Move your data from a Windows PC to your Mac

Use Windows Migration Assistant to transfer your pictures, documents, and other data from a Windows PC to your Mac.

Windows Migration Assistant transfers your contacts, calendars, email accounts, and more from a PC. It migrates this data to the appropriate places on your Mac. After migrating data to your Mac, authorize your computer for iTunes Store purchases. It’s important to authorize before you sync or play content that you download from the iTunes Store.

If you’re migrating from one Mac to another Mac, follow the steps to move your content to a new Mac.

Before you begin

To prepare for a smooth migration:

• Make sure that Windows is up to date. Migration Assistant works with Windows 7 and later.
• Make sure that you know the name and password of an administrator account on your PC.
• Connect your Mac and PC to the same network, such as your home Wi-Fi network. Or connect an Ethernet cable between the ports on your Mac and PC to create a direct network connection. Some Mac models require an Ethernet adapter, such as the Belkin USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter or Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter.
• If you’re using Microsoft OneDrive on your PC, follow Microsoft’s instructions for uninstalling OneDrive before continuing. You can reinstall OneDrive after migration is complete.

Then use the check disk (chkdsk) utility on your PC to make sure that your Windows hard drive doesn’t have any issues:

1. Right-click the Start button, then click Run.
2. Type cmd and press Enter. Command Prompt opens.
3. At the prompt, type chkdsk and press Enter.
4. If the utility reports that it found problems, type the following, where drive is the letter that represents your Windows startup disk, such as D:
5. Press Enter.
6. At the prompt, type Y , then restart your PC.
7. Repeat this process until the check disk utility reports no issues. If the utility can’t fix every issue that it finds, you might need to have your PC serviced. Then migrate your data to your Mac.

Move your data

This section guides you through migration, post-migration, and what to do if the steps don’t work for you.

How to move your information from a PC to your Mac

1. On your PC, download and install the appropriate Windows Migration Assistant, based on the version of macOS on your Mac:
   • Windows Migration Assistant for macOS Big Sur
   • Windows Migration Assistant for macOS Mojave and macOS Catalina
   • Windows Migration Assistant for macOS Sierra and High Sierra
   • Windows Migration Assistant for OS X El Capitan or earlier
2. Quit any open Windows apps.
3. Open Windows Migration Assistant, then click Continue.
   
4. Start up your Mac. Setup Assistant automatically opens the first time you turn on your Mac. If you’ve already set up your Mac, open Migration Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
5. On your Mac, follow the onscreen prompts until you get to the migration pane of the assistant. Select the option to transfer your information “From a Windows PC,” then click Continue.
   
6. When prompted, enter an administrator name and password.
7. Click Continue to close any other open apps.
8. In the migration window on your Mac, select your PC from the list of available computers. Then wait for the PC to show the same passcode that your Mac shows.
9. When both computers display the same passcode, click Continue on your PC and Mac.
10. Your Mac scans the drives on your PC to build a list of information to migrate. When the scan completes, select the information that you want to migrate to your Mac and click Continue. Learn about some of the data that you can transfer.
    

You can watch the progress and estimated time remaining on both the PC and your Mac. They tell you when migration is complete.

After you move your data

When migration completes, close Windows Migration Assistant on your PC. Then log in to the new user account on your Mac. The first time you log in to a user account migrated from your PC, you’re asked to set a password. You can use the same password that you used on your PC, or create a new password.

After logging in to the user account that you migrated, authorize your computer for iTunes Store purchases. It’s important to authorize before you sync or play content downloaded from the iTunes Store.

If you have issues moving your data

• Quit all open apps on your PC, then try migrating your content again. For example, you can press Alt-Tab to choose an open application, then press Alt-F4 to quit it.
• If your PC doesn’t appear in the Setup Assistant or Migration Assistant window on your Mac, make sure the computers are connected to the same network. You can create a network by connecting a single Ethernet cable between your Mac and PC. If that doesn’t help, check for firewall software on your PC and turn it off. After migration completes, you can turn firewall software on again.
• If Migration Assistant doesn’t open on your PC, turn off any antivirus software on your PC. Then try to open Migration Assistant again. After migration completes. You can turn that software on again.
• If you still can’t migrate your information successfully, you can use an external drive or file sharing to manually copy important data to your Mac.

What data can I transfer?

Migration Assistant lets you choose the data to move to your Mac. Here’s what moves over for specific apps and data types:

Email, contacts, and calendar information
Email messages, email-account settings, contacts, and appointments move based on which version of Windows you’re using and which accounts you have.

Outlook 1
Data from 32-bit versions of Outlook in Windows 7 and later move as follows:

• People move to Contacts 2
• Appointments move to the Calendar app
• IMAP and Exchange settings and messages move to the Mail app
• POP settings and messages move to Mail 2

Windows Live Mail
Data from Windows Live Mail in Windows 7 and later moves as follows:

• IMAP settings and messages move to Mail
• POP settings and messages move to Mail 2

Windows Mail
Data from Windows Mail in Windows 7 and later (excluding Windows 8) move as follows:

• IMAP settings and messages move to Mail
• POP settings and messages move to Mail 2
• People move to Contacts

Bookmarks
Bookmarks from Internet Explorer, Safari for Windows, and Firefox move to Safari.

System settings
Language and location settings, and custom desktop pictures move to System Preferences. Your web browser homepage moves to Safari preferences.

Pictures
Photos and other images move to your home folder. You can then add them to Photos, or open Photos and let it search your Mac for photos to import.

iTunes content
Migration Assistant transfers your iTunes media as follows: music to the Apple Music app, videos to the Apple TV app, podcasts to the Apple Podcasts app, and audiobooks to the Apple Books app.

Other files
Migration Assistant also moves these files:

• Files from the top-level folder of the currently logged-in user’s home directory
• Non-system files located in the Windows or Program Files folders
• Top-level folders located on the Windows system disk and other attached disks

1. Migration Assistant doesn’t support 64-bit versions of Outlook. You can manually migrate Mail, Contacts, or Calendars from Outlook 2013 or Outlook 2016 by signing in and entering the content on your Mac manually.

2. Migration Assistant transfers only the Mail or Contacts data that belongs to the logged-in Windows user. To transfer data from another user account, use Migration Assistant again while you’re logged in to another Windows account. Each time you migrate, your Mac creates a new user account.

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

Download iCloud for Windows

With iCloud for Windows, you’ll have your photos, videos, mail, calendar, files, and other important information on the go and on your Windows PC.

Here’s what you need

• Make sure that your PC or Microsoft Surface is updated to the latest version of Windows 10.*
• Have your Apple ID and password ready. If you don’t have an Apple ID, you can create one.

Make the most of iCloud for Windows

When you download and set up iCloud on your Windows PC, your photos, videos, mail, files, and bookmarks are accessible on all of your devices.

If you need help, you can find solutions to common issues or learn more about iCloud for Windows.

Want to access iCloud’s latest features? See the system requirements for iCloud. You can also learn about the security content of this update. If you use a Managed Apple ID, iCloud for Windows isn’t supported.

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

Remove and reinstall iTunes and related software components for Windows 7 and later

Learn how to completely uninstall iTunes and its related software components from Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10.

In some rare instances, you might need to remove iTunes and related software components before you reinstall iTunes or install iTunes from the Microsoft Store. If you’re directed to reinstall iTunes by AppleCare, an article, or an alert dialog, you can do so by following the steps below.

Media that you buy from the iTunes Store or songs that you import from CDs are saved in your My Music folder by default. They won’t be deleted when you remove iTunes. Although it’s highly unlikely that you’ll lose any of your iTunes Library when following the steps below, it’s always good practice to make regular backups of your iTunes library.

If you need help downloading or updating iTunes from the Microsoft Store, contact Microsoft for help. If you can’t update or install iTunes for Windows and you downloaded it from Apple’s website, learn what to do.

Remove iTunes and its related components

If you need help uninstalling these components, follow these steps:

Uninstall iTunes and related software components in the following order:

1. iTunes
2. Apple Software Update
3. Apple Mobile Device Support
4. Bonjour
5. Apple Application Support 32-bit
6. Apple Application Support 64-bit

On some systems, you might see two versions of Apple Application Support or iTunes. This is expected. If you see two versions, be sure to uninstall both.

Don’t uninstall these components in a different order, or only uninstall some of them. Doing so might have unintended effects. After you uninstall a component, you might be prompted to restart your computer. Wait to restart your computer until you’re finished removing all of the components.

Make sure that iTunes and its related components are completely uninstalled

In most cases, removing iTunes and its related components from the Control Panel will remove all supporting files belonging to those programs. In some rare cases, files might be left behind. After you remove iTunes and its related components, follow the steps below to locate and remove any additional supporting files.

1. Press the Windows and R key on your keyboard to open the run command.
2. In the Run window, enter:
   %programfiles%
3. Click OK to open the Program Files folder.
4. Delete the following folders, if they exist:
   iTunes
   Bonjour
   iPod

If you see a message that reads «Cannot delete iPodService.exe: It is being used by another person or program,» follow the additional steps at the bottom of this article before proceeding with the rest of the steps below.

Open the Common Files folder, then the Apple folder.

Delete the following folders, if they exist:
Mobile Device Support
Apple Application Support
CoreFP

Open Local Disk (C:) located in Computer, or whichever hard disk your programs are installed on.

If you’re running a 32-bit version of Windows, skip to step 13.
If you’re running a 64-bit version of Windows, continue with step 8.

Open the Program Files (x86) folder.

Find the following folders and delete them, if they exist:
iTunes
Bonjour
iPod

Open the Common Files folder and then the Apple folder.

Locate the following folders and delete them, if they exist:
Mobile Device Support
Apple Application Support
CoreFP

Open Local Disk (C:) in Computer, or whichever hard disk your operating system is installed on.

Right-click the Recycle Bin, and select Empty Recycle Bin.

Reinstall iTunes and related components

After you make sure that iTunes is completely uninstalled, restart your computer (if you haven’t already). Then get the latest version of iTunes for your PC:

If the issue persists, get help:

• If you got iTunes from the Microsoft Store, contact Microsoft Support.
• If you downloaded iTunes from Apple’s website, contact Apple Support.

If you see an «iPodService.exe» alert message

Follow these steps if the message «Cannot delete iPodService.exe: It is being used by another person or program» appears when you try to delete the iPod folder.

1. Make sure that iTunes and the iPod Updater utility aren’t open.
2. Press and hold the Control, Alt, and Delete keys on your keyboard.
3. Select Start Task Manager.
4. Click the Processes tab.
5. Locate the iPodService.exe in the list.
6. Click iPodService.exe, and choose End Process.
7. Quit Task Manager.

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.