First, do not format the drive. If Windows asks "You need to format the disk before you can use it", choose Cancel. Formatting would replace the Mac file system with an empty Windows one. Why Windows asks

Which format is the drive?

Macs format drives in one of two file systems. Apple describes APFS as "the file system used by macOS 10.13 or later"; older drives, and many Time Machine disks, use Mac OS Extended, also called HFS+. Apple lists only "MS-DOS (FAT) and ExFAT" as the formats "compatible with Windows" (Apple Disk Utility guide). If you do not know which one your drive uses, an app that reads both saves you guessing.

The three ways to open it

Each option is compared in detail, with links to the pages where we checked the facts on 30 October 2026, in Diskferry compared.

The read-only way, step by step

Diskferry reads APFS and Mac OS Extended drives without a driver and never writes to them. Looking is free, so you can check that your files are there before paying anything.

1. Plug in the Mac drive

   If Windows offers to format or initialize it, choose Cancel.

2. Click Find Mac drives

   Windows asks once for administrator permission. A small helper opens only disks that carry a Mac partition, read only, hands them to Diskferry and exits.

3. Browse the volume

   Each drive gets a card with its Mac volumes, their format and size. Click Browse, open folders and click a file to preview it.

4. Copy out and verify

   Tick files or folders (nothing ticked copies the whole folder), choose a folder on your PC and copy. Every copy is read back and compared by SHA-256.

DiskferryMicrosoft Store

Browsing and previewing are free. Copying files to the PC is a one-time US$14.99 unlock, no subscription.

What Diskferry does not do

Not in this version: writing to the drive, drive letters in File Explorer, the internal SSD of Macs with a T2 or Apple silicon chip, Time Machine backups, Fusion Drives and encrypted or compressed .dmg files. If you need the drive to show up in File Explorer and to write to it, a driver is the right tool; see MacDrive and Paragon.

Questions

Can Windows 11 read a Mac drive without extra software?

No, not an APFS or Mac OS Extended drive. Windows reads FAT, exFAT and NTFS; Apple itself lists only FAT and exFAT as the Disk Utility formats compatible with Windows. You need a driver or a reader app.

Will opening the drive on Windows damage it?

Reading does not change anything, but a driver mounts the drive for writing, and Windows itself may offer to format it. Diskferry opens the drive with read access only, so nothing on it can change.

Can I use the drive on the Mac again afterwards?

Yes. As long as you do not format it, the drive stays exactly as the Mac left it.

Last updated 30 October 2026. Still stuck? Support replies in person.

Related guides

• How to open an APFS drive on WindowsAPFS is the Mac format since macOS 10.13; Windows needs help to read it
• How to open an HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) drive on WindowsOlder Mac drives use Mac OS Extended; how to read one on a PC
• Copy files from a Mac external drive to a PCMove photos, video and documents off a Mac drive and check every copy
• Windows says "You need to format the disk": Mac drivesWhy Windows offers to format a Mac drive, and why you should cancel
• Diskferry comparedMacDrive, Paragon, TransMac, HFSExplorer and the free options, with sources

Originally published at https://diskferry.com/guides/read-mac-drive-on-windows.