Connecting to other computers

In order to access the hard drive of another computer, you need to connect to it.

On all systems, you cannot connect to the same computer more than once. If you get to the stage in connecting where the computer asks you which volume you would like to mount, and the one you would like is grayed, then you already have it mounted, and it is pointless to try to mount it again.

The process is different depending on what system you are running. To figure out which system you are running, go to the Apple menu, and select "About this Mac". Your version is listed right under the bold text that says "Mac OS X"

OS X 10.3 through 10.4

1. Turn on the two computers. You cannot connect them if they are not running.
2. At this point, you will only need to be at one of the computers. On this computer, create a new Finder window.
3. Select "Network" on the left side of the window.
   It may take a couple seconds for the list of computers to appear. If it doesn't come up, or if the computer you're looking for isn't in the list, you can refresh the list by double-clicking on the Network icon on the left side of the window.
   
4. At this point, you are going to see one of three things.
• A list of computer names - This is what you want. You can either double-click on the computer that you would like, or you can click on it and then click the button that says "Connect".
• Nothing, or the folders "Applications", "Library" and "Users" - In this case, if double-clicking on the Network icon doesn't fix it, you should consider the possibility that your network cable might be unplugged.
• The folder "My Network" - This means that your computer is detecting a multi-platform environment. To access all the Macintoshes, click on "My Network".
5. A password prompt should appear. Enter the correct username and password.
6. Now, a list of available volumes should appear. Choose the volume that is most similar to the computer name and click OK. If the volume that you expected to choose is grayed, then it is already mounted, and you came all this way for pretty much nothing. You can't mount the same volume twice. There's no point.

Done!

OS X 10.0 through 10.2

1. Turn on the two computers. You cannot connect them if they are not running.
2. At this point, you will only need to be at one of the computers. Bring Finder to the front and choose Connect to Server from the Go menu.
3. When the window comes up, you will see one of three things.
• A list of computer names - This is what you want. Double-click on the computer that you would like to connect to.
• Nothing, or the folders "Applications", "Library" and "Users" - In this case, if waiting for the window to refresh doesn't fix it, you should consider that your network cable might be unplugged.
• The folder "Local" - This means that your computer is detecting a multi-platform environment. To access all the Macintoshes, click on "Local".
4. A password prompt should appear. Enter the correct username and password.
5. Now, a list of available volumes should appear. Choose the volume that is most similar to the computer name and click OK. If the volume that you expected to choose is grayed, then it is already mounted, and you came all this way for pretty much nothing. You can't mount the same volume twice. There's no point.

Done!

Last resort for OS X

If you are sure that everything should work and you can't find any problems, then there is one last way to connect Macintoshes.

1. On the computer you want to connect to, go to the Apple menu and select "System Preferences..."
2. When the window comes up, select "Network"
3. When the network preferences pane loads, double-click on the network device that you are using to connect to the computer.
   • If you are connecting using a cable, then the one you want is "Built-in Ethernet".
   • If you are connecting wirelessly, then the one you want is "AirPort".
   • If all of your network devices have red dots on the left of them, then your network isn't working at all and that's your problem. Go get a Macintosh geek and tell him or her that your network isn't connecting.
4. When the screen changes, on the main tab panel, select "TCP/IP".
5. Look for the field labeled "IP Address". That is that computer's IP Address.
6. On the computer that will do the connecting, in the menus, choose Go -> Connect to Server.
7. In the address text box, type "afp://" and then the other computer's IP Address.
8. Click "Connect"
9. Follow the previous instructions starting from the password prompt.

Done!