If you bought a new Mac and are worried about the information you have on your Windows PC, here we show you how to transfer it safely, step by step.
Are you planning to buy a Mac in 2024? Are you worried about losing your data from your Windows PC? The first answer is up to you and we will answer the second answer with this article in which we will teach you how to transfer data from Windows PC to Mac. It’s possible thanks to the migration assistant included with macOS in which contacts, calendars, email accounts and other data are transferred from your PC to Mac. If you question the change a lot, we also give you 5 reasons to switch to Mac.
What do I need to transfer my data from my PC to my new Mac?
Both on Mac and Windows PC it is necessary to update them to the latest version of the operating systemin this case on Mac update to the latest version (which is currently macOS Sequoia) and on Windows update to Windows 10 or 11.
If your PC has antivirus software, firewall or VPN, disable them for now as they could interfere with the transfer procedure. Also Make sure Wi-Fi is turned on on both devices and they are connected to the same network
Have your Windows administrator and login credentials handy and connect your devices to power. Are we ready?
Transfer information from PC to Mac
- On PC, follow the following link to migrate to Mac
- On the site Click on the link which will take you to the migration assistantcheck the compatible link to the installed version of macOS
- The corresponding application will be installed immediately
- Close all processes and applications you are running and let’s focus on the wizard
- If you have Windows Automatic Update enabled, you will be asked to disable it to continue
- Now let’s move on to the Mac and When configuring it, you must select the migration assistantthat’s when it asks us if we have information to transfer and We select the option From a PC with Windows
- Select the corresponding PC and click Continue
- A 6-digit code will now appear on your Mac and PC.
- If they match Click Continue on PC
- The wizard will collect all existing information, so it may take several minutes, click Continue on your Mac to continue.
- Create a new administrator password on your Macenter the same password twice to confirm and set
- When confirmation is activated with a green circle next to the username on Mac you can click Continue to start data transfer
- Do not use the equipment during transfer
- Once completed, the Mac will restart and show that the migration was successfulrestart again by clicking OK
- On the Windows PC, confirm by clicking OK in the Migration Assistant
Information on the PC will remain as it existsThus If you’re going to sell it, give it away or someone else will use the equipment it is advisable to format. If it stays with you, you can save it and it will remain as a backup of your information.
On Mac, you can sign in with the newly created password and then complete the initial setup of macOS. The transferred information will already be placed in Finder folders, you can browse through them to see that everything is in its place.
This is the information that is transferred from Windows to macOS
Native macOS apps will be your main sources of information now that you’ve left Windows. Email settings, Outlook Mail and Windows Mail will now be in the Mail app. Your contacts from Outlook, the Contacts folder or in People from Windows 10 go into the Contacts app. All Calendar and Outlook appointments go into the Calendar app. Outlook tasks are moved to the Reminders app (only available from macOS Ventura or later).
The root folder where documents, images, videos, desktop, etc. are hosted, They will be as is in Finder in a new root folder where you will find files ranging from photos to documents. If you need to use the native Photos app on macOS, simply open it and export your images manually or let the app do the auto-search.
On the other hand, language, localization, and custom desktop image settings have been moved to macOS settings or system preferences. If you have macOS Ventura or later, you will also notice that information from Wi-Fi networks connected in the past will be available automatically. Bookmarks and home pages from other browsers on Windows will be moved to Safari
The transfer was not successful, what can I do?
Remember that it is necessary to update both computers to the latest versions of operating systems. Check that either computer’s antivirus, firewall, or VPN is not interfering with the procedure. Finally, Check for internal disk problems with Windows Check utility as follows.
- In the Windows search bar, look for the Run application
- Type cmd (command prompt) and confirm the choice of application
- Writing chkdsk and validate with the Enter key
- If there are internal problems, you should write chkdsk drive: /(Windows boot disk letter) and validate with Enter
- Then validate with the Y key, then restart the Windows PC
- Repeat the procedure until there are no more problems with disk drive
If the transfer cannot be completed, you need to make a manual backup via an external drive with the most important files or those you want to transfer to macOS.
If you have any questions about the process, we leave you the official Apple support guide in video. Will you miss Windows in the future? Don’t worry, we teach you how to install Windows 11 on Mac.
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