How to Transfer Files from Windows to Mac

Switching from a PC to a Mac, or just need to get a folder across? Windows and macOS don’t have a shared “send to nearby device” feature, but there are good ways to do it. Which one is best depends on how much you’re moving and how often.

Moving everything to a new Mac? Use Migration Assistant

If you’re replacing a Windows PC with a Mac and want your documents, photos, browser bookmarks and email accounts moved over, Apple has a free tool for exactly this. Install Windows Migration Assistant on the PC (download it from Apple’s support site), then open Migration Assistant on the Mac (it’s in Applications → Utilities). Keep both on the same network and follow the steps. It can take hours for a full PC, but it brings things across in the right places.

For anything smaller than a full move, use one of the methods below.

Quick transfers: the browser

Open boltshare.in on the PC, drop in the files or folder, and open the link on the Mac (or scan the QR code with an iPhone camera to receive on the phone). No software to install, and the two computers don’t need to be on the same network. Several files arrive on the Mac as one ZIP, which macOS opens with a double-click. Keep both computers awake until the transfer finishes.

Regular transfers: connect the Mac to a Windows shared folder

If you’ll be moving files back and forth often, share a folder from the PC once and you can reach it from Finder any time.

1. On the PC, right-click the folder you want to share and choose Properties → Sharing → Share…. Add your Windows account and click Share.
2. Find the PC’s address: open Command Prompt, type ipconfig, and note the IPv4 Address (for example 192.168.1.35).
3. On the Mac, open Finder and press ⌘K (Go → Connect to Server). Enter smb://192.168.1.35 and click Connect.
4. Sign in with your Windows username and password. If you sign in with a Microsoft account, use that email address and password.

The shared folder appears in Finder’s sidebar under Locations. Both computers need to be on the same local network.

No internet? Use a USB drive, but check the format

Most USB drives used on Windows are formatted as NTFS. A Mac can read NTFS drives but can’t write to them, so you can copy from the drive onto the Mac but not the other way round. For a drive that works both ways, format it as exFAT (on Windows: right-click the drive in File Explorer → Format → File system: exFAT). Formatting erases the drive. Avoid FAT32 if any file is bigger than 4 GB, because FAT32 can’t hold files that size.

Things that change when Windows files reach a Mac

• Shortcuts don’t work. Windows .lnk shortcut files are useless on a Mac. Copy the real files, not shortcuts to them.
• Programs don’t transfer. .exe installers and apps won’t run on macOS. Check whether the program has a Mac version, or a web version you can use instead.
• Office files are fine. Word, Excel and PowerPoint files open in Microsoft Office for Mac, and also in Apple’s free Pages, Numbers and Keynote apps (with some formatting differences in complex documents).
• Fonts may be missing. Documents can look different on the Mac if they use fonts that only come with Windows. Export to PDF if the exact layout matters.
• Hidden files stay hidden. Windows desktop.ini and Thumbs.db files may come along with folders. They’re harmless and safe to delete.

Which should you use?

For a full switch to a new Mac, use Migration Assistant. For a few files or one folder, the browser is quickest. If you work across both computers every day, set up the shared folder once. Use an exFAT USB drive when the network is slow or missing.

Going the other way? See Mac to Windows file transfer. For moving a large folder in one go, our guide to sending a whole folder has more detail.