Mac files to Windows laptop

[Red9zero]

Anyone know how to get files (mainly jpg) off an external hdd that has been formatted for a Mac, using a Windows laptop ? Google gives a couple of options, but I'm a cheapskate and would rather not pay £40 for a one off use.

[cobra kid]

Is the Mac still operating? Could you "cloud" them then drag back down onto the Windows PC?

[Magnum 475]

My recollection is that it won't work that way.

A Mac will read Windows NTFS or FAT32 disks

Windows will refuse to recognise a Mac or Unix formatted disk.

[mmm-five]

5-day trial any good?

https://macdrive.com/trial/

[Red9zero]

cobra kid said:

Is the Mac still operating? Could you "cloud" them then drag back down onto the Windows PC?

There's quite a lot of files, but may be an option.

[Red9zero]

mmm-five said:

5-day trial any good?

https://macdrive.com/trial/

Good find. I will have a look.

[xeny]

Red9zero said:

There's quite a lot of files, but may be an option.

Mac OS X will run an SFTP server - enable "Remote Login". I think external drives appear in "/Volumes/...... You can then use WinSCP to SFTP them off over the local network, which is likely to be faster than a round trip to the cloud.

[QJumper]

Red9zero said:

cobra kid said:

Is the Mac still operating? Could you "cloud" them then drag back down onto the Windows PC?

There's quite a lot of files, but may be an option.

If it's mainly jpg's and you have Amazon Prime, then they do unlimited photo storage for Prime members.

[the-norseman]

Best option is cloud storage or, move the files onto the mac, reformat the drive so Windows can read it and then put the files back on the drive.

[Red9zero]

QJumper said:

If it's mainly jpg's and you have Amazon Prime, then they do unlimited photo storage for Prime members.

Good plan ! I will look at that.

[Red9zero]

the-norseman said:

Best option is cloud storage or, move the files onto the mac, reformat the drive so Windows can read it and then put the files back on the drive.

Reformatting the drive and adding the files again would be far too obvious. No I hadn't thought of it Mac's confuse me ! Just done it and all worked OK. Thanks chaps

[eeLee]

Ubuntu live bootable USB stick. I am sure linux can read macOS-formatted crap

[mikef]

Magnum 475 said:

My recollection is that it won't work that way.

A Mac will read Windows NTFS or FAT32 disks

Windows will refuse to recognise a Mac or Unix formatted disk.

Paragon do products that will read/write APFS, HFS+ and Linux files systems on Windows (and vice versa) and they work very well. But as the OP says, £43 a pop so hard to justify for a one-off job

[blueg33]

Red9zero said:

QJumper said:

If it's mainly jpg's and you have Amazon Prime, then they do unlimited photo storage for Prime members.

Good plan ! I will look at that.

Note. Amazon Prime does seem to mess up the order of your photo library.

[Red9zero]

nuyorican said:

There's definitely a file system that can be read by both. I have a windows machine and a mac, and have to use USB thumb drives with them both.

EXFAT maybe? I don't have the drive to hand.

That was it. I reformatted the drive and added the files again. Now to work out how to wipe the hdd on the Mac itself as it's an old one (2007), so doesn't have the option in System Settings or Disk Utilities and Comand + R doesn't work either.

[apn]

Send to yourself on your Mac using wetransfer, then download on the PC. You can send up to 2gb free, if you need more than that just repeat the process.

[coach]

USB drive, format to FAT on Mac, copy files, plug into Windows machine and copy on. Simple.

[stemll]

Red9zero said:

That was it. I reformatted the drive and added the files again. Now to work out how to wipe the hdd on the Mac itself as it's an old one (2007), so doesn't have the option in System Settings or Disk Utilities and Comand + R doesn't work either.

Disk Utilities will still have Erase. Should look something like this if you're back on something like Leopard

[Red9zero]

stemll said:

Red9zero said:

That was it. I reformatted the drive and added the files again. Now to work out how to wipe the hdd on the Mac itself as it's an old one (2007), so doesn't have the option in System Settings or Disk Utilities and Comand + R doesn't work either.

Disk Utilities will still have Erase. Should look something like this if you're back on something like Leopard

Fraid not. It was there but greyed out. It was running Snow Leopard, but was an old 2007 Mac, so apparently needed the original cd which it came with, which is now long gone. Now given to a reputable local chap for recycling after I deleted everything on it.

[xeny]

stemll said:

Disk Utilities will still have Erase. Should look something like this if you're back on something like Leopard

Won't let you erase the drive you booted from.