However, there are a few who like to experience both worlds. Also, some may want to switch from Mac to Windows PC due to several personal or professional reasons. In such situations, you may have to transfer your data from Mac to Windows. But, as they are totally different environments, there are not many options to share the files between them. Some of the easiest ways are using the External storage drive, network connection, and cloud services. And even in these media, there are a few mandatory steps to make them compatible with both systems. In this guide, we are discussing all the possible ways to copy your data from the Mac to the Windows PC.
Transfer Files From Mac to PC
It is fairly easy to transfer the data from Mac to a Windows PC. However, some files present on your Mac, such as the iWork files, may not work in Windows. In such a case, you may have to export them to a format compatible with Windows before transferring them. Now, let’s move on to the ways that you can use to share files from your Mac to Windows PC.
Using External Storage Drive
External storage drives are the most common and probably the easiest way to transfer files between two systems. These storage drives, such as the external hard drive, USB flash drive, etc., are viable for both Mac as well as Windows PC. So, if you possess an external storage drive, then you can make its use to share files between these two PCs. Let’s look at the process stepwise.
Ensure that the External Storage Drive is in ExFAT Format
As the Mac and Windows use different file systems, the external drive may not be supported in both systems at the same time. For instance, usually, the drive used in Mac is in Mac OS Extended Format, and when you insert this drive into a Windows PC, it won’t recognize the drive. Similarly, Windows PC mostly formats the external drives in NTFS or FAT32 file system. You can read the content of this drive on Mac but cannot write into it. Thus, you need to make sure the drive is formatted in the file system supported by both PCs, which is ExFAT. If it is not, then you will have to format the drive keeping the file system as ExFAT. If you have an External drive that works on Windows PC, If you have an External drive that works on Mac, Now, you can use the external drive in both types of PCs.
Copy the Files to the Drive
Now it’s time to copy the files you want to share to the external drive. However, if you use the Photos app on your Mac to keep your images and videos, then you will have to first export them. You are now ready to copy the files to your Windows PC.
Copy Files to the Windows PC
Let’s move on to the process of transferring files from the external drive to your PC right away. You have now access to all your Mac files directly on your PC.
Using Network Sharing
If you use both your Windows and Mac PC within the same network connection, then you can share files from your PC through the LAN connection. It is much easier, hassle-free, and no need for any external drive to be plugged in and unplugged time and again to share the data. Here are the steps to share files through Network.
Enable Network Sharing on Mac
Let’s look at the process of enabling file sharing through the network on your Mac PC.
Add the Necessary Files to the Network
Now, you will have to select the files that are to be shared and add them to the network.
Access the Files From the Network on Windows
You can now access the files from the Network and copy them to your PC. You can use this method to share files whenever needed and the speed will depend on the strength of your connection.
Using Cloud Service
As the internet is becoming the norm, we now prefer storing our files on various cloud services. You can use this media to share files from your Mac to the Windows PC. If you are using iCloud on your Mac to back up your data, you can log in to your iCloud account from the Windows PC and copy the necessary files. On Mac PC, On Windows PC, Apart from iCloud, you can also use Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and other cloud services to share the data. However, the internet speed and cloud storage space can limit the size of the files you want to share.
Using Third-Party File Transfer Software
If you do not want to use cloud services for syncing a few files temporarily, then you can make use of other third-party file transfer software. These services let you add files to their server and use an encryption key to access the file. The common steps in these programs are given below. Some of the popular file transfer services are Resilio Sync, Icedrive, Syncthing, etc., which are supported in both Mac and Windows PC.
