Can a Windows Flash Drive Be Uploaded to a Mac Computer

If y'all are switching from Windows to Mac and yous need to get your files or other bits of data off your quondam machine onto your new Mac, this chapter shows you lot how. You'll likewise larn how to transfer files from a friend'due south Windows computer to yours without needing to fix a network.

This chapter is from the book 

If this is your get-go Mac, but not your first estimator, chances are that your former automobile runs Windows. You may have old files on your Windows motorcar—your contact list, calendar events, even your browser bookmarks.

Y'all don't have to exit those behind. You can accept them with you to your new Mac. There are many methods for bringing files and information over from your old Windows machine.

Transferring Your Documents

There are two ways to move files from a Windows computer to a Mac: the hard way and the piece of cake style. The difficult way is to set both machines up on the same network, get both machines to recognize each other, and transfer files.

You'd remember with both Mac and Windows being then mature and avant-garde that this would be easy. But networks vary so much and are so complex that it can be rather frustrating.

Chapter xiii describes how to network Macs and PCs. If you program on keeping your Windows computer around and transferring files between them often, y'all probably want to put the time in now to figure it out. Otherwise, there is an easier way.

The like shooting fish in a barrel method is to use a modest and inexpensive USB flash drive to copy files from your PC to your Mac. They tin can exist bought for $10 to $40, depending on the size. And they will continue to be handy for bringing files to and from piece of work, sharing between friends, and for bringing files along with you away from your Mac.

Copying Files with a USB Flash Drive

When you take a flash drive, the starting time thing you may need to do is format information technology in such a mode so it can be read by both Mac and Windows machines. Windows cannot read a Mac-formatted disk, but Macs can read a Windows-formatted one. So, if it needs to be formatted at all, you lot demand to format it as FAT32.

You tin can do this in Disk Utility on your Mac, where it is called MS-DOS (Fat) format, but it is probably easier to only reformat the drive on your Windows machine. It may even already be formatted FAT32 if y'all just brought information technology dwelling house from the store.

Connect the drive to a USB port on your Windows machine. If it is not in a Windows-readable format, you will be asked to reformat it now. Go ahead and do that, but realize that any data you may have had stored on the drive before volition now be gone.

Now you lot should see the drive prove upwards under My Computer on your Windows machine. In Windows XP, it will look something like Effigy 8.ane, where you can see the bulldoze equally F:.

Figure 8.1 In Windows XP you can see a flash drive show up nether My Figurer.

Likewise in My Reckoner you should see a folder with your name followed by the word "Documents." If you lot take stored all of your files in Windows in your document folders, they should all be there.

Simply drag and drop the whole folder with your name on information technology on to the removable flash bulldoze. They should copy right over.

Then, call back well-nigh where else on your Windows machine you would accept documents. Take you been storing files in some other office of the bulldoze, outside of you're Documents folder? Call up about it and also look effectually to encounter what you lot can find. You can ever come up back after if yous are not getting rid of your PC right away.

So remove the drive past correct-clicking on it in the My Computer window and selecting Squirt. Look a few seconds then disconnect it from the USB slot.

Side by side, plug it into your Mac's USB slot. It should appear equally a device on the left side of all of your Finder windows. You can and so drag and drop documents from there into whatsoever folder on your Mac. I recommend putting them all in a "From Windows" folder in your Documents binder in your user binder.

If you too want to bring over photos, videos, and music, you lot can identify them in those folders also, though you lot should read later on in this chapter about how to go photos and music into iPhoto and iTunes.

Alternate File Transfer Methods

A flash drive isn't the only way to transfer files from a Windows auto to a Mac. Here are some more than options.

• Total-sized hard disk—You are ownership an external drive to utilize for Time Machine backups anyhow, right? Before you start, merely format it for Windows as FAT32 the same manner you would format a flash drive. And then use the total-sized drive to get your files over to your Mac before letting Time Machine reformat it for backup employ.
• Local network—If you can connect both computers to the aforementioned network, turn file sharing on for both, and you can connect successfully, this is the best method. Come across Chapter xiii, "Networking and File Sharing," for details.
• Bluetooth file sharing—If your Windows computer has Bluetooth, a wireless communications method, yous tin can endeavor to send single files back and forth.
• iDisk—If you are a MobileMe user, y'all tin can access your MobileMe storage space on both Mac and Windows computers. Then only transfer files from your Windows car to your iDisk, and and then from your iDisk to your Mac.
• Email—If you take electronic mail working on your Windows machine and your Mac, consider just attaching files to an electronic mail and sending them to yourself.
• File-sharing website—Some websites permit yous to upload files, for a fee, to make them publicly or privately bachelor to others. You could simply send or share a file to yourself this way, from one machine to the adjacent. Check out http://yousendit.com, http://world wide web.box.net, http://world wide web.jungledisk.com, and many others.
• Special hardware—For a price you tin can go a special cable that will allow yous to connect a Windows figurer and a Mac. 1 is the Belkin Switch-to-Mac Cable. Another is the iTornado.
• Burn a CD—If your PC has a CD or DVD burner in it and you know how to use information technology, you lot can burn down a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM with all of your files on information technology. This is also a good way to archive your PC's files earlier retiring the PC in favor of your new Mac.
• Apple Genius—The Apple Store offers to do the file transfers for you for free. Simply make an appointment at the Genius Bar and bring both your new Mac and former PC. Run across Chapter 25, "Getting Assistance," for more almost the Genius Bar.

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Source: https://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1398413

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