How to Transfer Files from PC to Mac

Posted by Bill Farrell September 12, 2018 14:34

If you have both a Windows PC and a Mac, it must be common for you to share files from one computer to another. As Windows PC and Mac have different operation systems, it is difficult to transfer files from PC to Mac with AirDrop or iTunes directly.

Of course, there are a couple of solutions can help you transfer all kinds of files between Windows and Mac, and this passage lists the best 5 ways of them. If you are interested in this topic, please continue reading.

Part 1 : How to Transfer Files from PC to Mac

Solution 1: Transfer Files from PC to Mac via Google Drive

If you are unversed in transferring files from PC to Mac, using a cloud storage service should be a good idea. It requires little technology, and you do not need to prepare additional hardware, either.

And Google Drive is one of the best and most popular cloud storage services. If you are the first time to use this cloud app, you are able to gain 10 GB size to transfer and sync files from Windows to Mac. Later you can also upgrade to the paid version to get more storage space.

Step 1 : Download Google Drive

Download and install Google Drive on both your Windows and Mac, then launch this app and sign in it with your Google account.

Step 2 : Import files into Google Drive

Select a file that you are going to transfer to Mac on your PC, and then upload it to the Google Drive.

Step 3 : Save the converted files to Mac

Next turn to the Google Drive on your Mac, find the imported file, and tap on the Download button to save it to your Mac.

Solution 2: Transfer Files from PC to Mac via Network

If you have a home network connection, it will also be a nice choice for you to use network to transfer files from PC to Mac. As long as your computers are connected to the same network, the built-in Windows File and Printer Sharing enables you to transfer file between devices fast and conveniently.

But the only disadvantage of the network solution is that you are not able to move files remotely between PC and Mac. That is to say, you have to make sure both these 2 computer are closely to each other physically.

Step 1 : Enable File Sharing on Windows

On your Windows computer, launch the Control Panel, choose Network and Internet, then select File and Printer Sharing to launch File and Printer Sharing.

Depending on the Windows operating system you are using, it will be a little bit different to enable File Sharing feature on your Windows.

Step 2 : Connect Mac to Windows

After starting File Sharing feature, launch Finder app on the Mac and tap Shared option on the left pane. Select the name of your PC to connect them.

Step 3 : Share files to Mac

Please do not disconnect them during the transferring. Next drag and drop a selected file into the Share folder to transfer it from your PC to Mac.

Solution 3: Transfer Files from PC to Mac via Facebook Message

You must get familiar with Facebook, a popular social website among the world. But do you know the Facebook Message can help you transfer files from Windows to Mac? Recently, Facebook has been adding capabilities to Facebook Messenger chat, which enables you to share photos, videos, and files between different devices.

Step 1 : Tap on the camera icon

After launching Facebook, select any contact to start chatting, and click on the camera icon in the bottom line.

Step 2 : Import files from Windows

When you see a files selection windows pop up, select a file that you wish to transfer from Windows to Mac, and click OK button.

Step 3 : Choose Add File option

Or you can tap on the gear icon on the top of the chat windows to drop down an option menu, and select “Add File” option to import your desired files.

Step 4 : Share file from PC to Mac

Finally, get into Facebook on your Mac, and you are able to get back on the file you sent just now. Hit the file to access and download it to your Mac.

No matter which method you choose, you must make sure that the data on your Windows computer are safe and complete. If there’s something wrong with your computer and you cannot access the data on your PC, you should first recover deleted files on your PC(/recovery/recover-deleted-files-windows-pc.html) with data recovery tool.

Part 2 : How to Transfer Files from Mac to PC

Solution 1: Transfer Files from Mac to PC via File Sharing feature

When it comes to transfer files from Mac to PC, Apple has developed a built-in file sharing feature to help you solve this problem in an easier way. With this wonderful feature, you are able to share the majority of your data and files to other computers.

Step 1 : Launch System Preferences

Start System Preferences on your Mac. You can find it by tapping the Apple icon on the top bar, or enter the Finder app to search it.

Step 2 : Enable File Sharing

Next click on Sharing to get into sharing page. And tick the File Sharing option in the left box, and then tap Options in the right.

Step 3 : Import selected files

In the pop-up sharing screen, tick the check box for the account that you want to transfer files on the Windows, and enter your password.

Step 4 : Transfer files to Windows

Once you have done all of these, tap one button to start the sharing process. Wait for a while, and you can find your converted files on your Windows PC.

Solution 2: Transfer Files from Mac to PC via USB transfer

USB transfer should be the most convenient and easiest way to transfer files from Mac to PC. Due to the portability of USB Flash Drives, you are able to access the transferred files anytime and anywhere. What’s more, it does not require a network connection.

Step 1 : Import file to USB device

Insert your physical storage device into your Mac, then find and locate a file that you are going to transfer from Mac to PC drag it into the USB driver directly.

Step 2 : Export file to Windows

Then poll out the USB driver and inset it into the Windows PC, open its folder, and move the converted file to the local folder of Windows.

Step 3 : Open and view the file

To view the transferred file, you can easily tap on its icon. And you can also do some edits to the files later.

Conclusion

When you need to transfer files from PC to Mac, or vice reverse, you can find the excellent solutions from the article. Just choose the best solutions according to your requirements. If you have any other query about the solutions, you can share more detailed information in the comments.

How to share files between Mac and Windows 10 without using any software

Although there are several methods like using Team Viewer, Cloud storage, etc. to transfer files between Mac OS X and Windows 10, you can send a file from Mac to Windows without any software. All you need to do is to turn on File Sharing on Mac OS X, and you are good to go. To get things done, follow the following steps, which are quite easy.

Send files from Mac to Windows PC

Before getting started, you should know that you can execute these following steps only when your Windows computer and MacBook are connected to the same network, i.e., Wi-Fi router.

To start, you need to connect both computers to the same network. After that, you need to enable File Sharing on MacBook. To do that, open System Preferences. You can d0 that using Spotlight search or go to the Apple logo in the navigation menu bar > System Preferences and click on Sharing option.

As you want to share files, you need to turn on File Sharing. Following that, click the Options button and select the following checkboxes-

• Share files and folders using SMB
• Share files and folders using AFP

You will find an IP address on the Sharing window, which looks like this-

You need this IP address. So, copy it somewhere.

Following that, open up your Windows computer and press Win+R to open the Run prompt and enter the IP address like this-

You will be asked for the username and password. Enter your MacBook’s username and password correctly, after which you will see this window.

From here, you can access all the MacBook’s files from Windows computer.

Hope this simple tutorial will be helpful for you.

This post shows you how to transfer data from Windows PC to Mac using Windows Migration Assistant Tool.

Date: May 13, 2018 Tags: Mac

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Sudip is a student who loves to engage with the latest technology & gadgets. Apart from writing about all things technology, he is a Photoshop junkie and a football enthusiast.

How to transfer your data from your old PC to your new Mac

Welcome to the fold. You’re anxious to use your Mac, but you’ve amassed years of data on that PC. Switching platforms doesn’t mean starting over: You can still use those old files. Apple makes it easy with a free utility called Windows Migration Assistant. Here’s how to transfer data from PC to Mac using the Windows Migration Assistant from Apple.

What is Migration Assistant, and how do I get it?

Migration Assistant is a utility Apple includes in the Utilities folder of every Mac. You’ll see it when you first start up your Mac when your Mac asks you if you want to transfer data over from another Mac, a Time Machine backup, or a PC. Apple makes the app freely available for download for transferring to your Mac. You’ll need specific software, depending on what macOS or OS X operating system you’re transferring to. You’ll need to download the Migration Assistant software to your PC before you begin. Below are the following software links, depending on the Mac operating system to which you’re migrating.

Migration Assistant will help you transfer files from a PC running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 operating systems. The Mac and the PC both have to be running Migration Assistant.

Both should be on the same network in order to find each other. The data migration may take several hours depending on what’s being transferred and what means are used: Wi-Fi is slower, a wired Ethernet connection is faster. But one way or the other, your patience will be rewarded.

What actual data gets transferred will depend on which version of Windows you’re using and what programs created your data. Bookmarks from Internet Explorer and Firefox will be brought into Safari, for example. iTunes content and image files should make it over as well. System settings will get pulled over. You’ll be able to specify what other files you’d like to bring over, too.

Email, contacts, and calendar information are where it gets a bit tricky. The bottom line is that Migration Assistant will pull over your email account information, and if you’re using Microsoft Outlook, it should pull over your email messages, your contacts, and your calendars. Other programs may vary. Apple has posted a detailed chart of what gets migrated over to help you understand.

Even though you’re transferring all your Windows data to your Mac, it doesn’t mean you should only have the data on your computer. We highly suggest that people know how to back up their Macs and that they do so often. Plus, we also suggest that you invest in one of the best external hard drives for Mac, so you can have an extra copy of any of your important documents and files. Be data smart, y’all!

What you need before you transfer data from PC to Mac

Before you get too excited and try to start transferring your PC’s data to your new Mac, you’ll need to have a couple of things at the ready.

• You must have the administrative username and password associated with the PC.
• Both computers must be on the same network, either through Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
• You should perform a drive performance check before running Migration Assistant, or you may not be able to use the software properly.

1. Click on Start on your PC.
2. Click on Run.
3. type cmd into the Run window.
4. Press Enter.
5. type chkdsk into the Command window.
6. Press Enter.

If your drive performance check uncovers issues, you’ll need to run a drive repair process.

1. Type chkdsk drive: /F (Change the name «drive» to whatever the name of your Windows startup disk is) into the Command window.
2. Press Enter.
3. Press Y when prompted.
4. Restart your PC.

You will need to repeat the steps above until the drive performance check returns without any issues. You can then use Migration Assistant to move your data to your Mac.

Here’s how to transfer data from PC to Mac

First, connect your Mac to your PC either through Ethernet or by making sure both computers are on the same local Wi-Fi network.

On your new Mac:

1. Launch a Finder window.
2. Click on Applications in the sidebar.
3. Double-click or control-click on the Utilities folder.
4. Click on Migration Assistant.
5. Click Continue.
6. Click From a PC. when prompted to select how you want to transfer your information.

Click Continue.

Make sure you’ve downloaded and installed Migration Assistant on your PC.

Launch Migration Assistant on your PC.

• Launching Migration Assistant on the PC is a one-way trip: It’s only designed to transfer data from your PC to a new Mac. After launching it, Migration Assistant for Windows will try to connect to its Mac counterpart. A security code will display on the screen.

Confirm that the code on your PC is the same on your Mac.

Click continue.

There are other ways to move files between Macs and PCs. Thumb drives will work on both machines, so you can manually transfer whatever files you want to use, for example. But Migration Assistant provides an elegant, convenient, and absolutely free way of managing the transition to becoming a Mac user, as long as you have the time to use it.

Have any questions?

Put them in the comments, and I’ll help you out.

Updated December 2020: Updated for macOS Big Sur.