When you want to share files and folders between Macs, the file-sharing function of the Mac is convenient.
However, there are cases where you cannot connect to the sharing source Mac due to an error such as “Could not connect” when you try to connect to a Mac with file-sharing settings. There are also cases where you cannot open a particular file/folder with an “unauthorized” error.
This article will explain what to do when you cannot share files between Macs or connect.
Method 1: Enable file sharing
You may not be able to share files or folders because the file sharing settings on your Mac are disabled.
Therefore, make sure that the file sharing setting is enabled. File sharing settings must be set up on both the sharing and sharing Macs.
To enable the file sharing settings, follow the procedure below.
- Click the Apple Mark and select System Preferences.
- Click Share.
- Click the “Options” button on the right of the center.
- Check “Share files and folders using SMB” and click “Finish“.
- Check the list at the bottom left and check “File sharing“.
- Make sure that the folder you want to share is added to the Shared Folders list in the center.
- If it has not been added, click the “+” button at the bottom left of the list to add the folder.
- Make sure you see the name of the person you want to share with in the Users list on the right.
- If you don’t see it, click the “+” button to add the user you want to share with.
- Change the access permission displayed on the right side of the “Users” list to “Read / Write”.
- The above access permission is the setting when you do not restrict the operation of the file to the other Mac.
- Close the settings window.
With the above procedure, you can enable the file sharing function. After setting the settings on the sharing side and the sharing side Mac, check if file sharing is possible normally.
Method 2: Allow guest users to connect
If you want to share files with users that you do not allow for file sharing, you need to allow guest users to connect.
However, keep in mind that this setting will allow all Macs connected to the same network to view shared folders.
To allow guest users to connect, follow the steps below on the sharing Mac.
- Click the Apple Mark and select System Preferences.
- Click Users and Groups.
- Click the “lock icon” at the bottom left of the screen to unlock it. When prompted for a password, enter your login password.
- Click “Guest User” in the left list.
- Check “Allow guest users to connect to shared folders“.
- Click the “lock icon” to unlock it.
Once you’ve allowed guest users to connect, make sure you’re able to share files between Macs.
Method 3: Check the Finder location settings
If you don’t see the network in the Finder sidebar and can’t connect to a shared folder, there may be a problem with the Finder’s location settings.
Therefore, check the Finder location settings on the shared Mac and enable any locations that are disabled. The specific setting procedure is as follows.
- Open Finder.
- Click Finder in the top menu and select Preferences.
- Open the Sidebar tab.
- When the list of items to be displayed in the sidebar is displayed, check “Bonjour Computer” and “Connected Server” in the location.
- Close the settings window.
After enabling the above location in the Finder settings, check if you can connect to the shared folder from “Network” or “Connected Mac” in the sidebar.
Action 4: Re-login / restart
There may be cases where files cannot be shared between Macs because the settings related to file sharing are not reflected.
So, if you’ve set up file sharing correctly and you still can’t share, try re-logging in to your account or restarting your Mac.
- Log in to your account again: Click the Apple Mark and select Log Out (username) to log in again.
- Restart your Mac: Click the Apple Mark and select Restart.
After logging in or restarting, make sure you can share files between Macs.
Method 5: Disable the security software
The firewall function of the security software may block the file sharing connection with other Macs.
Therefore, if you have third-party security software installed, please check if you can share files with it disabled.
If you can share files normally, consider allowing file sharing in the firewall settings of your security software or uninstalling the security software itself.
Method 6: Check the file / folder sharing settings
If you get the error “Could not open because you do not have permission to view” when opening a shared file or folder, there may be a problem with the file / folder sharing settings.
Therefore, check the sharing settings for files and folders that cannot be shared on the sharing Mac, and fix any problems. The procedure to modify the sharing settings is as follows.
- Open Finder and look for “Files or folders that can’t be shared“.
- Right-click on “Files or folders that cannot be shared” and select “Get Info“.
- When you see the file / folder details, scroll to the bottom and expand the Sharing and Permissions section.
- Click the lock icon to unlock it.
- Click the “+” button at the bottom left of the list, select “Shared Mac Username“, and click the “Select” button.
- Once you’ve added the user to the list, click Permissions on the right to change it to Read / Write.
- If you want to allow sharing to all users, change the access right of “everyone” to “read / write“.
- Click the lock icon to unlock it and finish the setting.
Once you’ve modified your file / folder sharing settings, make sure you can now open shared files and folders from another Mac.
Method 7: Repair the file sharing function
In macOS High Sierra, there are cases where the file sharing function malfunctions.
If the file sharing function cannot be used due to an update of macOS, etc., follow the procedure below to repair the function.
- Launch the Finder and open the Applications folder in the left pane.
- Open the Utilities folder and launch Terminal.
- Enter the following command and press the Enter key to execute it.
sudo /usr/libexec/configureLocalKDC - Enter your Mac password and press Enter.
- Exit your terminal and restart your Mac.
After repairing the file sharing function and restarting your Mac, check if you can connect to the file sharing again.
Method 8: Use the drop box folder
In addition to regular file sharing on Mac, you can also send files using the “Drop Box” folder inside the “Public” folder. (* This is a Mac-specific function that is different from the cloud storage service Dropbox.)
Dropbox folders allow you to send files in the Finder like shared folders, except that the sender cannot edit or delete them. If you simply want to send the data to another Mac, you can substitute it.
To send a file using the drop box folder, follow the steps below on the Mac that sends the file.
- Launch Finder and click “Destination Mac Name” from the sidebar.
- Open the “Public” >> “Drop Box” folder on the destination Mac.
- Drag (or copy and paste) the “file you want to send” into the “Drop Box” folder.
With the above procedure, you can send the file using the drop box folder. You can check the sent file from the “User >> Username >> Public >> Drop Box” folder on the receiving Mac.
