Setting Up Network Drives for Mac and Windows

The practical guide to establishing permanent connections in your network and setting up network drives on Mac and Windows.

What Are Network Drives?

Network drives are virtual hard drives in your home or office network. Instead of transferring files via USB sticks or email, you save them to a shared folder – and all authorized computers can access them. Perfect for family photos, collaborative projects, or backups.

What you’ll learn here:

• How to share folders from your Mac with others
• How to use Windows shares on your Mac
• How to set up these connections permanently
• All without technical expertise

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The Foundation: Always Use SMB

Important note:
Mac, Windows, and Linux all use SMB as their common “language” for file sharing today. This means:

• Mac (macOS) ↔ Windows = SMB works perfectly
• Linux ↔ Mac = SMB works perfectly
• Linux ↔ Windows = SMB works perfectly

No matter which system you use – SMB is the universal standard. Modern NAS devices (network-attached storage) also support SMB.

In short: When setting up a network drive, just think “SMB” – then it will work with all common operating systems.

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Part 1: Permanently Connecting a Network Drive to Your Mac

Step 1: Initial Connection

1. Open Finder → “Go” → “Connect to Server” (or press ⌘+K)
2. Enter the address: smb://IP-ADDRESS/SHARENAME
   • Example: smb://192.168.1.100/Data for NAS
   • Example: smb://OFFICE-PC/Projects for Windows
   • Example: smb://linux-server/home for Linux
3. Click “Connect”
4. Enter username and password
5. Important: Activate “Remember this password in my keychain”!

Step 2: Automatic Startup

To make the drive appear after every restart:

1. System Settings 
2. Tab “Login Items”
3. Click “+” (Plus)
4. Navigate to “Volumes” → Select your mounted drive
5. Click “Add”

Done! Your Mac will now connect automatically.

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Part 2: Sharing Folders from Your Mac

Activate Sharing

1. System Settings → “Sharing”
2. Left side: Activate “File Sharing” (check the box)
3. To the right of “Shared Folders”: click “i”
4. Select the desired folder

Setting Permissions Correctly

Imagine a folder “Family Vacation”:

• You: Read & Write ✓
• Spouse: Read & Write ✓
• Children: Read only ✓
• Guests: No access ✗

Here’s how:

1. Under “Users” click “+”
2. Select the person
3. Set permissions:
   • Read & Write = full control
   • Read only = view only
   • No access = blocked
4. Click “Options…”
5. Activate “Share files and folders using SMB”
6. Check the box next to your username
7. Confirm your password

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Part 3: Sharing Windows Folders

Set Up on Windows

1. Right-click on folder → “Properties”
2. Tab “Sharing” → “Advanced Sharing…”
3. Activate “Share this folder”
4. “Permissions” → Set access rights

Example permissions for “Accounting”:

• Boss: Full control
• Accountant: Read & Change
• Others: No access

Prepare for Mac and Linux

1. Control Panel → “Network and Sharing Center”
2. Left side: “Change advanced sharing settings”
3. Ensure that “Network discovery” and “File and printer sharing” are active

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Part 4: Using Mac Shares on a Windows PC

Preparation on the Mac

Before Windows can access the Mac share:

1. System Settings → “Users & Groups”
2. Click the lock icon (bottom left) and enter your password
3. Activate “Network Account Server” (if available)
4. Alternatively: Make sure you have a password for your user account

Connect on Windows

1. Open Windows Explorer
2. Right-click on “This PC” → “Map network drive”
3. Select a drive letter (e.g., Z:)
4. Enter the folder path: \\MAC-IP-ADDRESS\SHARENAME
   • Example: \\192.168.1.50\FamilyVacation
5. Activate “Connect using different credentials”
6. Click “Finish”

Enter Mac Credentials

Windows will ask for username and password:

• Username: MAC-USERNAME (exactly as on your Mac)
• Password: Your Mac login password (not your Apple ID password!)
• Activate “Remember my credentials”

Alternative: Via Network Environment

1. Explorer → Left menu: “Network”
2. Your Mac computer should appear
3. Double-click the Mac name
4. Select the share and click “Connect”
5. Enter credentials as described above

Make Permanent on Windows

1. When connecting: Activate “Reconnect at sign-in”
2. Or afterwards: In Explorer, right-click on connected drive
3. “Map network drive” → Activate “Reconnect at sign-in”

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Permanently Disconnecting Drives

On Mac:

1. System Settings → Users & Groups → Login Items
2. Select drive → Click “-“ (Minus) → “Remove”
3. In Finder: Right-click on drive → “Eject”

On Windows:

1. Explorer → “This PC”
2. Right-click on network drive → “Disconnect”
3. In “Map Network Drive”: Deactivate “Reconnect at sign-in”

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Common Problems – Quick Solutions

“Access Denied”

• Check permissions
• On Mac: Is SMB activated in sharing options?
• On Windows: Check firewall settings

Password Prompt at Every Startup

• Was “Remember this password in my keychain” activated?
• Open Keychain Access → Delete old entry → Reconnect

Computer Not Visible

• Are all devices on the same network?
• Workgroup should be “WORKGROUP”

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3 Important Security Tips

1. Share as little as possible – only necessary folders
2. Turn off guest access (if not needed)
3. Use strong passwords

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The Simple 3-Step Method

1. Always use SMB – works everywhere
2. Consciously set permissions – who can do what?
3. Save passwords – for automatic access

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Conclusion

Network drives are practical helpers for everyday life. With this guide, you can set up permanent connections between Mac, Windows, and Linux in just a few minutes. Once configured, all devices work together harmoniously – without tedious file transfers back and forth.

Try it out! Do you have your own tips? Share them in the comments.

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