I'm trying to move all my photos, videos, and Live Photos from my iPhone and iPad to an ASUS Vivobook 16 running Windows. Some files are in HEIC and HEVC formats, so I paid for a viewer from the Microsoft Store, but the files still won't open properly and my laptop has started crashing. What's the safest and most reliable way to transfer everything and make sure the files work?
3 Answers
A transfer service can be convenient, but be careful with personal photos. Check whether files are uploaded to a third-party server, how long they remain there, and whether the service offers end-to-end encryption. For private files, a direct USB transfer or a local network transfer is generally preferable. Whichever method you use, copy a small batch first and confirm the files open correctly before sending the rest.
A file viewer won’t fix an incomplete transfer, and HEVC videos can be demanding for some Windows systems. Once the files are safely copied, you can convert HEIC images and HEVC videos to more widely supported formats such as JPG and MOV or MP4. Avoid converting the only copy—keep the originals until you’ve checked that the converted versions work.
Start by testing with just two or three files instead of transferring everything at once. On Windows, install Apple Devices from the Microsoft Store, connect the iPhone or iPad with a USB cable, unlock it, accept the trust prompt, and then use the Windows Photos app to import the files. If iCloud Photos is set to Optimize Storage, the full-resolution originals may only be in iCloud, so you may need to download them through iCloud for Windows first. Open and verify the copied files before deleting anything from the Apple device.
I tried a transfer service that converted the files to more compatible image and video formats, and they opened successfully. I’ll keep the originals and use a USB or local transfer for the more private files.