Fix Mac Ventura Access Issue with Symlinked Folders on Windows Server 2016

As organizations increasingly rely on cross-platform solutions, connectivity between Mac Ventura machines and Windows Server 2016 environments has become essential for seamless workflows. However, a notable challenge arises when Mac users attempt to access network file shares that utilize symlinked folders—often resulting in frustrating access errors or missing directories in Finder. This article presents a comprehensive guide to resolving these symlink-related access issues, ensuring that both Windows Server configurations and Mac settings are optimized for interoperability.

Enable Symlink Support on Windows Server 2016 SMB Shares

Step 1: Launch the Group Policy Editor by pressing Windows + R, entering gpedit.msc, and hitting Enter. This powerful tool will help you configure security and sharing settings.

Step 2: Navigate to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > User Rights Assignment. Here, look for the policy labeled Create symbolic links.

Step 3: Include the user accounts or groups that access the SMB share from your Mac in this policy. By default, this privilege is reserved for administrators, so it’s crucial to grant explicit permissions to ensure smooth collaboration.

Step 4: After making the changes, either restart the Windows Server or issue the gpupdate /force command in a Command Prompt to apply the new group policy settings immediately.

Adjust SMB Settings on Windows Server 2016

Step 1: Open a Command Prompt with administrative privileges by right-clicking the Start Menu and selecting Command Prompt (Admin).

Step 2: Check your current SMB server configuration by executing the command:

1Get-SmbServerConfiguration | Select EnableSMB2Protocol, EnableSMB1Protocol, RejectUnencryptedAccess, EnableSMBDirsymlink

Step 3: If the setting EnableSMBDirsymlink is configured to False, activate it by entering:

1Set-SmbServerConfiguration -EnableSMBDirsymlink $true

This adjustment allows the SMB server to appropriately manage directory symlinks, enhancing compatibility with Mac Ventura.

Step 4: To effectuate this change, restart the Windows Server or the SMB service with the following command:

1Restart-Service -Name 'LanmanServer'

Connect to the SMB Share on Mac Ventura

Step 1: On your Mac, open Finder, click Go in the menu bar, and select Connect to Server… or simply press Command + K.

Step 2: In the server address field, enter the full SMB path to your Windows Server share starting with the smb:// prefix (e.g., smb://servername/sharename).

Step 3: Click Connect, and if prompted, enter your login credentials. If the server-side configurations were applied correctly, symlinked folders should now be accessible.

Step 4: If symlinked folders still do not appear, try disconnecting the share and reconnecting it, or restart your Mac to clear any cached SMB session data.

Alternative Workaround: Using NTFS Directory Junctions

Due to certain differences in protocol support, Mac Ventura may struggle with specific symlink types. Instead, opting for NTFS directory junctions can offer a more reliable solution.

Step 1: On your Windows Server, open Command Prompt with administrative rights.

Step 2: Create a directory junction using the mklink command, like so:

1mklink /J "C:\Shared\JunctionFolder" "C:\Target\ActualFolder"

Step 3: Share the parent directory as usual. Directory junctions tend to be recognized more reliably by SMB clients, including macOS, and should appear as standard folders within Finder.

Conclusion

Addressing the access issues faced by Mac Ventura when connecting to SMB shares on Windows Server 2016 requires a multifaceted approach. By configuring server-side permissions, tweaking SMB settings, and considering alternative link types like directory junctions, users can restore seamless access to symlinked folders. If challenges persist, reviewing the SMB protocol version and utilizing the robust capabilities of directory junctions can streamline access, enhancing efficiency in mixed-OS environments.