October 2022: Migrating from MAC to PC part II
The
process may take some time depending on the size of your library and the transfer
method. Once the files are on your PC:
1. Download
and install the latest version of iTunes to your PC.
2. Quit the
app immediately after installing it.
3. Find the
transferred iTunes folder and paste it into your user’s Music folder.
4. Click OK to
approve any overwritten data.
Note: Completely replace the empty iTunes library with a copy of your Mac’s
iTunes library.
5. Navigate
to the iTunes app on your PC again.
6. Hold down
the Shift key on your keyboard while opening the app.
7. Wait for
a window to appear asking you to Choose iTunes Library.
8. Click
the Choose Library button and navigate back to your user’s
Music folder.
9. Inside
the iTunes folder, select the iTunes Library.itl file and
click Open.
10. You can
now access your complete music library on iTunes for Windows.
How to Transfer Photos
& Videos from Mac to Windows PC
The
built-in Windows Photos* app on your new PC allows you to organize, edit, and
view your precious photos and videos easily. In general, you can copy a photo
library of saved images directly to your PC and import them into the Windows
Photos app. However, if you’re using Apple’s Photos* app for Mac, you need to
export your images first.
Once
imported, you’re free to browse all of your photos and videos, make basic
edits, set up slideshows, or enable the People feature to automatically group
photos.
How to
Transfer Photos from Mac to Windows PC
Starting
from your Mac:
1. Launch
the Photos app.
2. Select
the photos or albums you want to copy.
3. To copy
everything: select Library from the left sidebar and press the
keyboard shortcut Command+A.
4. With your
photos and videos selected (outlined in blue), select File > Export.
5. Choose
whether to Export Unmodified Originals (unedited images only)
or Export (#) Items (includes your edits).
If you
select Export (#) Items, you can choose the file format and quality
level of your exported photos. You can also opt to change their size, include
keywords, location, and other metadata, and keep your desired naming and
subfolder organizational scheme. To minimize file size, choose JPEG as
your Photo Kind. To preserve maximum quality, PNG or TIFF is the
way to go. Also make sure that the Size option is set to Full
Size, unless you want your images resized.
1. Select
any export options, then click Export.
2. Set an
output directory and click Export again to start the process.
3. It may
take a while depending on the number of photos and your Mac’s performance.
4. Copy the
files from your Mac to your PC using your preferred data transfer method.
On your
PC:
1. Copy the
files to your Pictures folder and then launch the Windows
Photos app.
2. Click
the Import button in the toolbar at the top of the window.
3. Select
your user’s Pictures folder (or any other directory to which
you added photos).
4. The app
scans the designated folder and displays any detected image files and videos.
5. Use
the Select drop-down menu to choose All Items and
then click Import.
How to Back Up with Windows
PC
Windows*
11 uses OneDrive*, a service like iCloud Drive*, to back up your most important
folders automatically and more securely to the cloud. OneDrive ensures a proper
backup in the event of a data loss, and it provides the option to access your
PC’s data from anywhere via the web.
How to Back Up PC to OneDrive
Once
you’ve moved all your Mac data to your PC, you can protect your data with a
backup.
1. Open
the Settings app and head to Accounts > Windows
Backup > OneDrive Folder Settings > Manage Sync Settings.
2. Choose
the folders you want to back up (Desktop, Pictures, Documents).
3. Click Start
Backup.
After the
initial backup, all the files in these folders, and other files in your
OneDrive folder, are synced to the cloud. OneDrive automatically backs up
synced files. You can then recover your data from OneDrive if there’s an issue
in the future. You can also access these files via OneDrive on the Web.
Be sure
to keep an eye on your data usage. OneDrive can back up 5 GB of data with a
free account, which is generally more than enough for your most essential documents.
You can choose to upgrade to a Microsoft
365 subscription for up to 1 TB of storage to back up all of
your data.
Windows Keyboard Shortcuts
Many of
the keyboard shortcuts used in macOS* are similar in Windows*, but with one
important difference: the modifier key. Instead of Command (?), Windows shortcuts typically use the
Control (Ctrl) or Windows keys. For example, to save your document in Microsoft
Word* for Mac, the shortcut is Command+S; in Word for Windows, the
shortcut is Control+S.
With so
many similarities, you’ll be up and running with Windows keyboard shortcuts in
no time. Here are some common ones to get you started:
Software Compatibility
& Windows Alternatives
Many of
the most popular macOS* apps are also compatible with Windows*. Even when an
app is truly exclusive to the Mac, the files can often be easily converted to a
Windows-based alternative.
Here’s a list of common macOS apps and some suggested Windows-compatible alternatives. Note that these suggestions are just one of many options. The Windows ecosystem supports thousands of applications, which means you have alternatives for virtually any app or workflow.
macOS Application | Windows Alternative |
| Apple Pages* | Microsoft Word |
| Apple Numbers* | Microsoft Excel |
| Apple Keynote | Microsoft PowerPoint |
| Adobe creative cloud | Adobe Creative Cloud |
| Apple Final Cut Pro X | Adobe Premiere Pro |
| Apple Motion | Adobe Media Encoder |
| Apple Compressor | Adobe Media Encoder |
| Apple Logic Pro X | Adobe Audition |
| Apple iMovie | Windows Photos App Video Editor |
Compiled by the Technical Support officer
