Recover Data from Mac Hard Drive via Windows (Windows Solutions)

Challenges of Recovery Data from Mac Hard Drive on Windows

When your Mac is damaged or not functional, and you happen to have a Windows PC nearby, do you know how to recover data from the Mac hard drive using Windows? Before delving into the recovery methods, it’s essential to understand the issues you may encounter during this process.

As you all know, Mac and Windows are two completely different operating systems. It is inevitable facing the compatibility challenges. Below are the key challenges you might encounter when attempting to recover data from a Mac hard drive on Windows PC:

• File System Compatibility: Mac devices typically use the HFS+ or APFS file system, while Windows uses NTFS or FAT32. This difference may cause Windows to be unable to directly read data on Mac hard drives.
• Risks of Losing Data: When connecting a Mac drive to a Windows PC, you may encounter prompts to format the drive. Formatting the drive will erase all its data, and recovery becomes more difficult without specialized tools.
• Software Compatibility: Some Mac-specific files and applications may not function properly on Windows, such as keynote, which requires conversion or alternative software to be opened on Windows.

How to Recover Data from Mac Hard Drive via Windows

Here we will present three methods to recover data from Mac hard drive via Windows. If you have synced the files on the hard drive to cloud storage, you can skip directly to Method 3. If you don't have any backups in the cloud and your Mac is damaged or not functioning properly, cloud backup tools and professional file recovery software will be helpful to you during this process. Follow these steps to recover data from mac hard drive.

Step 1. Remove Mac Hard Drive and Connect

To begin, you need to physically remove the Mac hard drive from the Mac computer or external enclosure. If you're dealing with an internal Mac hard drive, ensure that you power down your Mac completely before opening the case. Be careful during disassembly to avoid any physical damage to the hard drive. For detailed steps, please refer to the following video.

For external Mac hard drives, simply disconnect the drive from the Mac and prepare to connect it to the Windows machine using the correct cables. Prepare a cable compatible with your mac hard drive port to connect to your PC.

Step 2. Check the File System to Choose Suitable Method

Before proceeding, it’s crucial to check which file system the Mac hard drive is using, as this will determine the tools and methods you can use to recover the data.

Step 3. Recover Data from Mac Drive on Windows Computer

Once you have identified the file system of your hard disk, you can select an appropriate method to recover files from a Mac hard disk based on the file system. For HFS+ or APFS, you can choose to use third-party tools to help read the hard disk files; while exFAT or FAT32 are compatible with both Windows and Mac, allowing you to directly read files on Windows. However, in complex situations such as when the hard disk is formatted, professional data recovery software will be required.

✅Use HFSExplore- If the File System is HFS+ or APFS

HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) and APFS (Apple File System) are file systems used by macOS. Windows cannot read these natively, so you'll need third-party software like HFSExplorer (HFS+ only), Paragon APFS for Windows to access and recover the data. Here's how to recover files from mac hard drive using HFSExplorer.

1. Download and install HFSExplorer on your Windows computer.

2. Launch it and connect the HFS+ hard drive to the computer.

3. Choose "File > Load file system from the device" from the menu bar.

4. Click "Autodetect" to scan all your hard drive with HFS+ file system on the device. You can also locate the drive manually if you want to.

5. Look for the folder or files you want to restore and right click on it to choose "Extract data".

6. Choose a secure location to save the files.

Notes:✎...

To use HFSExplorer, you will need Java. If your system does not already have Java installed, it will prompt you; otherwise, it will run normally.

✅Use MyRecover- If the File System is exFAT or FAT32

exFAT and FAT32 are file systems that are compatible with both Mac and Windows. You can directly connect the drive to your Windows PC with appropriate cable and access the files in File Explorer without needing any special software. Then you can save the files you wish to recover to a secure location.

If you encounter a worse situation, such as the Mac hard drive being formatted or discovering that there are no files inside after attempting the above methods, you can try using MyRecover to recover them. It can recover files from inaccessible drive, formatted drive, lost partitions, system crashes, etc.

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4 Steps to Recover Lost Files from Hard Drive

Step 1. Download and install MyRecover on your computer.

Step 2. Launch it and select the Mac hard drive to scan for lost files, click "Scan".

Step 3. Choose the files you wish to recover from the recoverable lists and click "Recover".

Step 4. Select a secure location to store the recovered files.

✅Cloud Storage (Google Drive)

Cloud storage provides a convenient way for backup, and you have many options, such as OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud, etc. Take Google Drive as an example here. If the files on the Mac hard drive have been backed up to Google Drive, you can log in to Google Drive with the same account on a Windows PC and view the desired files.

Conclusion

Recovering data from Mac hard drive via Windows computer can be done successfully with the right approaches and tools. Even though there may be compatibility issues between different operating systems, it is still possible to recover files from a Mac hard drive on Windows.

Obviously, regular backups are the best way to protect data. If you think regular backups are too troublesome, MyRecover is also worth a try - as your data security guardian in Windows. For professional users and enterprise users, MyRecover also offers the Professional and Technician editions, which support previewing file content before recovery to confirm whether it is the file you want.