I'm trying to transfer around 300 GB of various files from my Mac to my Windows PC through an external hard drive. I've copied the files onto the drive, safely ejected it, and then transferred the files to my Windows PC. I've opened some of the files on Windows, and they seem fine. Before I delete the files from my Mac to free up space, I want to know if there's any risk of losing data or quality during this process. Should I be concerned about any issues?
5 Answers
Be wary of losing metadata when transferring between different systems (like APFS to NTFS). Also, if this is meant to be a backup, consider the 3:2:1 rule: three copies, on two different types of storage, with one offsite. Just a thought!
Generally, you shouldn't face any major issues with this process. The best way to ensure your files were transferred correctly is to perform a checksum comparison, but that can be excessive for most. If the transfer went smoothly, you should be in good shape!
Keep a backup on your external drive just in case, or even consider transferring to a thumb drive. If you're worried about space, you might want to create an image for backup. Just remember, a solid backup strategy is key!
As long as your external drive is formatted properly—which it sounds like it is—you should be fine switching between Mac and Windows. Just make sure the formatting is compatible and you're good to go!
The drive is exFAT; I reformatted it from NTFS using Mac's Disk Utility. Does that make a difference?
Files are pretty straightforward; they don't degrade when copying them. Just remember that any data storage can potentially fail, so having a solid backup is always the best way to avoid data loss.
What kind of metadata should I be worried about losing?