Question How do I share an NFTS Drive on my Mac to Windows 11 PC via Local Network?

[Budgeteer_262]

Hi All,

I have a MacBook with 250GB space. I only use 40GB locally and I want to make the other 210GB usable by my main PC via internet LAN share. They're both connected to the same local network.

I have created a "Windows NFTS" Partition on the Mac using Disk Utility app. However, I am having trouble sharing an (empty) folder in it to the windows PC because the options to control which users I share it to are greyed out in system preferences. When I add a regular APFS file from my MacOS partition to file sharing, these options are available.

I don't need the Mac to be able to read and write on the "Windows NFTS" Drive because the Mac is only used for sharing it to the Windows 11 machine. However, the greyed out options for the NFTS suggest that I am missing some pre requisites.

Also, I've successfully shared drives from other windows machines to my main Windows 11 machine so I think it's "all set up" on that end.

I'd appreciate any course of action on how to get the sharing to work so I can use those 210GB which are gathering dust on the Mac.

 

[Ralston18]

Start here:

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-map-network-drive-mac-4707917

Scroll down to the FAQ box - more information there.

 

[Budgeteer_262]

Start here:

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-map-network-drive-mac-4707917

Scroll down to the FAQ box - more information there.

If that refers to OneDrive, from what I can read, the service only offers you their cloud storage and won't let you provide your own. In addition, I need the drive to be accessible from windows file explorer and not just from a browser. I know that there is a OneDrive integration in File Explorer but I don't think it's possible to mount my drive and access it accross multiple devices through OneDrive.

Please correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[Ralston18]

Hosted folder on Mac and shared so Windows OS computers can access the files in the hosted folder - correct?

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-easily-share-files-across-mac-windows-computers/

You will need to know the Mac' network IP address.

Also moving your thread from "Systems" to "Storage". More applicable category.

 

[Budgeteer_262]

How do I "move" the thread? I don't see any options under "edit thread"

Thanks

 

[USAFRet]

How do I "move" the thread? I don't see any options under "edit thread"

Thanks

The Moderator already did that.

 

[Budgeteer_262]

Hosted folder on Mac and shared so Windows OS computers can access the files in the hosted folder - correct?

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-easily-share-files-across-mac-windows-computers/

You will need to know the Mac' network IP address.

Also moving your thread from "Systems" to "Storage". More applicable category.

I successfully created a shared folder from the MAC which I could connect to on the Windows PC, however it was useless because I couldn't read or write to any of the folders in the shared drive. This is because the folders were in the APFS file format but Windows is in NFTS file format.

To alleviate this, I created a new partition on the MAC in the NFTS file format exclusively intended to be read and written on by the Windows PC via the network drive. However, MacOS BigSur is not letting me share a folder in the NFTS drive, probably because it is in a format which the OS doesn't know how to share. As stated above, vital sharing options are greyed out in MAC settings when trying to share an NFTS folder.

Does anyone know how to either:

A) Work out how to share my NFTS (NOT APFS so extra complications) from the Mac.

or

B) Work out how to get File explorer to read and write on an APFS directly from the File Explorer?

Because I intend to install programs directly onto the network drive, the APFS drive would need to be readable directly form file explorer so that the drive can exist as an installation path for an installation.

 

[Ralston18]

What programs do you intend to install?

Why?

 

[Budgeteer_262]

PC Games

I’ve found network drives to be a free way expanding my desktop storage by connecting all of the half filled storage on laptops via network drives.

With my Windows 11 laptop, I was able to store CS GO on it and play it from my desktop PC via network drive. (Technically, I was able to store it on the windows laptop, render it on the desktop and then play it on the weak Mac remotely using parsec)

I’d like to do the same with my Mac (mount network drive from it to the PC), especially because it has double the storage. However, because it’s not windows 11 like my laptop and desktop pc, it’s more complicated and I haven’t figured it out yet, which is why I’m here.

Hence, the Mac storage must appear in the file explorer on the pc like any other network drive so that I can install games and programs on it.

ps, there’s no added latency when playing a game that’s on a network drive because the game files are loaded to locally based ram before it is requested by the gpu/cpu. Load times are higher tho.