How To Access Files Of Apps In Mac
The most common way to share data with Windows and Mac includes Slack, Google Drive and good old’ flash drives. However, there is a better way if both computers are connected to the same WiFi network. In this article, we’ll set up shared folders on Mac and access it from a Windows computer. Let’s begin.
If you want to share the folders on Windows and access it from a Mac instead then you can follow the steps in this article on how to access Windows Shared folders on a Mac.
However, this Library folder often proves an invaluable source of troubleshooting for those who are confident and comfortable accessing the app files contained within. For Mac power users, you may have heard the expression to “Delete the application's plist,” which is only something you can do with access to the Library folder. The only exception being the Apps downloaded from the Mac App Store. These applications will not appear in the Downloads Folder, instead you will find them downloaded to the /Applications Folder on your Mac. There are multiple ways to access the Downloaded Files on your Mac, we will be taking a look at some of the quickest and most convenient. Oct 18, 2019 The Finder is the first thing that you see when your Mac finishes starting up. It opens automatically and stays open as you use other apps. It includes the Finder menu bar at the top of the screen and the desktop below that. It uses windows and icons to show you the contents of your Mac, iCloud Drive, and other storage devices. It's called the.
Step 1. Enable File Sharing and Share a Folder on Mac
How To Access Files Of Apps In Mac Shortcut
Setting up and Accessing Shared folders is relatively easy and you don’t need to install any additional hardware. However, it would be even more seamless if you assign these devices a static IP so that you don’t have to re-establish a connection whenever your router assigns a new one.
Open ‘System Preferences‘ on your Mac computer and click the Sharing icon.
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Click File Sharing and add all the folders you want to share by clicking the + button under Shared Folders as shown below.
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After this, you can add users and the level of control they’d have on the shared folders. If you’re unsure then leave it on the default and enable the Server. Click Options to open the dialog box.
Mac supports both SMB and AFP servers where the latter is built for Apple devices only. I plan on sharing the folder between both Mac and Windows so I checked both servers but you can enable just SMB and it would work just as fine.
Check the box next to “Share files and folders using SMB”. Check the box next to your account and click Done.
Now, click the ‘File Sharing’ box on the left pane and then lock the settings by clicking on the padlock icon in the bottom left side of the window.
Before you exit this window, note down the smb server address and the name of the shared folder, we’ll need this to access the shared folder on Mac.
Read: How to Setup Shared Folders, Users, Permissions on WD NAS
Step 2. Access Shared folder On Windows
To access the shared folder on a Windows computer, we’ll map the drive to the computer. Open Windows Explorer and right-click on This PC icon.
Select ‘Map Network Drive’. Even though you can access the shared folder by running this command “IP-ADDRESS-OF-MAC” in the Run dialog box, we’ll map it so that it shows up in Windows Explorer and you don’t have to run the command every time you want to access the network drive.
Now, you’d need the IP address we note down earlier while enabling the shared folder on Mac. Type ” YOUR-MAC-IPSHARED-FOLDER”. Click finish.
It would prompt you to enter the credentials and map the drive after successful authentication. Now, you can access the shared folder and files in it.
Final Words
That was a quick way to set up sharing and accessing Mac shared folders from a Windows computer. It is a convenient and reliable way of accessing large files over the network when you don’t move around a lot. We use it for sharing Rendered video files that reduce the dependency on Google Drive and flash drives. Go ahead map the drives and let me know if you face any problems. You can comment down below or reach me on Twitter.
Your Mac is hiding something from you, well, quite a lot, actually, in the form of hidden files and folders. Don't worry; it’s for a good reason. I've got the answers why and some simple tips on how to view all the files on your Mac, even the hard to reach ones.
Here are a few reasons why you might want to see all the files on your Mac:
Delete leftover data
Clear cache
Troubleshoot apps and programs
Apple has been hiding some system files to prevent users from accidentally deleting those. But sometimes, you may need to access them to fix a problem or investigate an issue. So, here's how to see all files on your Mac.
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How to view all files on your Mac
No matter your reasons, from troubleshooting, curiosity to cleaning up, let's look at the different ways to unhide and view all files on your Mac.
Did you know? There are actually 3 Library folders on your Mac! Surprising to many, one of these — /System/Library — is well and truly hidden, as it contains all the necessary files needed for use by the macOS.
Use Finder to view files on Mac
If you quickly want to know how to see all the files on your Mac hard drive, then Finder is the place to go. Apple calls Finder the home base for your Mac, and that's because you can access and organize practically everything on your Mac.
Access and organize your files with Finder:
Select the Finder iconfrom your Dock.
Once open, use the left-hand sidebar to navigate through locations, folders, and files.
If you're anything like me, does searching through Finder leave you a bit overwhelmed? I wish I were a bit more organized, but as you can see, my desktop is a file and folder graveyard, and tags are just not for me. If you're trying to clean up your Mac, using Finder to locate large and forgotten files works, but it's not the simplest of ways.
Find and remove unneeded files quickly
One effortless way to see all files on your Mac hard drive is to use the CleanMyMac X Large & Old Files module. This handy tool searches for massive files, like movies and other old downloads, and groups them by size, kind, and access date, helping you identify large and unneeded items for removal.
Locate and delete large and old files:
Download the free versionof CleanMyMac X.
Launch and select Large & Old Files from the sidebar and press Scan.
Take a look through the list, and select items for removal, then press Remove.
Just like that, you can delete multiple large files at once.
Show hidden folders on Mac
So, as I mentioned earlier, your Mac has 3 Library folders, 2 of these are visible, and one is hidden from plain sight. The ones you can see contain all the files accessible to all Mac users. The hidden Library folder contains all the files that your macOS needs to run.
Where are the two visible Library folders located?
The first Library folder is located in your Macintosh HD.
Here's how to locate it:
Open Finder, from the sidebar under Locations, select your Mac name.
Now, select Macintosh HD and then Library.
The second Library folder is located in your System folder.
Follow the same steps as above, except this time, on step 2, instead of selecting Library, select System, then Library.
Locate the hidden Library folder
The third and hidden Library folder is located here:
Open Finder, in the sidebar menu under locations, select your Mac.Best free organization apps mac.
Now, select Macintosh HD.
From the Go menu on the top bar navigation, press and hold down the Option key. The Library will appear below Home in the list, select to open.
This last folder is hidden for a reason, so make sure you don’t delete anything accidentally.
Uncover hidden files using Terminal
Another easy way to see all files on your Mac is through Terminal. Use command prompts to control the system directly.
Don't worry, Terminal isn't as scary as it seems. Scripts are easy to run, and you can undo actions quickly, also. If you mistype the command, it won't execute.
Open Terminal to uncover hidden files and folders:
Open Terminal (Finder > Applications > Utilities).
Once open, enter the following command one at a time, pressing Return after each one:
defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
killall Finder
Take a look now in your Macintosh HD folder to see all the hidden folders revealed.
To hide the files once finished, follow the above scripts, except replace 'TRUE' with 'FALSE' and press enter.
Tip: Find secret files within any folder by using this quick command. Hold down Cmd + Shift +dot.
Remove system junk files to clean up your Mac
If the main reason why you've been looking at how to view all the files on Mac is so you can delete them to optimize space and performance, the app I already mentioned, CleanMyMac X, has some great tools to keep your Mac optimized and organized.
I really like the System Junk module, which removes tons of temporary files, broken items, cache, and more, reclaiming space for your Mac quickly.
How to clean up your System Junk:
Open CleanMyMac X — download the free version here.
Select System Junk from the sidebar and press Scan.
Once the scan is complete, press Clean.
Now, your hard drive is much cleaner!
We've looked at a couple of different ways to find all the files on your Mac, including the hidden ones.
Have fun discovering what's hiding behind the scenes. Just remember to back up your Mac before you delete anything important stored in those hidden folders.