Recover Data From Mac Hard Drive to PC

If you've recently stopped using your Mac and become a Windows PC user, you may wonder how to transfer your valuable data from one device to another. Although the transferring process may seem challenging and overwhelming at first, we're here to present you with detailed step-by-step guides on how to recover data from a Mac hard drive to a PC.

We'll also deal with potential challenges you may face during the transfer process to help you navigate the experience and learn which transfer method to use. Without further ado, let's jump into the guide.

Challenges of Transferring a Mac Hard Drive to a PC

Transferring your Mac hard drive data to a PC can be risky for numerous reasons. Below are some of the most common concerns.

• 🧩 File system compatibility – Windows and Mac devices use different file systems. For instance, Mac devices are usually formatted to APFS, while Windows uses NTFS or FAT32. This difference can lead to an unreadable drive.
• 💻 Hardware compatibility – You may not be able to connect your Mac hard drive to a Windows device due to compatibility issues. The Windows device may not support said hard drive, and vice versa.
• 🗫 Software concerns – Some applications Mac provides aren't available on Windows devices, which may lead to potential app loss and software concerns.
• 🔧 Partition schemes – Mac and Windows hard drives use different hard drive partition schemes, meaning one device may not be able to read the other's hard drive.

As you can see, you may face numerous challenges on the transferring journey, but we're here to help you overcome each of them and successfully reach your goals.

How to Recover Data from Mac Hard Drive to PC

Here are the best methods you can use to recover data from a Mac hard drive to your PC and ensure none of the files get lost in the process.

Method 1: Recover Data From Mac Hard Drive to PC With Recovery Software

Using professional data recovery software will increase recovery success and allow you to recover everything you've lost during the transfer process. One of the best tools you can find on the market is Wondershare Recoverit since it has over 35 patented technologies and 20 years of work history.

Moreover, Wondershare Recoverit utilizes advanced security systems to protect all your valuables from potential threats, meaning you can quickly recover your sensitive files. This tool supports numerous file type recoveries, such as JPG, AVI, PDF, MP4, PEF, and more. You can recover all of your files, even if you're using lesser-known types.

The tool has a 98% success rate, so you'll have no problem extracting your Mac hard drive data.

All you have to do is download the tool to your Windows PC and connect the Mac hard drive to it using the appropriate cables.

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Try Recoverit to Recover Data From Mac Hard Drive to PC

Follow these steps for a successful recovery experience:

1. Open Wondershare Recoverit and head to Hard Drives and Locations from the main menu.
2. Next, select your Mac hard drive under External Devices.

   

3. Once you select the hard drive, the program will start scanning. You can enable a deep scan, pause the process, and view progress in the next window.

   

4. Filter your files by their name, size, or type for easier access.

   

5. After the scanning process, select the files you wish to retrieve. Click the Recover button.

   

6. Choose where to save the files.

   

As you can see, Wondershare Recoverit is intuitive and easy to use, so you'll get your Mac data back in no time.

Method 2: Recover Data From Mac Hard Drive to PC With Time Machine

If you've created a Time Machine backup, this is your chance to recover your Mac hard drive data. You'll need the drive, an HFS or APFS reader for Windows, and a good cable.

Download a reader to your device, such as the HFSExplorer, connect the Time Machine drive to the Windows computer, and follow these steps:

1. Open the HFSExplorer on your Windows device.

   

2. Head to File>Load File System From Device.

   

3. Click the Autodetect button in the next window.

   

4. Select your Time Machine hard drive, as presented in the image below.

   

5. After this, select the files you wish to retrieve and click the Extract button.

   

Once you complete these steps, choose where to save the recovered files.

How to Transfer/Read Data from a Mac-formatted Hard Drive to a PC

Now, we'll present the safest methods you can try to transfer or read data from your Mac hard drive to a PC device.

Way 1: Transfer Data From Mac Hard to PC Using File Sharing Option

Mac has a built-in sharing option you can use to transfer your Mac data to a Windows PC. The tool is easy to use, and you can follow these steps to navigate the experience and start the sharing process:

1. Open System Settings on your Mac device.
2. Head to General>Sharing.

   

3. Toggle the File Sharing bar to enable the feature.

   

4. Click on Options and enable the Share files and folders using SMB feature.
5. Under Windows File Sharing, select the desired PC and click Done to continue.

   

6. Remember the IP Address next to the File Sharing: On status.
7. Now, jump to your Windows PC and head to File Explorer.
8. Type the IP address into the search bar.

   

Once you complete these steps, you'll access your Mac files.

Way 2: Using Network Folder on Windows PC

Windows has a designated network folder you can use to transfer files to and from any device connected to the same server. The process may initially seem overwhelming, which is why we advise you to follow this step-by-step guide for the most efficient experience:

1. Open Finder on your Mac.
2. Click Go>Connect to Server.

   

3. Type your Windows IP address into the designated bar and click Connect.

   

4. Enter your Windows credentials in the next window.
5. Next, open File Explorer on your Windows and head to the Network folder.

   

6. Click on the Mac device and log in with your credentials.

   

After successfully connecting the two devices, you have to copy your Mac hard drive files and paste them to the Network folder.

Way 3: Read Data from Mac Hard Drive on PC With Hard Drive Management Software

The most convenient and beginner-friendly solution you can try is downloading a designated software solution for reading Mac hard drives.

Since Windows and Mac file systems aren't compatible, you can find numerous programs to help you open files from the other device. For instance, you can use Paragon to make your visions come to life.

To start reading files from a Mac hard drive, download this program or a similar one from an official source and follow the steps below:

1. Connect your drive to the PC.
2. Open the Paragon app and select the drive you want to read from the main menu.
3. Click the Mount button to access the drive.

   

Note: As you can see, using this app is easy and efficient, but the downside is that you can only read files and not download them.

Way 4: Transfer Data From Mac Hard to PC Via an External Drive

If you have a blank external drive by your side, consider yourself lucky. This tool can easily overcome the issue and transfer your data to a Windows device.

However, you must make sure that the drive is formatted to a universal file system like exFAT, and we'll show you how to do it below:

1. Connect your external drive to the PC and open the File Explorer.
2. Right-click on the drive and select Format from the drop-down menu.

   

3. Select exFAT as the file system in the next window and click Start to finish the process.

   

After completing these steps, connect the drive to the Mac device and paste the data to the drive. Then, plug the external drive back into the PC to transfer Mac data.

Way 5: Transfer Data from Mac Hard Drive to PC With an Ethernet Cable

You can use an ethernet cable to connect your devices to one another and transfer data using this connection. The setup process may take a while, so follow the detailed guide below for the best experience.

The first step is to connect your devices to one another with an ethernet cable, then apply these settings to start the transfer process:

1. Open the Network and Sharing Center on your Windows PC.
2. Click on Change Sharing Options for Different Network Profiles.

   

3. Enable Network Discovery and File Sharing and Printing.

   

4. Go back to the main menu and select Change Adapter Settings.

   

5. Right-click on Ethernet and head to Properties.

   

6. Scroll down and click on IPV4.

   

7. Tick the Use the Following IP address. Input 10.0.0.1 as the IP address and 255.255.255.0 as the Subnet Mask. Click OK.

   

8. Now, open System Preferences on your Mac and click on Network.

   

9. Disable the Wi-Fi and click on Ethernet from the menu.

   

10. Click on the arrow next to Configure IPV4 and select Manually from the drop-down menu.

    

11. Type 10.0.0.2 as the IP address and 255.255.255.0 as the Subnet Mask.

    

12. Head back to System Preferences and head to Sharing. Tick the File Sharing box.

    

13. Open Options and select the account you want to share the files to. Click Done.

    

14. Copy the files you want to share on your Mac.
15. Open Finder and paste the files under the Shared option.

Once you complete these steps, the files will appear on your Windows computer.

Way 6: Using Cloud Service to Sync Files

Another easy way to transfer your files is to back them up onto a cloud service. You can access this service from another device with an internet connection, making the journey as efficient as possible. For instance, many people like to use Google Drive to back up their important data.

All you have to do is open a Google account, enable backups, and watch your whole drive migrate to the cloud platform.

Then, you can follow this guide to learn how to transfer your Mac hard drive files to your PC in just a few minutes. We'll present a guide for Google Drive since it's one of the most used cloud platforms on the market.

1. Open Google Drive in your browser on a Windows device.
2. Select the files you wish to transfer.
3. Click on the three dots from the top bar.
4. Click Download from the drop-down menu.

   

And just like that, all your Mac files will be saved to your PC.

Conclusion

Transferring your data from a Mac hard drive to a PC isn't easy, especially if you've never been in this position before. We've prepared all the best and safest methods you can try to get your data from one location to another, such as using cloud services, the network folder, ethernet cable, and more.

If you're searching for a hassle-free experience and want to ensure all your files are in one place, we advise you to use a recovery software solution like Wondershare Recoverit. It will extract your data and help you speed up the transfer process.