How to Read a Mac External Drive on Windows

Windows tin can't commonly read Mac-formatted drives, and will offer to erase them instead. Just 3rd-party tools make full the gap and provide access to drives formatted with Apple tree's HFS+ file arrangement on Windows. This also allows you to restore Time Machine backups on Windows.

If you know you're going to use a bulldoze on both Mac and Windows, you should use the exFAT file arrangement, which is compatible with both. But if y'all didn't foresee that, you may have formatted your drive with Apple tree's HFS Plus, which Windows tin't read by default. In fact, some manufacturers sell "Mac" drives pre-formatted with this Mac-simply file system.

Don't Format the Drive! (Yet)

When you connect a Mac-formatted drive to Windows, you'll be informed that "you lot demand to format the disk in drive X: before you can utilize it." Don't click the "Format deejay" button or Windows will erase the contents of the bulldoze–click "Cancel"!

This bulletin appears because Windows doesn't understand Apple'due south HFS+ file system. That's fine, because other applications practise. Only don't format the drive until you get the important files off the bulldoze.

Of course, if the drive doesn't have any of import files on it, you tin go ahead and format information technology. Just be absolutely sure there's nix yous demand before you practice.

Selection One: HFSExplorer Is Free and Basic

RELATED: How to Restore Files From a Time Machine Backup on Windows

If you merely demand to get a couple files off the bulldoze, we recommend HFSExplorer. It's the just completely free way to access a Mac-formatted bulldoze. It does require Java, however, so you'll have to install that first. Then, install HFSExplorer like you would whatsoever other Windows program.

HFSExplorer isn't fancy, though, and doesn't have a lot of features. You can't use it to write to Mac-formatted drives, and information technology doesn't install a file system driver that integrates into File Explorer. But you can open HFSExplorer, read a Mac-formatted drive, and copy the files to your Windows PC without paying a dime. It can as well mount Mac .dmg disk images to get at the files within them.

This application's read-only nature isn't necessarily a bad matter. Information technology ensures that no bug in the third-party driver can impairment your Mac-formatted bulldoze and the files on it. Yous tin gear up read-only style in other applications, as well–but, if you're non going to utilise their write support, there'south less reason to pay for them.

To use HFSExplorer, connect your Mac-formatted bulldoze to your Windows PC and launch HFSExplorer. Click the "File" card and select "Load File System From Device." It will automatically locate the continued bulldoze, and you tin can load it. You'll come across the contents of the HFS+ drive in the graphical window. Merely select the files or folders you desire, click "Extract," and choose a folder. They'll exist copied to the location you choose on your PC.

Option Two: Paragon HFS+ is $20, But Offers Write Access and Amend Integration

Paragon's HFS+ for Windows is a bit fancier, but it'll toll you. This tool installs a file organisation driver that allows you lot to admission a Mac-formatted bulldoze like whatsoever other bulldoze in File Explorer, or whatsoever other Windows application with an open or save dialog. It boasts improved speed, and we wouldn't be surprised if information technology were faster than HFSExplorer. And, unlike HFSExplorer, it offers full read/write access to Mac-formatted drives, then yous can write to them from within Windows. But install it, and Mac drives will show upwards like whatsoever other drive.

If you lot need to work with Mac-formatted drives on a regular ground and you want the operating system integration, speed, and write access, Paragon HFS+ is a slap-up choice and will exist worth it for yous. But, if you but need to become some files off a Mac-formatted drive occasionally, this is overkill and you can save $20 by sticking with HFSExplorer.

Paragon does offering a x-solar day free trial of HFS+ for Windows, so yous can give it a try and see if it works for you. And, if y'all just demand to go files off of a Mac-formatted drive once, yous can just use the trial and be done with the application by the time it expires.

Selection Three: Mediafour MacDrive Costs $fifty to $70, But Includes More than Features

Mediafour's MacDrive is similar to Paragon's HFS+ for Windows, merely with more features and smooth. Information technology'south noticeably more than expensive than Paragon HFS+ as well, at $50 for the Standard version and $70 for the Pro version.

For most people, this software won't really exist worth it. Simply it offers a few unique features, like support for Mac-formatted RAID disks. It besides offers a graphical interface with support for verifying, repairing, and formatting Mac-formatted drives. Paragon's HFS+ gets out of your way and doesn't provide a graphical interface–it just enables admission to HFS+ drives in File Explorer and other applications.

If y'all need all these tools, become for information technology–this is the nigh full-featured solution for working with Mac-formatted drives on Windows. Merely you probably don't need all these tools.

Mediafour does offer a five-day free trial of MacDrive–both the Standard and Pro versions–so yous can give it a effort and see if those features are worth information technology for you.

Option Four: Format the Drive equally exFAT–But Warning, This Will Erase Your Data!

RELATED: What'south the Divergence Between FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS?

One time you've gotten all the data off the Mac-formatted drive, you'll probably want to format it with the exFAT file system. Both Windows and Mac OS X accept total read-write back up for exFAT drives without any additional third-political party software. FAT32 has some serious limitations–individual files tin can simply be up to 4GB in size each, for example–but exFAT doesn't.

Rather than use a Mac-formatted drive, you should get the important files off of information technology and use exFAT-formatted drives for moving information between Macs and PCs.

To format the drive in Windows, right-click it in the File Explorer window and select "Format." Cull the "exFAT" file system in the list and click "Outset." Remember, this will erase all the files on the drive! Exist absolutely sure you have your files off the drive and that y'all've selected the right drive you want to format!

When you lot're done, the drive should piece of work on both Windows PCs and Macs with no problem.

Past the way, this works groovy for Windows users as well–Macs tin't natively write to the Windows NTFS file system, although they can read files from NTFS drives. And then no matter what your primary platform, exFAT is probably the style to go.

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Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/252111/how-to-read-a-mac-formatted-drive-on-a-windows-pc/#:~:text=To%20use%20HFSExplorer%2C%20connect%20your,drive%20in%20the%20graphical%20window.

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