File sharing and screen sharing

I rarely use facetime, file sharing or screen sharing but I tried a few nights ago.
I went through the configurations, settings and still was not able to screen or file share with my buddy.
Any solutions????
Thanks

FaceTime doesn't do any of that, so I'll assume you mean Messages.
From the Messages menu bar, select
Video ▹ Connection Doctor
In the window that opens, select
Show: Capabilities
There should be a checkmark on the line with the words "1-on-1 video chat." Select
Show: Network Status
You should have two green dots.
Make sure that you and the other party meet the applicable requirements shown in these support articles:
Share your screen
Requirements for audio chats, video chats, and screen sharing
See also:
Fix video chat issues

Similar Messages

File Transfer and Screen Sharing between MBP and MBA

I am running 10.5.6 on both. MBP is connected via ethernet to router and MBA via Airport. I can access files and Share screen of MBA while working on MBP. However I cannot log onto MBP while working on MBA. I have tried every combo in System Preferences-Sharing. What am I doing wrong? I can even exchange files with an older iBook. What gives?

SandySpider,
Well, you're behind a router, but it is still not a great idea to "Allow all incoming connections." At any rate, it shouldn't be necessary.
Have you looked at the computer names for the two machines, etc., to make sure that you aren't confusing your network devices with conflicting identifiers? Put another way, your two computers are not named the same, are they?
Another thought: Some routers firewall between the wired and wireless networks. You may have to open a port on the router, or enable its "UPnP" capability, if it has one. Have you tried connecting the Macbook Pro wirelessly, and did it make any difference?
Scott

Screen sharing and file sharing not working on LAN

This is not a Mavericks specific problem since it existed before I upgraded to Mavericks. I have a LAN that consists of 3 MBPs and 1 MacPro.
Local screen sharing and file sharing works fine on all of these computers except for one MBP. From this MBP I am able to connect to all of the other computers for screen sharing and file sharing. But I can't connect to this particular MBP for screen sharing or file sharing from any of the other Macs.
This MBP shows up in the left hand side column under "Shared" on all the other computers. But I am unable to make a connection from any computer to the problematic MBP. I get the message, "There was a problem connecting to the server "xxxxxxxx". The server may not exist or is unavailable at this time".
I have tried toggling off and on screen sharing and file sharing with no effect. One probably pertinent strange thing that I notice is that under the Screen Sharing set up the green button next to "Screen Sharing:On" is green. But the message under it states:
"Other users can access your computer's screen
at vnc://johnmacbookproretina/ or by looking for “John MacBook Pro” in the Finder sidebar."
The problem is that my computer name is "John MacBook Pro" and the LocalHostName is "JohnMBPr.local". I believe that at some point in the past the computer name and/or LocalHostName was "johnmacbookproretina".
Similiarly, under File Sharing I am informed:
"Other users can access shared folders on this computer, and administrators all volumes, at “afp://johnmacbookproretina” or “smb://johnmacbookproretina”."
I would appreciate any help I could get to resolve this perplexing issue. Thanks.
John

I've finally been able to solve my own problem.
File sharing and screen sharing on the problematic MBP was being blocked by firewall rules that had been set up several weeks ago when I had installed a trial version of DoorStop X firewall software. I had previously trashed the app when the 30 day trial ended. I did not realize that the software had left a set of firewall rules in the Library/StartupItems folder. Among other things, the rules were set to deny access to the computer on the ports used for file sharing and screen sharing. Once I trashed the DoorStopStartup folder in the StartUpItems folder all the connection problems resolved with a computer restart.

Problem using file sharing and screen sharing in Leopard

I have Mac OS 10.5 Leopard installed on 4 computers in a Home Network and have a problem with sharing files and using screen sharing. Here is my setup.
MacBook Pro with my logon ID
MacBook Pro with my fiancee's logon ID
Mac Mini with both of our logon ID's
Mac Pro with both of our logon ID's
The problem I have is I am able to access the Mac Mini computer where we have an external Hard Drive connected for data. She is also able to access it. The only problem is we have it set up to only share this external USB drive. Yet for both of us it shares the external drive along with the internal Macintosh HD. Fortunately this is not a very big deal but since I'm not sharing all those drives why is it doing this?
Also, I am able to connect from the Mac Mini for example to my MBP and vice versa for screen sharing along with file sharing. Yet if she tries to connect to the Mac Pro from her MBP and vice versa it won't. It simply times out and will never connect for screen sharing or file sharing but yet the Finder shows the Mac Pro. We have a 2nd hard drive in the Mac Pro which is the one set up for file sharing. I am also unable to connect to the Mac Pro's HD. Everything appears to be set up correctly. For my MBP on the Finder it shows the Mac Pro but once again I am unable to connect to it for screen sharing or file sharing.
Also, not sure if it's related but even for her MBP she is unable to connect to it from any other computer in our network although it's set up for file sharing and screen sharing so I'm not sure if it's related to her logon ID. Then again as mentioned above neither of us can connect to the Mac Pro.
I tried to make the above sound as simple as possible. I am relatively new to networking and of course Leopard but even on the Mac Pro all settings sound the same as on the Mac Mini where we can both connect to. The only big difference is on the Mini we are connect to a USB external drive, on the Mac Pro an internal drive. Is there something I could have overlooked or are there known issues with Leopard's sharing features?
We both have .mac but since we are using this on an internal network (some wi-fi, some wired, all through an Airport Base Station Extreme) I would think this has nothing to do with Back to my Mac.
I appreciate any help with the above.

FaceTime doesn't do any of that, so I'll assume you mean Messages.
From the Messages menu bar, select
Video ▹ Connection Doctor
In the window that opens, select
Show: Capabilities
There should be a checkmark on the line with the words "1-on-1 video chat." Select
Show: Network Status
You should have two green dots.
Make sure that you and the other party meet the applicable requirements shown in these support articles:
Share your screen
Requirements for audio chats, video chats, and screen sharing
See also:
Fix video chat issues

Back to My Mac/VNC/Screen and File Sharing with a PC

Ok back to my mac is great but it doesn't work with a pc. What is the best alternative to screen and file sharing with a PC???
Thanks,

Use VNC.
On the PC.
http://www.realvnc.com/products/free/4.1/index.html
On the PocketPC
http://www.windowsfordevices.com/news/NS5673359231.html
Apple's Remote Desktop allows for VNC control through a password.
iFelix

Lock Screen feature is interrupting downloads and file sharing

When ever i leave the Macbook pro (non retina) for file download and update, the Lock Screen feature stops the downloads. And it stops the file sharing too.
i can't share or sync files while screen lock is active. How i can configure the lock screen to not disrupt my download and or file sharing?

To verify if the issue is directly related to your Powerline adapters, please try connecting an Ethernet cable between the two routers. Of course, if the distance is too great to do this practically, bring the AirPort Express back to the location of the TC. If the issue is resolved, I would double-check your Powerline configuration. Remember these have to be installed so that they are on the same electrical ciruit. That each outlet that you connect one of these two must lead back to the same circuit breaker at the main electrical box. These adapters cannot "jump" circuits.

File sharing and screen sharing stop working suddenly

I have been using file sharing and screen sharing without any issues between my mac mini (10.7 Lion) and MBA (10.8 ML). However, both suddenly stopped working the other day - that is, I saw the mac mini on my MBA's list of Devices, but when I clicked on a drive or on screen sharing, it just said could not connect. I rebooted the computer and they started working again...but a few hours later suddenly stopped. I toggled those options on/off in the Sharing section of Sys Prefs, and they started working fine again...but then stopped again. It seems no matter what I do, file and screen sharing just stop working after a short period of time after being enabled.
Ideas?

Turns out the problem was that I had a daisey-chained ethernet switch. My mac mini was on an ethernet switch that was not visible to my wireless network. Make sure that your ethernet switch is somehow directly connected to whatever is serving as your DHCP server, then your wireless devices should see it.

Screen and file sharing problem

I can connect from my MacBook Pro to my iMac when they are both on my home network. I see it in the Finder sidebar, clicking it automatically connects to its shares, and clicking Share screen does what it's supposed to do.
But when I try to connect from the MacBook Pro from the outside world (my company's network) things don't work so well. I have Back to my Mac enabled so the iMac still shows up in the sidebar but when I click on it I eventually get an error message "Connection failed". Clicking on Connect as does nothing. Clicking on Share screen gives a generic error message.
When I connect to the iMac using "Connect to server" (Command+K) it works. I have mapped the AFP and VNC ports of my Airport Extreme base station at home so they point to the iMac.
What can I do to fix this?

I'm sure you've already checked, but have you given user access to the mini via it's sharing prefpane? Not that this will fix it - I currently have five separate macs running leopard, all with file sharing for a specific folder and guest access to those folders and it only works on 3 out of the 5 (the two that aren't working are MacPros - go figure).

Leopard 10.5.2 File sharing and Screen sharing problem

I have just installed 10.5.2 (clean) onto a Mac Mini 2-core machine. I was running Tiger and File Sharing worked just fine, allowing me access to my external firewire drive from my new Mac Pro (running Leopard 10.5.2). Since installing Leopard I can see the Mac Mini under 'Shared' on the Left menu of the Mac Pro but I cannot get to connect with the damned thing!
I have tried everything I know to no avail. Can anybody help?

I'm sure you've already checked, but have you given user access to the mini via it's sharing prefpane? Not that this will fix it - I currently have five separate macs running leopard, all with file sharing for a specific folder and guest access to those folders and it only works on 3 out of the 5 (the two that aren't working are MacPros - go figure).

Airport Extreme is allowing access to screen sharing, file sharing from external IP addresses (some from China, Canada etc)

How to get control over the ports/port forwarding etc in Airport Extreme?
How to make AE drop packets to certain ports from external ports. Or create whitelist/blacklists?
I figured out where the MAC filtering is! (It is inside the Timed Access Control). I wish it had a list of connected device and allowed me to select, name and add them.
I am getting requests from Chinese IP to the screen sharing ports forwarded to my iMac. Had requests to other ports as well. There was one IP address from CANADA too.
I want to open file sharing for local use only.

Why is Airport Extreme forwarding requests for screen sharing from external ip addresses to my imac? I don't have a public address, nor use dynamic dns service, and I have removed the server app (at least I think I have, but Apple Store doesn't think so).

Connecting to shared machines (either via Share Screen or file sharing)

I have a MobileMe account and four computers in separate locations which I regularly need to connect between. Some are on static IP's and others are on dynamic IP's. So all of them have file sharing enabled as well as screen sharing enabled. They're also all registered in my MobileMe account. Anytime I'm in a Finder window, in the sidebar, I see Shared > (computer name) and see all the computers there. If I click on it, I'm offered two buttons, one to "Connect As" if I want to file share, and "Share Screen" if I want to VNC.
I would say 60-70% of the time I click on either of those buttons, it doesn't work. It takes about a minute to try and connect, then says, "Connection failed to (computer name). Please make sure screensharing is enabled...blah blah blah..." (it is)
However, 40-60% of the time if I click the same button again, it DOES work!
Sometimes it takes several tries.
It's really frustrating that I can't reliably connect to the other computers in the MobileMe list.
Does anyone else see this and are there any suggestions? There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. Trying to connect to a computer that has a static IP vs. dynamic fails with about the same regularity. So I don't think that's it.
I also get about the same failure rate when trying to use Connect As to fileshare. So I don't think it's a VNC/screenshare-specific problem.
I've tried using DynDNS as an alternate way to reliably locate another of my computers. It fails with approx. the same failure rate, and sometimes works upon re-attempt.
HELP!

Goto your System Preferences->Sharing, Then select the Internet tab.
From the drop down menu select 'Share your connection from: Kyrocera card.'
And in the 'To computers using' box tick built in ethernet and connect a network cable to your powerbook and the other end to your network.
Or if you have an airport card installed share the connection using your airport.Then other wireless devices can connect to your powerbook.

How do I set up file sharing and keep my Firewall on?

When I turned my Firewall on, I lost the ability to share files and screens on my LAN. When I looked at the advanced settings, I saw that File Sharing, Screen Sharing and Web Sharing were already set to Allow incoming connections but other, related, services, AppleFileServer, httpd, kdc, netbiosd, and screensharingd were set to block incoming connections. I reset the latter to allow incoming connections but was still unable to access my computer from another. Once I turned off the Firewall, I was able to access file sharing and screensharing from another computer on my LAN.
I have a firewall built into my external router so I have some protection but I still feel uncomfortable with the Firewall on my computer turned off.
When my firewall is on even with setting up to allow incoming connections, there are lots of console messages like:
1/8/12 3:00:00.882 PM Firewall: Deny netbiosd data in from 192.168.1.2:51619 to port 137 proto=17
They go away as soon as I turn off the firewall.
I did not find the Apple technical article "Set firewall access for services and applications" at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/mh18503.html useful at all.
Any ideas as to what is wrong?

I normally have a Firewall enabled. I recently had to do an erase and install of Lion, followed by a one-by-one re-install of all of my software. One of the first things I did was to set up all of my System Preferences the way I like them; Turning the Firewall on was one of them. Later I noticed it was off and turned it on again. I had already set up sharing and was surprised to see the problem when I turned it back on.
As to why do I think it needs to be on. It is another part of my security layer.

Can't access iTunes and Screen Sharing sharing services on my mac Mini

Since several weeks now I face a networking issue of the stranger kind.
Currently I've got my Mac mini acting as the central server for music, photos and files in my home. Central Network Mgmt device is a Wireless Lan router.
In the past I was accessing the Mac Mini from my MacBook via Screen Sharing this doesn't work anymore. When requesting the service the connection effort just runs idle. In iTunes on my MacBook I can see the Libary of my Mac Mini iTunes but clicking on it brings the rotateing ball and after a certain while the message that the iTunes Libary is not responding and that I should check my Firewall settings. Which I did on both computers and they are wide open. 'Ipfw show' in Terminal brings back the message 'Open for any to any communication' also on both computers.
Makeing use of the File sharing service from the MacBook to the MacMini works but it takes a extreme long while until the shared folder appears on the MacBook.
Trying to access from the Mac Mini my MacBook for all these services is no problem.
One more thing is that my Mac Mini cannot access the Wireless Lan router anymore thru the Web Browser or thru a Ping. Here I get the message 'Ping Send to: permission denied'. I changed the Router still the same message. Internet traffic is only possible after I manually applied a DNS Server with its IP number.
Anyone out there who could help? I'm close to completely reinstall my Mac Mini but would naturally love to avoid this.

wireduck,
Highlight the music folder and on the keyboard type (Command) + i: on the window that opens scroll down if need and click on the lock on the bottom right. Type in an Admin User name and password. Then under the (Sharing & Permissions:) make sure the users you want to open the folder are listed and that there (Privilege) is set to @ least Read. If not hit the ( + ) sign and add them. After you have that all set up click on the little gear next to the ( - )s sign and (Apply to a enclosed items). that way each user can read the files. After that the little ( - ) sign should be gone on the folders.
Hope that helps.

File sharing across a network --- Mac (Leopard) and PCs (Vista) -- problems

Been trying to setup file sharing so that I can access an iMac from a Vista PC. Followed various help threads, and have a specific question as relates to setting the file sharing preferences. From system preferences/sharing, have checked "File Sharing", and the shared folders displayed are the default public ones for the two users of the iMac. That is what I want. I next click on the options button in the same sharing window, where "Share files and folders using AFP" is already turned on (checked). From the data I have read, I next try to set up sharing using SMB, checking on that option (cause I think I must do that - from what I've read).
This is where I run into problems. If I just check for share files and folders using SMB, and don't check off on the individual user accounts, when I try to access the iMac from the Vista PC, I get a login dialog box when I click on the iMac in my network screen. Not sure what to do with that ... _as I only want guest access to the public folders on the iMac_. If, however, in setting up SMB I check on the individual user accounts (and provide the requested passwords), then when I access the iMac from the Vista PC, I don't have to login to the iMac at all .... but all folders/all iMac hard drive data is now available/editable to me. This is not what I want. Only want network access to the iMac public folders. But as I noted earlier, if I set up SMB without checking off on the user account names, then I am presented with a login box when I click on the iMac icon on the Vista PC.
Have read numerous articles on this ... and think I am close. So ... bottom line ... want iMac access from Vista PCs but only want access to the iMac public folders. Don't want access to the entire iMac hard drive.
Any thoughts/suggestions? Thanks.

Some additional insight to share. Some successes, but still some questions.
Was reading around the web on this topic and found something that indicated that I should create a new, non-admin account on the iMac and make that the user that is shared. The other two users that I was attempting to share the public folder were both admin users, and this may account for showing all of the hard drive when I accessed the iMac from the Vista PC.
So I created this new "standard" user account, and share that public folder, and it all works. Now here is the still questionable. From one vista PC, when I click on the iMac I get a login prompt. At that point I can log into the iMac or just access the iMac via guest access. Both work.
But from a different Vista PC, clicking on the iMac does not prompt a login shell to appear. I just walk into the iMac shared folder. Do not understand this behavior. Would've expected that any Vista or windows PC would get a login shell when trying to access the iMac. That is not the case. Any thoughts why the 2 Vista PCs behave differently?

Windows XP and OS X 10.5.2 file sharing

Hello,
I want to be able to transfer files between my Dell PC and Mac. With my limited knowledge on these things, I was able to connect the PC to the Mac (via "Map Network Drive"). Also, the Mac recognizes my Dell PC (it is listed under "Shared" in Mac HD), but when I select the PC the connection fails. Two things are bothering me about this: 1) When I click "Connect to Server" I am able to access the shared folder on the PC, 2) The Mac is able to connect and share with a Dell Laptop with no problem.
Any suggestions? Thank you in advance for your help.
-Johnny

Johnny-
I have a Dell 4500 (P4) and a PowerBook-G4 and have always found filesharing to be a bit "quirky" (as in, "Today it works, tomorrow, it don't ;-)). I am also at 10.5.2.
To start, I can communicate both ways now--without mapping drives--and after trying everything in these forums with varying success, I only got full two-way sharing when I TURNED SIMPLE FILESHARING ON on the Dell!
Okay, while I marvel at the elegance of some peoples' solution here, I can offer offer several settings I'm having success with, without knowing whether they are are all necessary. But with all the aggravation associated with networking since Leopard, I assume you'll take it if it works.
Not exact chronological order, but close...
I tried a tip I read and set up a Sharing-Only "Guest" account ON THE MAC. First, via the "System Preferences->Sharing->Check File Sharing, click on OPTIONS, and then "via SAMBA" for the Mac-to-Dell communication. Note: When you do that you will be checking your main user account name as the shared account.
Alright, over to Mac's User Accounts (in System Preferences). There I set up a user called "Guest" and gave it "SHARING ONLY" status. I remember reading that this "sharing-only" Guest user should be given the SAME LOGIN PASSWORD as your own Mac account AND that you should give this account ADMINISTRATIVE status. Hey, I did it. It works. I will leave it to others to explain why this might lead to your eventual death by parasitic dysentery!
Over these many years of trying to get my Dell and Mac to make nice, I also heard that giving your Dell account and your Mac account the same password is also "a good thing."
Moving right along ...
On the Dell, I used to hear about turning off the Guest account, but then "enabling it via the Terminal"--I mean, what's up with that?? Far as I can see, you just have to check one thing about the guest account on the Dell.
In Terminal on the Dell--Ooops, Excusez-moi, svp! At the "Command Prompt" , type "net user guest" ("without the quotes" yada, yada) and hit Return. It should spew out some info on the Guest account. ONLY ONE VALUE MATTERS: About 1/4 of the way down, look for the "Active" property (left-hand column) and make sure it says "YES" to its right. If you haven't turned off your guest account, it should.
But just in case it doesn't, Type: "net user guest /active:yes" (I could have sworn that "active=yes" used to work ... oh well) and then hit Return. Windows should respond with "Command completed successfully" (which, of course, Windows would display even if the command did absolutely nothing!). Then again type "net user guest" and be sure "Active" equals "YES."
We're almost there.
BIGGIE: I could only make all of this work when I assigned STATIC IP ADDRESSES to each computer on the home network (Linksys BEFSR41_v2 and Linksys WAP54G_v1). Of course, since Leopard/10.5 I have also had to convert to Zoroastrianism to make Airport stop doing all the incredibly mean and spiteful things that everyone else is writing about. Plus, I've had to put the wireless access point so freaking close to the Powerbook that I can actually unplug the access point and connect the Ethernet right to the PowerBook! But then the wire runs "all the way across the living room"--which my wife believes just isn't appropriate. BUT IT ALL WORKS! (The marriage and the network.)
Johnny, at the Dell I just went to "My Network Places," "Add Network Place", ignore that screen that "pretends" to be browsing for I-have-no-idea-what, then press NEXT (?) and for the name of the server type:
\\<the Powerbook's IP address>\<the FULL NAME of your Mac user account>
For me that's "\\192.168.1.100\Paul Revere"
and when you press NEXT, Windows converts what you entered into the name it intends to assign to the Powerbook server and allows you to modify it.
Funny thing? If you set up that "share-only" Guest account on the Mac, you can substitute "Guest" for your username. Hopefully someone will chime in and explain what the heck is going on here. Maybe one's better? I use one on each of two computers.
Then, when you double-click that beautiful yellow thingy with your Mac's name below it, Voila!, you see all the shares you (hopefully!) set up over in "System Preferences->Sharing" (which is another whole lesson, I'm afraid--but I bet you've got that down already).
LAST THING: Well, not really. I want to say I was only kidding about having to convert to Zoroastrianism for this to work (Gawd, I hope there aren't really any Zoroastrianists (?!) still around, in which case I sincerely apologize and meant no disrespect!) NOW the LAST THING (really!): In Leopard you probably already know that you have to enter the Windows/Samba "Workgroup" name in the WINS tab at "System Preferences->Network->Advanced button->WINS tab." BUT, DON'T FORGET TO TAP APPLY WHEN YOU GET BACK OUT TO THE NETWORK PANEL or everything you did at Advanced->WINS won't "take."
Then on the Powerbook, I just click Shared in the Sidebar, double-click my Dell's icon, and -- only the first time -- I enter a username and password ("Save to my ..."). And here's the real username versus Guest issue again: If the Dell is set up like mine, Guest WILL (should) work. If not, enter the full name of the Windows user account--the passwords will all be the same. Then the Finder window will fill with all of the shared folders on your Dell. It brings tears to my eyes every time! (I think my wife's secretly contacting calling a shrink ;-)).
Johnny, on the Dell I just go to "My Network Places," double-click on "Entire Network" and then on "Microsoft Windows Network." A second or two later that blue tripod-like icon appears with my workgroup name below it (magic!!), I double click it and then I see the computer I'm sitting at (very useful), my Powerbook, and any other box that's powered up!
Phew!
Feel free to ask for clarification. Good luck.
kaz

File sharing and screen sharing

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