Moving from a PC to a Mac

[ger19]

I was on the Apple.com site and in the iMac area it said:

Switch over with Migration Assistant.​

Easily move files, apps, and more from your old PC or Mac.

Does this mean there is a way to move actual programs, like Microsoft Office, from my current Win system to a new Mac? I’m thinking it’s just the data files, but wanted to make sure.


Also, I was wondering about a portable SSD and how to format it. I’ve read before that there’s a certain way to format a drive for using with a Mac. Should a formate it for a Mac and then move my data files to it! I’m going to use the portable SSD as the data drive for my iMac (when I get it). I’m wondering if I just have to wait until I get my Mac, format the drive and then move my data to it for use on the Mac.

Any help or pointing to some good reading would be appreciated.

 

[ChrisA]

I was on the Apple.com site and in the iMac area it said:


Does this mean there is a way to move actual programs, like Microsoft Office, from my current Win system to a new Mac? I’m thinking it’s just the data files, but wanted to make sure.


Also, I was wondering about a portable SSD and how to format it. I’ve read before that there’s a certain way to format a drive for using with a Mac. Should a formate it for a Mac and then move my data files to it! I’m going to use the portable SSD as the data drive for my iMac (when I get it). I’m wondering if I just have to wait until I get my Mac, format the drive and then move my data to it for use on the Mac.

Any help or pointing to some good reading would be appreciated.

You cannot move PC apps to the Mac. Even if you physically move them they could not possibly run on the Mac. The Mac comes with a few apps that can open your Microsoft Office files or you could buy MS Office for Mac.

Do you have a network in your house? Maybe WiFi is set up, or Ethernet? If so why would you bother to use a physical media to move files? It is far faster to just share a drive over the network.

Your best and easiest option is "migration assistant" Apple makes it easy.

If you do go the caveman route and move files with an external drive you need to select a format that BOTH the Mac and PC understand. The problem is that this "lowest common denominator" is "FAT" which is very primitive. Then after you move the files you would never want to keep the drive formatted with a FAT file system. You'd reformat it to APFS.

SUMMARY: Migration assistant works well, if not that, use a network share. Finally, if the SSD is used on the Mac, it should be APFS.

BTW, If the files are important, make 100% certain you have a usable backup of all the files BEFORE you do anything. Verify it is a good usable backup. Then disconnect the backup and place it far away in some other room and keep it there until the entire process is over. Next, as soon as the files are transfered and the Mac is working set up Time Machine and let it make its first backup. It might take a while to run the first time but after that just a few minutes every hour and you don't notice it running in the background. You do not need SSD fot Time Machine. Speed is unimportant

 

[Basic75]

The problem is that this "lowest common denominator" is "FAT" which is very primitive.

Actually exFAT, which is not much better but at least handles large files.

 

[iStorm]

If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, no need to buy Office for Mac. Just download the Office apps from the App Store and sign in (or download the installer from your M365 portal).

 

[ChrisA]

Actually exFAT, which is not much better but at least handles large files.

Yes, but still, it's pointless if both computers have WiFi or Ethernet.

A DIY data transfer might get the MS Office files and photos but you might also want the contact list, calendar, browser bookmarks, emails, and a dozen other things.

So the process is this
1) install migration assistant on the PC and click it.
2) turn on the brand-new Mac
3) The Mac will notice the PC is running migration assistant and ask you if you want to transfer data from the PC, click "yes"
4) wait...

Of course, the two computers need to be on the same network so the new Mac will be able to notice the PC.

More details here https://appleinsider.com/inside/mac...c-and-migrate-your-data-from-windows-to-macos

 

[ger19]

I’ll give it some thought but I kind of like the idea of a fresh start. All my data is on my data drive. I feel like I can just copy that to a portable drive and use that as my data drive on my new machine. The point about things like favorites/bookmarks in my browser is a good point though. I’ll have to think about that.

 

[Fishrrman]

"The point about things like favorites/bookmarks in my browser is a good point though"

Just "export" bookmarks (on the PC) to a bookmarks file, then "import" them on the Mac side.

"All my data is on my data drive"

Tell us more about this drive.
Is it a physically "separate" drive?
Can it be easily removed from the PC?

If so, you can put it into a USB3 enclosure (or into a USB3/SATA docking station) and connect to the Mac.
That will make manual migration easy.

 

[ger19]

It's a physical drive. I have a 512ssd for the system and program files and I save everything to my data drive (my D: drive) which is a 1TB Hard Drive. I have the software to just clone it so no need to remove it. Plus my new portable ssd is much smaller.