Migrate PC to Mac

Why would you want to migrate PC to Mac? If you have just purchased a new Mac and still have your old Windows PC sitting their full of data files, such as documents, emails, calendar events, photos and contact information, and you are thinking to yourself "I wish that I had my old Windows data on my Mac! What do I do now?". Then this section is for you.

This section will take a look at how your data is stored by both Windows 7 and Mac OS X. Then it will take a look at the options available for migrating your old Windows data to your Mac. Finally, we will look at other options for keeping access to your old Windows PC, applications and data files.

Where are Your Windows and Mac OS X Data Files Stored?

In many ways modern operating systems make our lives easier. You see they are designed to be multi-user, allowing the data for individual users to be kept in one place, that is only accessible by the user who owns them. At home you might be the only user but the same rules apply.

Lets start by looking at a Windows 7 PC and seeing how it stores your data. The picture below shows a Windows 7 screenshot with the Windows Explorer open.

Windows Explorer

As you can see from the screenshot as a Windows user you get a set of standard folders that, in Windows 7, are known as libraries. The folders include Documents, Music, Pictures, and Video.

You also get folders for the Desktop and for Downloads. The function of these Libraries and Folders is pretty self explanatory and are unique to you, as the currently logged in user.

So now we understand where all of your data is. It is the contents of these folders that need to be migrated to your Mac. The problem is that these folders can, potentially, have thousands of files in them!

Switching our attention to your Mac computer we again find a multi-user operating system, and like Windows, as a single home user, you still have a user account. As a result you probably won't be surprised to know that Mac OS X also gives you a set of default folders for your data files.

The picture below is a screenshot of the new Finder in Mac OS X Lion. If you look at the left sidebar you will find an icon that looks like a house. This denotes what is known as your 'Home' directory and you will see that alongside it is your username, in this case 'jordan', the user name of my account.

Mac OS X Finder Window

If you click on the 'House' icon you will see a list of folders like those in the screenshot above. Now if you look closely you will find that the folders are named Documents, Downloads, Music, Movies, Desktop, Pictures, Public and Sites.

Now glance back up at the Windows screenshot and then again at the Mac OS X Finder and we suddenly realise that there is common naming. Both Windows and Mac OS X use a very similar structure for storing your data.

So now you can see why it is possible to migrate your old Windows data files across to your Mac.

What we need now are some tools that will do the job for us. Later we will explain how to do it manually, but it is time consuming and if a tool exists, then why not use it!

Migrate PC to Mac using Apples Migration Assistant

The latest version of Mac OS X Lion, just released in July 2011, has the usual new features and useful utilities to make our daily lives easier.

One of these utilities is called the 'Migration Assistant'. It existed in Mac OS X Snow Leopard but could only migrate Mac to Mac. In other words if you purchased a new Mac then you could migrate the files across from your old Mac. But the Mac OS X Lion version has been improved, now getting the capability to migrate PC to Mac.

The Migration Assistant Introduction Window

So What Data is Migrated by Apples Migration Assistant?

It is very likely that your Windows PC is packed with data. This could take the form of data files like documents, photos and videos. You might have iTunes for Windows installed and as a result have libraries and settings. Events and Emails will exist in Calendars and Email clients.

Before you start migrating data is would be a good idea to know exactly what is going to get copied, and what is not! So have a look at what will get copied over.

Your User Account

The user account for the user logged in to the Windows PC during the migration process, will be recreated on your Mac. The new account will have the same username as before, but an important point to be aware of is that the password will not be copied.

When you log into your new account on the Mac, for the first time, you will be prompted for a new password.

Documents and PC Data Files

All documents and PC data files will be copied across. There are two points worth noting.

• No Windows applications are copied over because your Mac cannot run Windows software.
• It is possible that you will not be able to open files when on the Mac. It will depend on what applications you have installed on your Mac.

You will probably understand the first point already. But just in case you don't! Windows applications will only run on a Windows operating system. Mac OS X is a Unix based operating system and applications need to be written specifically for it - see out software section for more information.

The second point is caused by the first. If you have files from a specialist Windows application you will probably find that you cannot open them after they have been migrated to the Mac. It is possible that you can get a version of the same application but for the Mac.

Email, Contacts and Calendars

Apples Migration Assistant is capable of transferring data from a number of Windows applications including;

• Microsoft Outlook (2003, 2007 and 2010 32-bit versions)
• Outlook Express
• Windows Mail
• Windows Live Mail

It is worth noting that for Outlook, Outlook Express and Windows Mail that data can only be migrated for the user who is currently logged into the Windows PC.

The Migration Assistant can also copy contacts and calendars from Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express and Windows Contacts.

iTunes library and Apps for Your iOS Devices

If you have iTunes for Windows installed then your iTunes library including music, photos, videos, apps and games for iOS devices, will be copied over.

Note that any DVD rentals will not be copied.

Browser Settings for Internet Explorer, Safari, and FireFox

If you a favourite web browser such as Internet Explorer, Safari, or FireFox then your favourite bookmarks and home page settings will be migrated to your Mac.

I think you will agree that Apples new Migration Assistant is a powerful tool, and will make it much easier for the new Mac user to migrate PC to Mac.

We have put together a comprehensive tutorial which covers step-by-step how to migrate PC to Mac using the Windows Migration Assistant.

We have covered what we think is the easiest and cheapest option first. But like all tasks in the computing world there are other options available to you which are particularly useful if you aren't running OS X Lion.

The next part of our article takes a look at a couple of applications that are designed to do the same job.

Move2Mac

Move2Mac is a Mac application that has been written by a company called Detto Technologies. The idea is very similar to the Apple Migration Assistant but it has some interesting features that may make it ideal to you.

Like the Migration Assistant, Move2Mac can cope with standard data files and folders. But it can also migrate Internet Explorer favourites and the home page setting.

But the best feature is that Move2Mac can migrate PC to Mac via ethernet, either wired or wireless, but also has support for an external hard drive.

Move2Mac sells for $39.95, but is only available through the Detto online store, either as a retail box shipped to your door, or as a direct download with the key being emailed to you. Unfortunately, it is not currently available from the Mac App Store.

Parallels Transporter

Parallels are primarily known for their virtualisation products, including Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac. A superb piece of software that allows you install and run Windows in a virtual PC on your Mac.

Parallels Transporter is a piece of software written to help you migrate PC to Mac. It works very much like Move2Mac copying all of your Windows data files into folders on your Mac, but with an interesting new feature.

It also copies your Windows applications over to your Mac, creating a Parallels Virtual Machine ready to use with Parallels Desktop for Mac. An interesting idea!

The Parallels Transporter Welcome Window

Parallels Transporter is available from the Mac App Store, so unlike the Move2Mac software it is an instant download onto your Mac. Like all software for migrating PC to Mac you will also need to download a Windows application onto your Windows PC that performs the Windows side of the migration.

Manually Transfer Files to Your Mac

If you are a home user and your Windows PC has a relatively small number of files then you can migrate PC to Mac by hand. We discussed the locations of the files at the beginning of this article, so it is simply a matter of determining the method that we will use to perform the transfer.

The easiest option is to copy all of the files from your Windows PC onto an external hard drive. Once all of your files are safely copied, remove the drive from the Windows PC and plug it into your Mac.

Now all you have to do is copy the files from the hard drive into the correct folder on your Mac. Job done!

If you prefer you could also zip all of the files and then copy the zip files into the right folder on your Mac, and then extract the files into the folder.

Of course you don't have to use an external hard drive. If your PC and Mac are networked then you create a network share and copy the files over.

Migrate Windows to a Virtual PC on Your Mac

Another technique for running Windows on your Mac is to use software like VMWares Fusion or Parallels Desktop for Mac .

But what makes this approach different is that both of these software packages provide the option to migrate PC to Mac.

The technique that they both use is similiar in many ways to that used by the Apple migration tool we discussed previously. You connect your old PC to the Mac using a network cable or, in the case of Parallels Desktop for Mac, a USB cable.

Once connected you run a Windows application on the PC which works together with the software on your Mac to transfer your entire Windows PC across to a new virtual PC.

The difference with this approach is that the software is not just transferring user accounts and data files, it is actually transferring the entire Windows PC.