Need to read Mac drives in Windows?

Unfortunately, it'southward non a straightforward process; yous can't just connect the Mac bulldoze and expect it to piece of work. Hither's everything y'all need to know to go information technology working.

Why Tin't Windows Read Mac Drives?

Windows and macOS apply different file systems. Windows uses the NTFS file system for its internal drives, whereas Apple replaced HFS+ with its successor—Apple tree File Arrangement (APFS)—in early 2017. Today, APFS is used on Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Apple TVs.

External difficult disks and USB drives are by and large formatted with the Windows FAT32 file system for maximum compatibility. Most devices, including Macs, can read and write from FAT32 devices.

All new Macs will exist formatted with APFS. Older Mac drives are likely withal formatted with the HFS+ file organization. Windows can't read either file arrangement by default.

We'll show you how to access your Mac-formatted APFS or HFS+ bulldoze on Windows.

How to Read APFS on Windows

Firstly, let'due south look at how to read the newer Apple File System format on Windows. All these apps will allow y'all to read drives from whatever updated Apple device, not merely Macs.

1. MacDrive

macdrive home screen

MacDrive has been i of the go-to apps for a long fourth dimension. The kickoff version was released way back in 1996. If you're prepared to spend some money, y'all don't demand to look elsewhere.

The app works with APFS drives and HFS+ drives.

Unlike some options, MacDrive lets you read and write information to your Mac-formatted drive straight from Windows.

The app is focused on the freshly redesigned Deejay Management Window. It acts as a hub for all the Mac drives connected to Windows.

You volition too be able to see your APFS or HFS+ drive directly within File Explorer, allowing like shooting fish in a barrel integration with the residue of the Windows operating system.

Other useful features include the ability to create and segmentation Mac disks direct from your PC, a powerful disk repair feature, and robust security tools.

The standard version costs $49.99. There'due south also a Pro version. It adds several extra features, including automatic file defragmentation, support for RAID setups, and a way to create Mac ISO files.

A 5-day free trial is available.

Download: MacDrive for Windows 10 ($49.99)

ii. Paragon APFS for Windows

paragon

Paragon APFS for Windows is another paid app. Information technology is the main competitor of MacDrive.

The app provides read and write access to APFS-formatted partitions, read and write access to compressed and cloned files, and read-only support for encrypted volumes.

It supports disk auto-mounting at beginning-upward but doesn't have MacDrive'due south sectionalisation tools.

Check Out Paragon'southward Wide Range of Solutions, Hither

MacDrive has one big advantage over Paragon'due south app: HFS+ support. Paragon APFS for Windows only supports APFS-formatted drives. If yous have some older Mac drives lying around that are still running HFS+, you would need to purchase Paragon HFS+ for Windows separately. MacDrive, therefore, is a more economic selection.

I license—which costs $49.95—works on three Windows PCs.

Download: Paragon APFS for Windows 10 ($49.95)

3. UFS Explorer Standard Access

UFS Explorer Standard Access exploring mac drive windows

Our tertiary and last recommendation for reading APFS drives on Windows is UFS Explorer Standard Recovery. Once again, it's a paid option. The app will cost you €59.95.

UFS Explorer Standard Recovery is the most versatile app on this list. It can read the ii formats we intendance about—APFS and HFS+—besides equally NTFS, Fat, FAT32, exFAT, SGI XFS, Linux JFS, Unix/BSD, UFS/UFS2, and VMware VMFS.

As such, this is the app you should cull if you find yourself hopping betwixt lots of different operating systems during your day.

UFS Explorer Standard Recovery as well comes with RAID back up equally standard. The app has a built-in RAID architect, so you tin customize it for your assortment.

At that place is a costless version of the app with no time limits, but it will only allow you lot copy files smaller than 256KB in size.

Download: UFS Explorer Standard Access for Windows ten (€59.95)

How to Read HFS+ on Windows

If your Mac-formatted bulldoze is still running HFS+, utilise one of these three methods instead.

ane. Install Apple HFS+ Drivers

If y'all only need read access, you tin install the Apple HFS+ drivers for Windows. Be sure to remove Paragon or MacDrive before proceeding.

Download the correct Windows driver packet, then follow these steps:

  1. Copy the ApplsHFS.sys and AppleMNT.sys files to C:\Windows\System32\drivers
  2. Merge the Add_AppleHFS.reg file with your Windows registry.
  3. Restart your system.

The video above also demonstrates the process.

After restarting, your Mac-formatted bulldoze should show upward under This PC. This method but gives you lot read access to the bulldoze. If yous would similar to edit or delete files, try 1 of the culling methods below.

2. HFSExplorer

HFSExplorer

HFSExplorer is completely free. You can apply information technology to access Mac file systems from Windows without paying a dime. The developer hasn't updated it since October 2022 due to the arrival of APFS, but it all the same works on older systems.

HFSExplorer requires Java. We generally recommend against having Coffee installed, only it'due south necessary hither unless you want to spend money. You lot also need to run the app as an Admin.

This tool is uncomplicated to utilise. Connect your Mac-formatted drive to your Windows system, open HFSExplorer, and click File > Load File Arrangement From Device. HFSExplorer can automatically locate any continued devices with HFS+ file systems and open them. You can then extract files from the HFSExplorer window to your Windows drive.

Note that HFSExplorer is read-only, so you tin't change or delete files on your Mac drive. Information technology also doesn't integrate with Windows File Explorer—files are available in the HFSExplorer application, and you must re-create them elsewhere.

Download: HFSExplorer for Windows 10 (Free)

three. Paragon HFS+ for Windows

paragon hfs

Paragon HFS+ for Windows is a paid awarding, but information technology distinguishes itself with boosted features.

Unlike HFSExplorer, Paragon HFS+ for Windows provides full read/write access to Mac drives and promises high functioning. Information technology even integrates HFS+ file systems with Windows Explorer or File Explorer on Windows. Any Windows program can read from or write to the Mac drive.

The app costs $19.95, merely it besides offers a x-day free trial. If yous need to recover files from a drive, 10 days is plenty of time to install this file arrangement commuter, copy your files over, and uninstall information technology.

Paragon HFS+ doesn't demand Coffee to work.

Download: Paragon HFS+ for Windows 10 ($nineteen.95)

Format the Mac Drive for Windows

If you have a Mac drive lying around and you lot no longer take a Mac, you're not stuck with the Mac file organisation forever. After recovering the files from your drive with one of the tools above, yous can then format the drive and convert it to a standard FAT32 partitioning that will work with most devices.

Formatting volition erase all the files on your drive, then make certain you accept backed up your files. To format the drive, use the dialog that appears when you connect the drive to your computer.

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