Read Files From Mac Os Extended Journal With Windows

Windows can't normally read Mac-formatted drives, and will offer to erase them instead. But tertiary-party tools fill the gap and provide access to drives formatted with Apple tree's HFS+ file organisation on Windows. This too allows you to restore Time Motorcar backups on Windows.

If you know you're going to use a bulldoze on both Mac and Windows, yous should use the exFAT file system, which is compatible with both. Just if y'all didn't foresee that, you may have formatted your drive with Apple'southward HFS Plus, which Windows can't read past default. In fact, some manufacturers sell "Mac" drives pre-formatted with this Mac-merely file arrangement.

Don't Format the Bulldoze! (Notwithstanding)

When you connect a Mac-formatted bulldoze to Windows, you'll be informed that "you need to format the disk in drive Ten: before you lot can use it." Don't click the "Format disk" button or Windows will erase the contents of the bulldoze–click "Cancel"!

This bulletin appears because Windows doesn't understand Apple tree's HFS+ file system. That's fine, considering other applications do. Just don't format the bulldoze until you get the important files off the drive.

Of course, if the bulldoze doesn't have whatsoever important files on it, you lot tin get ahead and format it. But be absolutely sure at that place's nothing you lot demand before you exercise.

Option One: HFSExplorer Is Gratis and Basic

RELATED: How to Restore Files From a Fourth dimension Machine Backup on Windows

If you lot only need to get a couple files off the drive, we recommend HFSExplorer. It'south the only completely free way to access a Mac-formatted drive. It does require Java, yet, then you lot'll have to install that starting time. Then, install HFSExplorer like you would any other Windows program.

HFSExplorer isn't fancy, though, and doesn't have a lot of features. You lot tin't use information technology to write to Mac-formatted drives, and it doesn't install a file organization driver that integrates into File Explorer. But you can open up HFSExplorer, read a Mac-formatted drive, and copy the files to your Windows PC without paying a dime. Information technology tin also mount Mac .dmg deejay images to get at the files inside them.

This application's read-only nature isn't necessarily a bad thing. It ensures that no problems in the third-party driver tin damage your Mac-formatted bulldoze and the files on it. You tin can set read-simply mode in other applications, also–merely, if yous're non going to employ their write support, there's less reason to pay for them.

To use HFSExplorer, connect your Mac-formatted drive to your Windows PC and launch HFSExplorer. Click the "File" carte and select "Load File System From Device." It will automatically locate the connected bulldoze, and y'all tin can load it. You'll see the contents of the HFS+ drive in the graphical window. Simply select the files or folders y'all want, click "Extract," and choose a folder. They'll exist copied to the location yous choose on your PC.

Option Two: Paragon HFS+ is $xx, But Offers Write Access and Better Integration

Paragon'south HFS+ for Windows is a bit fancier, simply information technology'll price you lot. This tool installs a file system driver that allows you to access a Mac-formatted drive like any other drive in File Explorer, or whatever other Windows awarding with an open up or salve dialog. It boasts improved speed, and we wouldn't be surprised if it were faster than HFSExplorer. And, unlike HFSExplorer, it offers total read/write admission to Mac-formatted drives, so y'all can write to them from within Windows. Just install it, and Mac drives volition show upwards like any other drive.

If y'all need to work with Mac-formatted drives on a regular basis and yous want the operating system integration, speed, and write access, Paragon HFS+ is a great choice and will be worth information technology for yous. But, if you but need to get some files off a Mac-formatted drive occasionally, this is overkill and you can save $20 by sticking with HFSExplorer.

Paragon does offer a 10-twenty-four hours costless trial of HFS+ for Windows, so you can requite it a try and see if it works for you. And, if you just need to get files off of a Mac-formatted bulldoze once, you tin just apply the trial and be done with the application by the time it expires.

Option Three: Mediafour MacDrive Costs $50 to $lxx, Just Includes More than Features

Mediafour'southward MacDrive is like to Paragon's HFS+ for Windows, but with more features and polish. It'southward noticeably more expensive than Paragon HFS+ likewise, at $l for the Standard version and $70 for the Pro version.

For most people, this software won't actually be worth it. But it offers a few unique features, like support for Mac-formatted RAID disks. It also offers a graphical interface with support for verifying, repairing, and formatting Mac-formatted drives. Paragon's HFS+ gets out of your way and doesn't provide a graphical interface–it merely enables admission to HFS+ drives in File Explorer and other applications.

If y'all need all these tools, go for information technology–this is the near total-featured solution for working with Mac-formatted drives on Windows. Merely yous probably don't need all these tools.

Mediafour does offer a five-day free trial of MacDrive–both the Standard and Pro versions–so yous can give information technology a try and see if those features are worth it for you.

Option Four: Format the Drive every bit exFAT–But Warning, This Will Erase Your Data!

RELATED: What's the Difference Between FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS?

Once you've gotten all the data off the Mac-formatted drive, yous'll probably want to format it with the exFAT file system. Both Windows and Mac OS 10 accept total read-write support for exFAT drives without any additional third-party software. FAT32 has some serious limitations–private files can but be upwards to 4GB in size each, for example–merely exFAT doesn't.

Rather than employ a Mac-formatted drive, you lot should get the important files off of information technology and use exFAT-formatted drives for moving data betwixt Macs and PCs.

To format the drive in Windows, right-click it in the File Explorer window and select "Format." Cull the "exFAT" file system in the listing and click "Start." Remember, this will erase all the files on the bulldoze! Be absolutely sure you take your files off the drive and that you've selected the right drive you want to format!

When yous're done, the drive should work on both Windows PCs and Macs with no problem.

By the way, this works cracking for Windows users too–Macs can't natively write to the Windows NTFS file system, although they can read files from NTFS drives. Then no thing what your chief platform, exFAT is probably the way to go.

Read Files From Mac Os Extended Journal With Windows

Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/252111/how-to-read-a-mac-formatted-drive-on-a-windows-pc/

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