Windows ME to connect to MacBook to transfer files

Question

Okay.....so I've been trying [unsucessfully] to transer my stuff from my pc to the mac.
I'm running Microsoft Windows ME and Mac OS Tiger.
I've read many discussions at apple.com and went to a few sites that had step by step guides. [http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2892220?]
I followed this one exactly, except when I rebooted it didn't give a login window asking for a username or password. [http://joelshoemaker.com/computer/mac/macfilesharing.html]
I've connected the cross over cable to both computers. The work folders are named the same, everything on the Apple side is configured correctly as I did call support.
It's the Windows side that doesn't recognize the IP address from the Mac.
I tried connecting to my pc from my mac [go > connect to server] using the IP of my pc and it gives an error message:
"The Finder cannot complete the operation because some data could not be read or written. Error code 36."
This message comes whether the cable is connected or not.
I am at such a loss at this point and I don't know what to do.
Please help!
White MacBook   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  

Answer 1

I had the same problem about 2 or 3 years ago, except I was connecting a Windows ME to Panther (Mac 10.3).
I recall having a lot of trouble, and so I made some notes for myself at the time in case I ever had to do it again. I've forgotten now how to do it myself, but here are the notes in case they are any use to you. Good luck.
To access/manipulate Mac files from a Windows ME (NEC) computer need to do the following:
On the Mac:
• In Preferences > Sharing Panel, turn on Windows Sharing
On the Windows machine (NEC) need to do the following:
• For the Mac in question, set up a user account name on the NEC. The user name must be the same as that Mac user’s “Short name”. (To find the Mac user’s short name open up “Preferences–Accounts, then choose a user on the Mac)
• Go to the control panel and choose “users”. This brings up the User list panel: select “New User”
• Set up a new user by following the instructions. The new user name must be the same as the Short Name on the Mac. (Also need to give the new user a password for when they log into the NEC – this should be different to the Mac password).
When using the NEC to log on to the Mac need to do the following:
♣ Turn on NEC.
♣ Log in using the user name which is the same as the Mac Short Name (but the password you use at this point is the one for this NEC account, not the Mac)
♣ Open “My Network Places”
♣ Open “Entire Network”
♣ Click on “Workgroup” (note: this icon sometimes takes a few minutes to appear)
♣ Choose the computer to connect to: note its name is given as the subnet name in Panther
♣ Then the icon with the “Short Name” of the Mac appears. Click on it.
♣ Enter the password – this is the same password used when logging on to that Mac (but the password will not be asked for if you previously left the ‘remember this password’ box checked.)
Note: The Windows machine will automatically remember your Mac password unless you uncheck the appropriate box (I prefer to do so for security reasons, but it's easy to make a mistake and leave the box checked)
In order to see the NEC on my iMac flat panel running OS 10.3 I had to open "Directory Access" in the Utilities folder. Have to unlock the panel, then write administrator's password, then double-click "SMB". Then, in the box labelled "WINS Server" type in the name of the Windows computer. Have to then puts in administrator' password again, and should then lock the panel. A folder called "MSHOME" appears in the Network folder on the iMac. Can access files on the NEC by burrowing in through this.
MacBook   Mac OS X (10.4.7)   iMac G4 (10.3.9)