Section 5.3. Transfers by File-Sending Web Site

5.3. Transfers by File-Sending Web Site

There's a new breed of file-shuttling Web site prowling the Netand a new option for transferring large amounts of data between machines.

They're free Web sites, like yousendit.com and sendthisfile.com , that are specifically designed for sending huge files from one computer to another, without worrying about email file attachments or size limits.

On the Windows PC, zip up your files into a great big .zip file. Upload it to one of these free sites, and provide your Mac's email address.

On the Mac, click the link that arrives by emailand presto, that huge zip file gets downloaded onto your Mac. It's free, there's no file-size limit, and you can download the big file(s) within three days of sending them. The only price you pay is a little bit of waiting while the stuff gets uploaded and then downloaded.

TROUBLESHOOTING MOMENT
When Your PC Can't See the Mac

If your Mac doesn't show up in the My Network Places (or Network Neighborhood) window of the PC, you may have to knock it into submission.

If this is your first attempt at MacPC communication, try restarting the PC. The My Network Places window updates itself only once per session.

If that doesn't work, on the PC, click the "View workgroup computers" link in the left-side task pane. In the next window, click the "Microsoft Windows Network" link.

Finally, you arrive at the Microsoft Windows Network window, which contains icons for the various workgroups on the network. Double-click the icons until you find your Mac. Log in as described in Figure 5-5. Thereafter, your Home folder will show up like any other folder in the My Network Places window, saving you the trouble of going through all this again.

If your PC sees the Mac but doesn't let you sign in, on the other hand, the troubleshooting tactic is slightly different. Go to the Mac and open System Preferences. Open the Accounts pane, click Change Password, and change your password to something else. Click Change Passwordand then change the password back again , if you like. The point here is that changing your password (even if you change it right back) usually shocks both the Mac and PC into re- memorizing it.

Now when you sign in from the PC, the Mac should recognize youand let you in.

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Tip: If you have your own Web sitea .com of your own, for example, or a free site through a universityyou can also use that Web space as a transfer tool. Follow the uploading instructions that you were given when you signed up for the space. (Hint: It usually involves a so-called FTP program.) Then, once all your files are on the site, download them onto your Mac.

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