📖 User Guide · Mac & Windows

Mac ↔ Windows File Sharing

Share files between a Mac and a Windows PC on the same Wi-Fi — no cloud and no accounts. Here's how to get set up and send your first file.

1. Install the app

If you have FileSharingApp.exe, just double-click it. Nothing else to install.

Install Python 3 from python.org (tick Add Python to PATH and tcl/tk and IDLE), then run launch_filesharing.bat.

Install Python 3 (Homebrew python-tk recommended), then run ./launch_filesharing.sh.

On macOS, if the app won't open with the built-in Python, install it via Homebrew: brew install python@3.11 python-tk@3.11.

2. Start it on both devices

Launch File Sharing on both the Mac and the Windows PC.

Optional: run the auto-start script (setup_autostart_windows.bat / setup_autostart_mac.sh) so it's always ready in the background.

3. Send a file

After a few seconds, other computers on your Wi-Fi show up under Available Devices.

Click Select File and choose what to send.

Click the device in the list, then click Send to Selected Device.

4. Receive a file

When someone sends you a file, a dialog asks you to confirm — click Yes to accept.

Received files are saved to your Downloads/FileSharing folder.

FAQ & troubleshooting

Devices not showing up?

Make sure both computers are on the same Wi-Fi, then click Refresh. Allow the app through your firewall — it uses ports 50000 and 50001.

The app won't start.

It needs tkinter. On Windows, reinstall Python with “tcl/tk and IDLE” ticked; on Mac, use Homebrew python-tk.

Is it private?

Yes — files stay on your local network, every transfer needs your confirmation, and nothing is sent to external servers.