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Transferring from Mac to Windows 11 using a Seagate External HD
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Mar 26, 2023 05:15:30   #
bioteacher Loc: Brooklyn, NY
 
My wife was using a Mac and wants to switch to Windows. Her pictures were backed up to a Seagate external HD. The Windows computer does not recognize the external hd. Any help would be appreciated so she could use the hd on both machines. TIA

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Mar 26, 2023 06:20:50   #
Just Fred Loc: Darwin's Waiting Room
 
The reason your wife's Windows computer doesn't recognize the disk is due to its formatting. There are a number of different format types for Macs, PCs and Linux, and not all of them are universal, as your wife has discovered. There are programs, such as AOMEI Partition Manager (not tested, so I can't recommend) that might work to change the format of the HDD without losing data. I might look at getting a second HDD partitioned for Windows and then using a sync program (many available, most of them free) copy the data (using a Mac) from one to the other.

As the old saying goes, "It's not one world." You've just discovered how true that is!

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Mar 26, 2023 06:56:31   #
bioteacher Loc: Brooklyn, NY
 
thanks

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Mar 26, 2023 07:05:30   #
kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy
 
Just Fred wrote:
The reason your wife's Windows computer doesn't recognize the disk is due to its formatting. There are a number of different format types for Macs, PCs and Linux, and not all of them are universal, as your wife has discovered. There are programs, such as AOMEI Partition Manager (not tested, so I can't recommend) that might work to change the format of the HDD without losing data. I might look at getting a second HDD partitioned for Windows and then using a sync program (many available, most of them free) copy the data (using a Mac) from one to the other.

As the old saying goes, "It's not one world." You've just discovered how true that is!
The reason your wife's Windows computer doesn't re... (show quote)


I'd say the most secure bet is to buy a second HDD, formatted NTFS, which both Windows and Mac can read, and use the Mac to copy all files to that drive. But I'm not a Mac guy, so someone might know a better way

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Mar 26, 2023 08:09:23   #
kubota king Loc: NW , Pa.
 
I belong to another web site that has a lot of members . I can ask for you on that site to see if anyone has the knowledge you are wanting . Will let you know what I find out .Tommy

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Mar 26, 2023 08:14:44   #
bioteacher Loc: Brooklyn, NY
 
kubota king wrote:
I belong to another web site that has a lot of members . I can ask for you on that site to see if anyone has the knowledge you are wanting . Will let you know what I find out .Tommy


Thank you

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Mar 26, 2023 09:57:13   #
JD750 Loc: SoCal
 
bioteacher wrote:
My wife was using a Mac and wants to switch to Windows. Her pictures were backed up to a Seagate external HD. The Windows computer does not recognize the external hd. Any help would be appreciated so she could use the hd on both machines. TIA
Just Fried has identified the issue. But if the data is valuable to you, I would not recommend attempting to change the formatting on the external HD because of risk of losing the data.

Mac can read & write Windows FAT Format. Just Fred recommend getting a 2nd hard drive formatting for Windows then copying the data to that. That is the lowest risk approach and the least amount of time. You will have a 2nd HD for backup when you are done.

If you don't like that of having 2 external HD, and if you new windows computer has sufficient HD space, a slightly more risky approach is as follows. Copy the SD external data to the Windows computer using a peer to peer transfer program and direct connection between the computers. Then after the data is safely on the Windows computer. Reformat the external drive and copy the data back to the external HD. Once the data is safely on the external HD and verified readable, then you can erase it from the Windows computer.

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Mar 26, 2023 10:15:40   #
kubota king Loc: NW , Pa.
 
I heard back from two other members on the other site I told you I would check so far about Mac to Windows . Here are the 2 answers .It's up to you if you choose to follow these suggestions .If any more suggestions are posted on the other site , I will pass them onto you unless you let me know you solved the problem .Tommy


(Download)

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Mar 26, 2023 10:19:39   #
bioteacher Loc: Brooklyn, NY
 
I wanted to thank everyone.

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Mar 26, 2023 10:32:14   #
BebuLamar
 
kymarto wrote:
I'd say the most secure bet is to buy a second HDD, formatted NTFS, which both Windows and Mac can read, and use the Mac to copy all files to that drive. But I'm not a Mac guy, so someone might know a better way


I am not a Mac guy either but my guess the Mac way is to upload to Icloud and download from Icloud with the Windows PC. I my opinion Apple likes to use the internet as a mean to transfer data.

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Mar 26, 2023 13:03:08   #
JD750 Loc: SoCal
 
BebuLamar wrote:
I am not a Mac guy either but my guess the Mac way is to upload to Icloud and download from Icloud with the Windows PC. I my opinion Apple likes to use the internet as a mean to transfer data.

Interesting. I don't have that impression at all but I have only been using Apple devices since 2008. So maybe I just haven't learned that yet?

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Mar 26, 2023 13:10:40   #
kubota king Loc: NW , Pa.
 
this is the latest answer from a member from the other site . The backup disk is probably Mac formatted, so you need a Windows utility which understands Mac formatted disks. Something like MacDrive.

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Mar 26, 2023 13:19:30   #
JD750 Loc: SoCal
 
kubota king wrote:
this is the latest answer from a member from the other site . The backup disk is probably Mac formatted, so you need a Windows utility which understands Mac formatted disks. Something like MacDrive.

So you are confirming the answer given in the very first response, to the original post ?? What you didn't believe what Just Fred wrote?

It always happens that people start repeating the solution. It happened a little sooner this time. That means it's time to un-watch the thread.

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Mar 26, 2023 19:11:14   #
Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York
 
bioteacher wrote:
My wife was using a Mac and wants to switch to Windows. Her pictures were backed up to a Seagate external HD. The Windows computer does not recognize the external hd. Any help would be appreciated so she could use the hd on both machines. TIA

I’m not very well versed in those funny looking rectangular metal boxes called computers. Since you like me reside in the great state of Brooklyn, I bring any thing I have a question about computers to MicroCenter on 3rd Ave. It is sometimes out of the way but I have a great deal of confidence. Nothing is hopeless it just takes time to fix it right.

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Mar 27, 2023 06:43:29   #
iamimdoc
 
If you’re both on the same network, you could port the files from the Mac to a Windows PC. Sort of like getting to and from the ICloud but faster.

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