Unfortunately, Windows is non natively able to read Mac-formatted drives by default. If you lot concluded up plugging a Mac-formatted drive into your PC, Windows probably offered to erase it entirely by re-formating it in order to go usable. But information technology doesn't have to be this manner.

There are some third-political party tools that you tin can use to get around this inconvenience and admission the MAC formatted drives on Windows – whether they are HFS+ or APFS.

HFS+ vs APFS

Up until recently, HFS+ was the but file arrangement supported past macOS and OS X. However, with the launch of the newest macOS High Sierra, Apple introduced a new drive type called Apple tree File Organization (APFS).

HFS+

HFS+ was start introduced in 1998 with the launch of Mac Bone 8.1 back when Apple made the switch to Intel-based processors. Although HFS+ is supported on all versions of Mac Os X and macOS, it doesn't let concurrent admission of the file organization and doesn't have back up for dates beyond February 6, 2040.

APFS

APFS is the newer file arrangement that was widely released for the public in 2017 with the launch of macOS High Sierra. APFS is the norm for an upgrade or a new install unless the user specifies that he requires the older file organisation.

The main advantages of using APFS is the exponential increase in reading and write speeds on solid-state drives (SSDs) and the increase in the maximum supported storage infinite.

Reading a Mac bulldoze from Windows

Since Windows isn't equipped to understand whatever of Apple's file systems, it will attempt to convert them to a usable file system. But earlier you click the Format disk push and erase all the contents of the Mac-formatted drive, consider the alternatives.

Fortunately, there are a lot of third-party tools that will allow yous to read Mac HFS+ and APFS drives from a Windows PC. To spare you the trouble of looking for them yourself, we take compiled a list with the absolute best. Accept a pick and cull whichever software seems more equipped to handle what you wish to reach.

MacDrive ( HFS+ and APFS)

MacDrive is reliable and versatile, capable of reading both HFS+ and APFS arrangement file formats.  But the main reward of using MacDrive is that information technology'due south extremely intuitive. Later on you install information technology, MacDrive volition keep a background process opened and volition make any HFS+ or APFS formated-drive visible everytime you connect on to your PC.

Even more, you can browse the contents of the HFS+ or APFS formatted drives with Windows File Explorer or any other location browser. Other than helping yous scan Mac-formatted drives, MacDrive is also equipped with a pretty solid repair characteristic that volition succeed in fixing some abuse issues with your drives.

If y'all decide to try MacDrive, you lot tin can apply for a costless 5-mean solar day trial from this link (here). This trial menses should be plenty to salvage what you demand from the Mac-formatted drive. If you lot need it for a longer period, yous'll need to pay $50 for the Standard edition.

UFS Explorer (HFS+ and APFS)

UFS Explorer is a program capable of treatment admission information on virtual disk and complex raid systems. However, information technology's too capable of acting equally an HFS+ and APFS viewer, assuasive you to extract data from the Mac-formatted drive.

Although it won't let you lot to open the Mac formatted bulldoze in File Explorer, information technology has an like shooting fish in a barrel interface with a few basic commands that will allow yous to salve any file. If you accept a lot of content on the drive, you tin employ the search function to find the required file more easily. In one case you notice it, right-click and choose Salvage this object to… and then cull the appropriate path to initiate the transfer.

UFS Explorer has a free version (yous tin download information technology from here), only y'all'll just have a limited selection of features. The standard license of USF Explorer costs around $25.

Paragon HFS+ (Only HFS+)

An extremely attainable software that will let you to write and read HFS+ drive is Paragon HFS+. The software works like a arrangement driver that uses Windows Disk Management to mount the HFS+ partitions.

Paragon HFS+ is equipped with a startup process that will continually monitor and automatically mount any HFS+ formatted drives that it manages to notice. You lot can use this software to transfer documents and any other types of files that are supported nether Windows.

Once the startup process manages to mountain your HFS+ drive, you can admission the bulldoze via File Explorer or any other folder viewer software that you might be using. Since the drive will become usable in File Explorer, you can drag & drop and copy & paste freely, only equally you would with native Windows bulldoze.

Continue in mind that Paragon HFS+ doesn't back up APFS. If you want to open an APFS bulldoze nether Windows, use a different program from this list.

Paragon HFS+ is bachelor on a costless trial (hither). If you desire the whole package, you tin can buy the standard version for a little over $20.

APFS for Windows past Paragon (APFS just)

If you loved the interface and functionality ofParagon HFS+ but yous need to mount an APFS drive on your PC, look no further than APFS for Windows.This piece of software uses the same interface that will allow you to access and extract files from an APFS formatted bulldoze.

Once you lot install the application, the groundwork process volition browse and mount any APFS bulldoze that is currently continued to your machine. All of this is done automatically, and so you lot don't have to click annihilation. One time everything is in place, the APFS drive will become attainable via File Explorer or another location browser program.

Note: Keep in mind that you'll only have read permissions on the mounted APFS drives. This means that you lot will be able to copy files from the APFS drive to other NTFS32 or FAT32 drives, only you won't exist able to edit or delete any files that are stored on the APFS bulldoze.

Paragon HFS+is free and dosen't have a paid version – you can download it from this link (here). One time y'all install the software, all APFS drives will be automatically mounted and made accessible via File Explorer equally soon as you connect them.

HFS Explorer (HFS+ only)

If yous only need to salvage a few file of an HFS+ formatted bulldoze, you shouldn't go beyond HFS Explorer. This software is completely free, but don't expect anything too fancy.

You won't have a lot of features at your disposal and yous tin can't use it to write on Mac-formatted drives. Fifty-fifty more than, dissimilar well-nigh of the other options featured in this article, HFS Explorer will non deploy a system commuter that will integrate the drive with File Explorer.

However, yous can use information technology to read an HFS-formatted drive and re-create files from it onto your Windows PC drive without to much hassle (and without paying annihilation). Fifty-fifty more, yous can too use the software to mountain .dmg deejay images and retrieve files from them.

Notation: HFS Explorer volition require Java in order to run. Chances are you already have Jave installed on your system. Just if you don't, you lot can download it from this link (here).

To use HFS Explorer, connect your Mac-formatted bulldoze to your PC and go to File > Load File System From Device. The software will automatically locate and load the connected drive for yous. You'll then begin seeing the contents of the HFS+ bulldoze in a new graphical window. To copy any folders of file, select them and click the Extract button.