Connect to Mac SMB shares from Windows PC

If you’re having trouble figuring out how to connect Windows 10 or 11 to your Mac file sharing over SMB, this quick guide is just for you.

Mac users can share files and folders with others on the same network over SMB. It is easy to setup and no third-party software required. You can share your entire Mac with everyone or allow specific users access to only certain folders. In this article, we will show you the simple steps to set up file sharing on Mac and access Mac SMB shares from Windows PC.

Part 1. Set up file sharing on Mac

On your Mac, click the Apple icon from the top menu bar to open the menu and choose System Settings. Then click General in the sidebar, click Sharing on the right. Click the On/Off toggle besides File Sharing to turn it on. Scroll down to the bottom to find the Hostname of your Mac. In my case, it is macbook-pro.local. See screenshot below.

Optionally click the Info button on the right to for more advanced options, such as select a specific folder to share, give only specific users or groups access to a folder, specify the amount of access for a user, etc.

Part 2. Access Mac SMB share from Windows computer

On your Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer, simply open the Windows explorer or file manager and in the address bar) and type \\mac-hostname or \\mac-ip. Remember that we have mentioned how you can find the hostname of your Mac above? You can use your Mac hostname or its IP address in the local network. In my case, the hostname is macbook-pro.local. And it comes out that my PC can connect to the Mac at macbook-pro (without .local) as well. Make sure to put the backward slashes \\ before your Mac name or hostname. Press Enter, you will be prompted to enter the username/password. You can use the administrator account to access your entire Mac from Windows computer.

Can’t connect Mac SMB share from PC?

  1. Make sure to connect both PC and Mac to the same Wi-Fi network.
  2. Disable any VPN or proxy you are using.
  3. Pay attention to the backward slashes and the Mac hostname. Your PC won’t be able to access Mac file sharing if the server address is incorrect.
  4. You can refer to this article to see how to find the local IP address of your Mac.