In Mac OS X, how do I access my computer's disks from another Macintosh?

Note: These instructions assume that you know your computer's IP address. If you don't, see How do I determine my computer's IP address?

If you have a networked Mac OS X computer, you may access its disks or volumes from another Macintosh that also has an Internet connection. To do this, first turn on file sharing:

• Mac OS X 10.2.x and later: From the Apple menu, select System Preferences... . In System Preferences, from the View menu, select Sharing. Click the Services tab, and check the box next to Personal File Sharing.
  
  
• Mac OS X 10.1.x: From the Apple menu, select System Preferences... . In System Preferences, from the View menu, select Sharing. Click the File & Web tab. Under "File Sharing Off", click Start.
  
  
• Mac OS X 10.0.x: From the Apple menu, select System Preferences... . In the System Preferences window, click Show All and then Sharing. Under "File Sharing Off", click Start.

Once you have turned on file sharing, to access your computer's disks or volumes from another networked Mac OS X computer:

1. From the Go menu in the Finder, select Connect to Server... .
   
   
2. In OS X 10.3.x and later, in the Connect to Server window, click Browse. In the window that opens, you will see a listing of all the computers available on your local network. Browse to and select the computer to which you wish to connect, and double-click its icon or click Connect.

   In OS X 10.2.x, in the Connect to Server window, if you do not already see a listing of all the available computers on the local network, click the blue triangle button next to the "At:" pull-down menu. Browse to and select the computer to which you wish to connect, and double-click its icon or click Connect.

   Alternatively, in any version of OS X, in the window that opens, in the "Server Address:" or "Address:" field, type the domain name or IP address of your computer. Click Connect.

3. In the authentication window that opens, type the username and password of an account on the computer you want to access and then click Connect.
   
   
4. Choose the volume or volumes you want, and then click OK.

Once you've connected, the volume or volumes from the remote computer will appear on your desktop. You may transfer files to and from the two computers just as you would between local disks. When you are finished with the remote volumes, drag their icons to the Trash.

Also see:

• In Mac OS X, how do I connect to and share files with a Windows computer?