# Mac OS X 10.6 Sharing with Windows 7 issues?



## SeanSpade (Jun 8, 2008)

I use the whole smb:// to access my windows pc, but once I access a folder using that process, it accesses the first time, and then grays out completely afterwards.

I restart the mac, and all he folders are accessible, ONCE, and then grayed again.

So I need to know what I can do so that the folders do not gray out after one use.


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## sinclair_tm (Mar 11, 2005)

Do you login to the Windows PC with a username and password?


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## SeanSpade (Jun 8, 2008)

sinclair_tm said:


> Do you login to the Windows PC with a username and password?


Yes. I have to enter the password when I log in using the SMB format. Then, for some reason, after I access each folder, it becomes grey until I restart the Mac.


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## sinclair_tm (Mar 11, 2005)

Hmm, I'm not sure what to say, as I'm not running either OS yet, and won't be doing so until the end of the year. What version of Win 7 is it. If it is not Pro, that may be part of it as Home doesn't have all the networking stuff in it.


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## SeanSpade (Jun 8, 2008)

sinclair_tm said:


> Hmm, I'm not sure what to say, as I'm not running either OS yet, and won't be doing so until the end of the year. What version of Win 7 is it. If it is not Pro, that may be part of it as Home doesn't have all the networking stuff in it.


It's Ultimate.

The thing is, I can access all folders ONCE!!!

So, to connect to my PC for example, I type into the address bar:

smb://192.168.0.102 (or whatever)

immediately, it asks me which volumes to mount onto the disk, and then I mount a folder (say music) and then am able to fully access the music folder. About 20 minutes later (it could be 2 minutes also, but I am giving numbers relative to my needs) I go to access using the same smb:// format, and now the music folder is grayed out completely. I have to restart the computer, and do it again to reaccess the folders.

If you do find anything, or if anyone seeing this finds anything to explain it, I would appreciate it!!

Thank you again.


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## SeanSpade (Jun 8, 2008)

SeanSpade said:


> It's Ultimate.
> 
> The thing is, I can access all folders ONCE!!!
> 
> ...


OMG someone solved it. The drive was already mounted, and was grayed out because it was already open in finder.

Sorry, I'm an idiot. New to Mac, and confused. All sharing works now fine.

I went to finder, unmounted Music, and it became available again (of course).

It turns out you can't mount a drive that would already be mounted, and I'm not that smart thinking the Mac may actually conveniently keep the shared folder open for me.

Thanks again!!!


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## sinclair_tm (Mar 11, 2005)

Glad you figured it out. Reading your fist post after my asking about the version, I was thinking that this may be the case. Once you mount a folder or drive, it is always there until you unmount it. Open a Finder window and you will see then listed under the Shared heading in the left panel. Also, if you open the preferences of the Finder (menu item, Finder>Preferences) you can tell it to have mounted servers shown on the desktop so that after you mount it, you can then just double click the icon on the desktop to see the files on it.


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