File sharing stopped working after macOS 13.7.5 update

Keep in mind that on Ventura, the file system is APFS. That means that you can always add an aditional volume on the fly – without wiping the drive like in the olden days when a volume had to be partitioned first – and install a compatible MacOS version in parallel as a new boot volume. All older and newer MacOS versions are still available on Apple servers, albeit somewhat hidden and buried. But here's a 3rd party page that has all original download links directly to the Apple servers neatly listed, so you can simply pick your favorite version:

https://geekschalk.com/how-to-download-macos-installers-for-new-old-versions/

So for instance, if you want to revert to 13.7.4, you may want to create a new volume via Disk Utility, download https://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/08/22/072-83845-A_XJNKWES8K3/95bsibbbgdt0eyfr278z60061tw15x7g40/InstallAssistant.pkg (this is the "MacOS Ventura 13.7.4 InstallAssistant.pkg" link; note that it's genuine on a "swcdn.apple.com" server and not a 3rd party mirror) and install it on the new volume, then you can test it and migrate all your data to the new volume. APFS volumes are dynamic and will adjust in size as needed, as long as the total space allows. When the migration worked out fine, you can also delete the old 13.7.5 volume if needed.

Not every installation is possible "out of the box", however, so in certain constellations you may need to create an external bootable volume first, as outlined on Apple's Support pages.

In any case, I'm maintaining a spare Sonoma volume on my MacBook Air by using this method, currently at v14.7.3.

edit: solved by reinstalling Ventura...

To connect from iOS/iPadOS to Ventura 13.7.6 via VLC, the server path syntax must be apparently "computername/volumename" or "computername/sharename", without the ".local" bit.

rivmac wrote:

Using finder click Go, then Connect to Server. Enter the following: smb://name of computer._smb._tcp.local/name of shared folder. Enter credentials of shared folder user and password and it worked. I don't know why, but this has been a real problem for the last 10 days. Hope this works for you too.

Thanks for the hint, this works for me to connect from an El Capitan MacBook Pro to a Ventura MacBook Air.

What's also odd with this bug:

In the file sharing info window in System Settings, the note "Other users can access shared folders on this computer, and administrators all volumes, at smb://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx" displays a completely unrelated random IP address, not the standard 192.168.1.xxx from my LAN IP range.

Lukas wrote:

But!

I also double-checked that the issue is with Ventura [13.7.5] and not with the Mac itself or with the Wifi or Ethernet connection, and booted from my spare…

… external bootable SSD drive clone which still has Ventura 13.5.1 on it. (External bootable drives are not that easy to update.)

As expected, no networking issues whatsoever at the moment.

But I haven't cloned my user data onto this drive since many months, so this will be the next step to test: if my current user data will break file sharing even on v13.5.1. That may then narrow the search for a potential solution.

rivmac wrote:

Using finder click Go, then Connect to Server. Enter the following: smb://name of computer._smb._tcp.local/name of shared folder. Enter credentials of shared folder user and password and it worked.

So… to expand on ^ this ^ again…

I haven't updated or reinstalled anything (yet), but the "smb://nameofcomputer._smb._tcp.local/nameofsharedfolder" solution got me thinking.

And so I have simply added the full Ventura volume as a shared folder. This will default to System Administrator (i.e. root, I suppose) having read and write permissions. So I have added myself as a read&write co-owner, and for security, I have set "Everyone" to No Access.

Then, on the other Mac (El Capitan in my case), I can connect via cmd-K → smb://my_ventura_mac_name._smb._tcp.local/my_ventura_volume_name

Voilà, there's my Ventura volume again.

Not as elegant as just clicking a Connect button, but it works! :)

I have the same problem but I can see and connect to my Mac Pro 2010 (but not the other way round except by shared alias folders), but not to the two 2017 iMacs or Sequoia Mac Book M2 on the home network. I can connect to the iMacs etc., via the alias shared folders on the desktops of the machines. When I open these, the drive appears and I can open that, but anything via the network facility just say 'connecting' and then 'loading' which soon disappears without populating the drive list. The Mac Pro can connect OK to the Mac Book, so it's solely a Ventura 13.7.5 problem.

I've now confirmed on another Intel system that I'd "upgraded" to 13.7.5 (an iMac 27-inch 2019) that booting off a previously saved bootable clone (about a month old) of 13.7.4 results in the file sharing behaving perfectly normally ...

I note that the developer builds of 13.7.6 are out there now (I don't have access) so I guess there is a slight chance (fingers-crossed) that that release will contain a fix for the issue.

Does anyone have access to the 13.7.6 builds that can test?

It's not just file sharing, I have a problem with access to files and directories on the same machine since the update too.

I have to keep authorising access - Mixxx for one, every time I load a song I have to confirm access and with 20,000 songs that's a pain. Anyone with a similar prob, the work around is to relink the directory in Mixxx preferences>library; this only a temp fix and you have to do it each time power up of the computer.

But the last Apple's joke is : impossible to reinstall Ventura on my MacMini M1. It is said impossible to install older version but it is NOT. It is 13.7.5 and I want to reinstall 13.7.5... Crazy... Or maybe they deleted 13.7.5 reinstallation...

Anyway the method Cmd k + smb://ComputerName._smb._tcp.local/FolderName works...

Thank you Stephan this worked for me, but man what a pain!!! I shared the Drobo and the folder form the iMac and was able to connect to them... networking 2x 27" iMacs with a Drobo and Synology connected and suddenly poof. No more network connection - like that. it took over 2 hours of our time in the office trying a variety of things re setting WiFi re wiring all the Ethernet cables etc. Apple shame on you guys. I really am disappointed with apple on so many levels. as a 20 years+ user i swear I would switch if i could. I already gave up my iPhone, but clinging on to my Macbookpros and iMacs still. we shall see. I hope apple is seeing all the chaos here and planning a patch soon please.

Just a followup. Even though I checked "SHARED" on the external drives, the SHARED setting wasn't being saved. I did try unlocking at the bottom of the Get Info screen, and it still was not saved. I then unlocked, checked SHARED, locked again, closed the get info, and reopening the get info ans the shared was saved.

Also, I did yet another reinstall of 13.7.5 and all is working for now. Fingers crossed.

Is working on my home network using the latest RC, Ventura 13.7.6 (22H625). It may also work on earlier versions but I upgraded before I got it working. The instructions below may be helpful.

In the remote Ventura machine File sharing and SMB must be turned on.

Terminal command to connect is:

mount_smbfs //[username]@[remote_Ventura_URL].local/[remote_share_path] [mountpath]

Example: mount_smbfs //joe_bloggs@192.168.1.5.local/shared_folder ~Ventura/mountpoint

A username and password may be added to the command:

mount_smbfs //[username][:password]@[remote_Ventura_URL].local/[remote_share_path] [mountpath]

Or, in Finder: smb://[remote_Ventura_URL].local/[remote_share_path]

Or, create an alias once connected.

To make things easy the above commands may be built, using some user input initially, by the ConnectMeNow app that sits in the menu bar and makes all connections available for mounting (or unmounting) in a drop down list. The author of CMN was very helpful. Details here. Good luck, is now working reliably.

Sooo…

For what it's worth:

Since I've been already at it with updating, I also just updated my spare Sonoma partition to 14.7.6 right now.

Lo and behold, connecting to this Mac from the outside via SMB is now only a matter of a click and a second, be it from any of my Macs or from an iPhone. And of course, I can then mount, browse and edit also the other volume – i.e. the one that would actually boot Ventura – without any issues.

So let me recap once again, the blame is solely on MacOS Ventura 13.7.5 and 13.7.6. Apple just screwed something with SMB there. Period.

So if your Mac can run Sonoma, possibly it's time to upgrade.

(Me, I'll have to make quite a few checks first, to make sure that all apps and external hardware that I need to use will continue to function under Sonoma. And I'm in no rush with that…)

I have the same problem with Ventura 13.7.5 running on a 2017 MacBook Pro.

I just updated to Ventura 13.7.6 and everything was fixed. I could again use the Finder on two different remote Macs to login to Ventura using all my Administrator and Standard user accounts.

Just wanted my post to be seen as today.

I then rebooted Ventura 13.7.6 and all the original SMB problems with 13.7.5 are back.

What an emotional roller coaster after Apple broke, apparently fixed, and then somehow broke again such a basic system networking service.

I cannot upgrade to Sonoma so I am stuck with a seriously broken Ventura system.

I too have reported this problem to Apple via feedback.