPro icon in my MBAir Finder window.

Alan

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Answer 8

Nov 24, 2015 9:43 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I clicked on that icon but nothing happened. What was it supposed to do?

Also when I say I can launch applications I do that by opening the Applications folder on the MacPro and double clicking on the application and not from the dock.
Thanks
Alan

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Answer 9

Nov 24, 2015 10:19 AM in response to English Rebel

It appears the Applications you open in that fashion are running on your MacBook, not on your Mac Pro. If you wanted to set up screen sharing, it would give you the ability to execute Applications directly on the Mac Pro.

You are likely using File Sharing, not Screen Sharing.

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Answer 10

Nov 24, 2015 10:20 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Yes you are correct the app opens on my MBAir. So how do I set up screen sharing -- do I need an application?
Thanks

Alan

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Answer 11

Nov 24, 2015 10:30 AM in response to English Rebel

 menu > System Preferences > Sharing

then look for Screen Sharing

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Answer 12

Nov 25, 2015 5:05 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I guess I'm just going to bite the bullet and hook my monitor and keyboard back up to my MacPro as I cannot access the MacPro apple menu or the dock -- all I can do is access files and open applications so I have no way of turning on screen sharing on the Mac Pro.

Thanks anyway for your help.

Alan

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Answer 13

Nov 25, 2015 8:33 AM in response to English Rebel

Well although my Apple external drive would not power up when plugged into my MacPro USB port, my Toshiba 1TB drive will. So I'm going to copy the contents of the TurboTax install disc to that drive and install the program from there.

Alan

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