With your Windows 7 computer configured to share specific folders, you are ready to access the folders from your Mac. There are two methods of access you can use; here is the second method.
Access Shared Windows Files Using a Finder Window's Sidebar
You can configure the Finder's sidebar to automatically show servers and other shared network resources. The advantage of this method is that you don't need to know the Windows 7 IP address, nor will you have to log in, as the default is to use the Windows 7 Guest access method.
The downside is that it can take a little longer for the Windows 7 server to show up in the Finder sidebar, as much as a few minutes after the server is available.
Enabling Servers in the Finder Sidebar
- Click the 'Finder' icon in the Dock to ensure that the Finder is the frontmost application.
- From the Finder menu, select 'Preferences.'
- Click the 'Sidebar' tab.
- Place a check mark next to 'Connected Servers' under the 'Shared' section.
- Close the Finder Preferences window.
Using the Sidebar's Shared Servers
- Click the 'Finder' icon in the Dock to open a Finder window.
- In the 'Shared' section of the sidebar, your Windows 7 computer should be listed by its computer name.
- Click the Windows 7 computer's name in the sidebar.
- The Finder window should spend a moment saying 'Connecting,' then display all of the folders you have marked as shared in Windows 7.
- Click any of the shared folders in the Finder window to access the shared files it contains.
