Windows Vista uses a default workgroup name of WORKGROUP. If you haven’t made any changes to the workgroup name on the Windows computers connected to your network then you’re ready to go, because the Mac also creates a default workgroup name of WORKGROUP for connecting to Windows machines.
If you have changed your Windows workgroup name, as my wife and I have done with our home office network, then you’ll need to change the workgroup name on your Macs to match.
Change the Workgroup Name on Your Mac (Tiger OS X 10.4.x)
- Launch the Directory Access application, located at /Applications/Utilities/Directory Access.
- Click the ‘Lock’ icon in the lower left corner of the Directory Access window.
- Authenticate by entering your administrator username and password.
- Click the ‘Services’ tab.
- Select the ‘SMB/CIFS’ entry.
- Click the ‘Configure’ button.
- In the sheet that drops down, enter the workgroup name.
- Click the ‘OK’ button.
- Quit the Directory Access application.
