Drive mapping: Instructions for Mac OS

This page provides the steps to map drives for Mac OS systems.  For instructions for Windows systems, click here.  For answers to frequently asked questions about drive mapping, click here.  For a general explanation of drive mapping, click here.  Contact the Help Desk if you experience problems.

What is your situation? 

With Windows systems, the particulars of drive mapping depend on how a computer is set up, where it is located and how it is connected to the network.  With Macs, the situation is somewhat simpler: almost every type of use requires manual mapping.

Use the steps in the next section to do that.

Steps to map a drive in Mac OS

(1) In Finder, in the "Go" menu, select "Connect to Server".

(2) A "Connect to Server" window will open.  In the "Server Address" field enter "smb" followed by the drive path.  For example, to map your home directory , enter the following: 

smb://medfs03/~username

where username is your Medical ID (e.g., "jsmith"). 

(3) Authenticate with your Medical ID and password.

(4) An "SMB Mount" will occur.  The drives(s) you selected will show up in the Finder sidebar and on your desktop with a globe icon. You can use this drive as you would any other drive or folder, provided you have the appropriate permissions.

(5) To disconnect from the share, drag its icon onto the trash icon in your Dock. The trash icon will turn into an Eject icon as you move the share to it.

In case you were wondering, SMB stands for Server Message Block -- a protocol designed to allow the sharing of files and devices in a small network. SMB has since been renamed to CIFS, or Common Internet File System.