Published 2022-12-15 by TechNet New England
Macs connect to Windows shared folders and NAS devices using the SMB (Server Message Block) protocol. This guide shows how to connect through Finder. ## Connect to a Server 1. Open **Finder**. 2. In the menu bar, click **Go > Connect to Server** (or press **Command + K**). 3. In the **Server Address** field, enter: ``` smb://ServerName/SharedFolder ``` or by IP address: ``` smb://192.168.1.10/SharedFolder ``` 4. Click **Connect**. 5. If prompted, select **Registered User** and enter the username and password for the share. Check **Remember this password in my keychain** to save the credentials. 6. Click **Connect**. 7. The shared folder will appear in Finder under **Locations** in the sidebar and on your Desktop (depending on your Finder preferences). ## Auto-Connect at Login To have the shared folder reconnect every time you log in: 1. Connect to the share using the steps above. 2. Open **System Settings > General > Login Items**. 3. Click the **"+"** button under **Open at Login**. 4. Navigate to the mounted share (it appears under /Volumes/) and add it. Alternatively: 1. After connecting, find the share icon on your Desktop or in Finder sidebar. 2. Open **System Settings > General > Login Items**. 3. Drag the share icon into the Login Items list. ## Troubleshooting **"There was a problem connecting to the server" error:** Verify the server name or IP address is correct. Make sure you are on the same network. Try using the IP address instead of the server name. **"Connection failed" with correct credentials:** Some NAS devices and Windows servers require SMB2 or SMB3. macOS uses SMB3 by default but can fall back to SMB2. If the server only supports SMB1, you may need to enable it (not recommended for security reasons) or upgrade the server. **Share disconnects frequently:** This can happen when the Mac goes to sleep or when the network connection changes (switching between Wi-Fi and Ethernet, for example). Adding the share to Login Items helps, but some disconnections are normal behavior. **Cannot see the shared folder:** Make sure the folder is actually shared on the server side. On a Windows machine, right-click the folder > Properties > Sharing tab to verify. On a NAS, check the share settings in the NAS admin panel.