Connecting to a Windows Server with OS X

OS X lets you connect to Windows Servers such as Helios.

Connecting

  • At the Finder, go to the "Go" item in the menubar and choose "Connect to Server..." and the following dialog box will appear. 

  Server Dialog Box

  • In the Server Address field type the server you want to connect to, in our example that is: smb://helios.potsdam.edu - it is very important to include the smb:// because this tells OS X that it's a Windows Server. 
  • Optionally click the + sign across from where you just typed. Doing so will add the server to your Favorite Server list so that next time you need only double-click helios.potsdam.edu to connect. 
  • Click Connect and the following dialog box will appear: 

  User name Screen grab

  • Enter your Username and Password for the server. Note for 10.4 users: you will also be asked for the Domain to connect to, it is: POTSDAM 

  Volumes Screen Grab

  • Select the shared directory that you want to use. Note for 10.4 users: if the share you want is not listed, click Authenticate/Re-Authenticate (not shown above) and re-type your username and password to be sure they are correct. 
  • The server will appear on your desktop.