How do I connect my Windows 10 PC to my Macbook?

Answered by Robert Flynn

To connect your Windows 10 PC to your MacBook, you can follow these steps:

1. Connect using an Ethernet cable: Start by connecting both your Mac and Windows computers using a standard Ethernet cable. One end of the cable should be plugged into the Ethernet port on your Mac, while the other end should be plugged into the Ethernet port on your Windows PC.

2. Turn on file sharing on Windows: On your Windows computer, you need to enable file sharing so that your Mac can access its files. To do this, open the “Control Panel” and navigate to the “Network and Sharing Center.” From there, click on “Change advanced sharing settings” and make sure that “Turn on file and printer sharing” is selected.

3. Disable Windows Firewall or open TCP port 445: By default, the Windows Firewall may block file sharing between your Mac and PC. To ensure that it doesn’t interfere with the connection, you can either turn off the firewall temporarily or open TCP port 445. To turn off the firewall, go to the “Control Panel,” select “System and Security,” and then click on “Windows Defender Firewall.” From there, you can turn off the firewall. Alternatively, if you want to open TCP port 445, you can follow the instructions provided by Microsoft for your specific Windows version.

4. Connect to the shared files on your Mac: Once file sharing is enabled on your Windows computer, you can now connect to the shared files on your Mac. On your Mac, open the Finder and click on “Go” in the menu bar. Then, select “Connect to Server.” In the dialog box that appears, type in “smb://[Windows IP address]” (without the quotes), replacing [Windows IP address] with the IP address of your Windows computer. Click “Connect” and enter your Windows username and password when prompted. You should now be able to access the shared files on your Mac from your Windows PC.

By following these steps, you should be able to establish a connection between your Windows 10 PC and your MacBook, allowing you to share files and access them from both devices.