My sister has an external hard drive that works perfectly on her Mac, but it's not showing any files when we plug it into her new Windows computer. I suspect it might be because of the drive's format, but I'm not really sure about the specifics. What's the best way for her to access those files on Windows? Would it make sense to buy another drive and transfer the files over?
3 Answers
Before you panic, have you tried Googling "opening Mac files on Windows"? There are resources out there. But yes, if it’s only the format causing the problem, you’re on the right track! Just make sure she has a backup of her files first!
You're right about the format issue. It’s possible there might be some software that allows Windows to read Mac-formatted drives, but I’d recommend using a Mac to access the files directly if possible. Once you get the files onto her Windows machine, you can format the external drive to be Windows-friendly and transfer them back easily.
It sounds like the drive might be formatted with a Mac-specific file system like APFS. If that’s the case, switching to exFAT format would be the best option, as it’s compatible with both Mac and Windows. Just remember to back up all the files first before formatting, or you’ll lose everything!
Thanks for the tip!
I’ll try that, thanks!