I have set up file sharing on both my macOS Mojave and Windows 10 computer. So far, I can access the Windows shares from the Mac and vice versa. The problem is that, on the Window 10 system, I can't see the Mac icon automatically listed as a network location in Windows Explorer, even though I can access the Mac's shares if I manually enter their UNC path in the address bar. Is there any way to have Windows remember the Mac's address and display the Mac icon?
4,371 2 2 gold badges 17 17 silver badges 30 30 bronze badges asked Oct 27, 2019 at 11:03 41 1 1 gold badge 1 1 silver badge 2 2 bronze badgesCurrent implementation of Windows share discovery requires Web Service Discovery Daemon that is missing from Mac OS so Mac shares are not visible in Network.
Apple Bonjour service does not support new Microsoft Web Services Discovery protocol. Therefore Apple Shares on Windows network are not visible in Network.
To access Apple share for Windows (Samba SMB) one needs to know DNS name of the Apple computer or IP address of the Apple computer and type it into location bar like: \\
answered May 16, 2022 at 7:31 Sami Hulkko Sami Hulkko 71 1 1 silver badge 3 3 bronze badgesYour answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please edit to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center.
Commented May 16, 2022 at 7:36I would disagree with the bot (above) here and say that this is an EXCELLENT answer. For anyone trying to network Macs and PCs and wondering why the PC can't see the Mac from Windows Explorer by default in 2023, your answer is - or at least it seems like - the only one on the internet that clarifies the situation! It's sad that this is the state of affairs 30 years into Mac and PC coexistence. Both companies should make an effort to make this easier. Networking should be painless, and it just isn't.
Commented Aug 28, 2023 at 22:09I would recommend using https://github.com/gershnik/wsdd-native instead since its native and install instructions for each OS.
Commented Dec 30, 2023 at 2:24Is there any way to have Windows remember the Mac's address and display the Mac icon?
Actually, the way this works is that the PC doesn't remember the Mac's address but the Mac continually broadcasts its presence on the network and, if everything is set up properly, the PC will see this and list the Mac in Explorer under Network.
Most likely problem: workgroup name mismatch.
The most likely problem here is that the Mac and PC have two different workgroup names.
If these names do not match, then the PC will not list the Mac under Network in Explorer.
after checking setting, i can assure that the PC and the MAC workgroup names are exactly the same (WORKGROUP)
Commented Nov 3, 2019 at 1:19I have occasionally tried to solve this problem over the years, and have had both Microsoft and Apple support engineers tell me I'm wrong, there's a problem with my network setup, but that PCs and Macs can see each other on the network with no issue. It's my problem.
But here is the answer, and it's correct, and I've not been crazy all this time.
The WINS instructions above are OK but lacking. If you set the default workgroup to anything other than WORKGROUP, it won't stick. To first get it to stick, you need to change the default location from "automatic" to something new. Now your new workgroup name will stick.
But wait, that's not all. Many newer routers don't even support a workgroup name, so you may not be able to set it from the router anyway, so this is in most cases a waste of time.
The above answer on why MACS aren't discoverable by Windows computers on a network is the best answer I've seen. It's pathetic that Mac and PC are still incompatible after all these decades, but it does appear more of a Windows problem than a Mac problem.