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Windows PC not able to see Mac computers in the Network and Sharing Center

Hello

Very glitchy problem here we hope someone can help with as both Apple support and Windows support point the finger at each other and say the other should know the solution but neither does.

We have mac computers and one windows based computer that runs our inventory software so we must keep it. We would like all computers on the network to work together seamlessly and share files/folders.

The mac computers all play nicely together sharing files and folders. One imac and two mac minis.

The macs also connect well TO the windows pc and can access all the files/folders/desktop which we are sharing on the Windows PC.

However, the windows PC will not even "see" the macs on the network. In the network and sharing center on the PC, the macs do not even show up. Even if we do a manual search, enter the IP for the mac, the windows computer still cannot see the mac computers.


So, we cannot connect the Windows PC to the macs, to be able to access our files and folders we use on a daily basis.


Can anyone help?

iMac 27″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Nov 23, 2021 8:40 AM

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Posted on Nov 26, 2021 6:04 AM

Hi heintzsales,


Have you tried installing iCloud for Windows on the PC?


A portion of that installation includes Bonjour, which is the Apple standards-based network technology designed to help devices and services discover each other on the same network. Perhaps that will allow them to play nice with each other!


https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/deployment/depf138dd79c/web

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 26, 2021 6:04 AM in response to heintzsales

Hi heintzsales,


Have you tried installing iCloud for Windows on the PC?


A portion of that installation includes Bonjour, which is the Apple standards-based network technology designed to help devices and services discover each other on the same network. Perhaps that will allow them to play nice with each other!


https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/deployment/depf138dd79c/web

Nov 29, 2021 2:07 PM in response to nfilipek

Ok

So looking through and trying it, it works, 100%, using the Run command. But here is the issue, still....

It does not show up under my Network and cannot be searched and found through the Network and Sharing center.


If I use the run prompt, type in the IP address with the correct syntax, it connects perfectly and shows all files on the Mac mini. However, it STILL will not show up on the Network center.....

So, in order to access the files we must go through the run prompt, which then limits the programs we can use it with. For example, our inventory program will allow pictures to be added to the products we carry. In order to add the photo, we must be able to access the file folder through the network and sharing center when it pops up. So therefore we cannot access those folders this way and need to pull everything over to the PC desktop just to use it. It is doable that way, but obviously not the correct fix, but more of a band aid on a problem.


It baffles me that the PC will not see the mac mini where it should, in the network center.

Nov 29, 2021 3:12 PM in response to MrHoffman

So if you'll read my response above, you will see that we can in fact access the mac mini and all files we have shared if we go through the run prompt like nfilipek shared above. But, like I said it will not show up in the network and sharing center.

Do you think your link and details of the smb enabling/unenabling may be the issue of why it isn't showing up?


Nov 26, 2021 7:06 AM in response to heintzsales

I’m here assuming all computers are in the same IP private subnet and we’re not (also) chasing IP routing “fun”.


I’ll assume all hosts here have exactly one network connection. One. Whether that’s wired or Wi-Fi, one connection.


Open a terminal session on Windows and ping the Mac hosts. This to determine if the Windows IP routing can connect. Given the Mac can connect to the Windows file share, that usually means the local network routing is (mostly) working, but I’d still test all hosts.


One usual reason for Windows getting cranky about accessing SMB is the SMB security level setting on Windows.


https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/file-server/troubleshoot/detect-enable-and-disable-smbv1-v2-v3

https://www.nodeum.io/howto/guest-access-in-smb2-disabled-by-default-in-windows-10


See what’s enabled and what’s not. Which SMB is in use depends on which Windows and which Mac versions, but Windows security tends to be unhappy about Mac SMB support as a rule.


If you’re using Windows Server and the folks that installed it screwed up and used .local, that’ll have ongoing issues with mDNS/Bonjour.

Windows PC not able to see Mac computers in the Network and Sharing Center

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