Need to read Mac drives in Windows?

Unfortunately, it'southward not a straightforward process; yous can't but connect the Mac drive and expect it to piece of work. Hither's everything yous need to know to get information technology working.

Why Tin't Windows Read Mac Drives?

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

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

All new Macs will be formatted with APFS. Older Mac drives are likely still formatted with the HFS+ file system. Windows tin can't read either file arrangement past default.

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

How to Read APFS on Windows

Firstly, allow'due south expect at how to read the newer Apple File Organization format on Windows. All these apps will allow you to read drives from whatsoever updated Apple tree device, not just Macs.

1. MacDrive

macdrive home screen

MacDrive has been 1 of the go-to apps for a long time. The kickoff version was released way dorsum in 1996. If yous're prepared to spend some money, you don't demand to look elsewhere.

The app works with APFS drives and HFS+ drives.

Different some options, MacDrive lets you lot read and write data to your Mac-formatted drive directly from Windows.

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

You will besides be able to meet your APFS or HFS+ drive directly inside File Explorer, allowing easy integration with the residual of the Windows operating system.

Other useful features include the ability to create and partition Mac disks directly 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 v-twenty-four hours free trial is available.

Download: MacDrive for Windows ten ($49.99)

2. Paragon APFS for Windows

paragon

Paragon APFS for Windows is another paid app. Information technology is the primary 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 deejay auto-mounting at outset-up simply doesn't take MacDrive's sectionalisation tools.

Bank check Out Paragon'south Broad Range of Solutions, Here

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

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

Download: Paragon APFS for Windows ten ($49.95)

3. UFS Explorer Standard Access

UFS Explorer Standard Access exploring mac drive windows

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

UFS Explorer Standard Recovery is the most versatile app on this list. Information technology tin read the two formats we intendance about—APFS and HFS+—equally well every bit NTFS, Fatty, FAT32, exFAT, SGI XFS, Linux JFS, Unix/BSD, UFS/UFS2, and VMware VMFS.

As such, this is the app you should choose if yous find yourself hopping between lots of different operating systems during your mean solar day.

UFS Explorer Standard Recovery too comes with RAID support as standard. The app has a born RAID builder, then you tin customize it for your array.

There is a free version of the app with no fourth dimension limits, but information technology will only let you re-create files smaller than 256KB in size.

Download: UFS Explorer Standard Access for Windows 10 (€59.95)

How to Read HFS+ on Windows

If your Mac-formatted drive is notwithstanding running HFS+, use one of these three methods instead.

i. Install Apple tree HFS+ Drivers

If yous only need read access, you lot can install the Apple HFS+ drivers for Windows. Be sure to remove Paragon or MacDrive before proceeding.

Download the correct Windows driver package, and then follow these steps:

  1. Re-create 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 besides demonstrates the process.

After restarting, your Mac-formatted drive should show up under This PC. This method only gives you read access to the drive. If yous would similar to edit or delete files, attempt one of the alternative methods below.

2. HFSExplorer

HFSExplorer

HFSExplorer is completely free. Yous tin can use it to access Mac file systems from Windows without paying a dime. The developer hasn't updated information technology since October 2015 due to the arrival of APFS, but it still works on older systems.

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

This tool is uncomplicated to use. Connect your Mac-formatted drive to your Windows system, open HFSExplorer, and click File > Load File System From Device. HFSExplorer tin automatically locate whatsoever connected devices with HFS+ file systems and open up them. You lot can then extract files from the HFSExplorer window to your Windows bulldoze.

Note that HFSExplorer is read-but, and then you can't modify or delete files on your Mac drive. It besides doesn't integrate with Windows File Explorer—files are bachelor in the HFSExplorer application, and y'all must re-create them elsewhere.

Download: HFSExplorer for Windows 10 (Free)

3. Paragon HFS+ for Windows

paragon hfs

Paragon HFS+ for Windows is a paid application, merely it distinguishes itself with additional features.

Unlike HFSExplorer, Paragon HFS+ for Windows provides full read/write access to Mac drives and promises loftier performance. It 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, but it also offers a ten-solar day free trial. If y'all demand to recover files from a drive, ten days is plenty of time to install this file system commuter, copy your files over, and uninstall it.

Paragon HFS+ doesn't need Java to work.

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

Format the Mac Drive for Windows

If yous have a Mac drive lying effectually and you no longer have a Mac, you're not stuck with the Mac file arrangement forever. After recovering the files from your bulldoze with one of the tools above, yous can then format the drive and convert it to a standard FAT32 partition that will work with near devices.

Formatting will erase all the files on your drive, and so make sure you take backed upwardly your files. To format the drive, use the dialog that appears when you connect the drive to your calculator.

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