Apple to PC Migration Help

[Lazarus]

Folk,

Someone I know is looking to move all of the files from an old APPLE system to a new Windows PC.

Not having much experience of Apple, im not sure how difficult this would be.

so, I have 2 questions.

1. Are the files formats the same between Windows and Apple (e.g. Word documents etc)

2. Would it be possible to remove the HDD from the apple and wire it up as a slave drive to the PC?

Thanks

 

[TdC]

iirc you won't be able to stick the apple drive in some doze pc because doze will not support it's filesystem and thus you won't be able to read it.

is the apple not networkable? chug a cross-cable between the pootas and copy the data across that way?

 

[Will]

What TdC said. Your options are, depending in the age of the Apple, floppy discs, Burnt CDs, or a crossover cable. You could also upload the files to an FTP.

Word docs will still be word docs. If you are using a different program to the Windoze equivalent, it might get more complicated.

Though a new Mac would have been an easier choice.

 

[Lazarus]

thanks guys (nice thread title btw)

all i know at the moment is that its a VERY old apple - whether it has the capability for networking is another matter.

 

[TdC]

hmm, Will offers a nice one there: if the apple is networked you could possibly mail or upload the files off it to a host somewhere. then again, you could also just connect it to the other poota in that case.

iirc old macs have floppy support no? that'll take a while heh :/ it may also have USB support, making it possible to swap the files out on a USB stick, but depending on the age of the 'mac it might only support applefs or whatever they call their filesystem.

Nicest idea Will offers is the "why leave mac at all?" one. Get a minimac and a nice tft!

 

[Will]

thanks guys (nice thread title btw)

all i know at the moment is that its a VERY old apple - whether it has the capability for networking is another matter.

Thanks. I've found a shortcut for editing the thread names, makes life easy (TdC, try double-clicking the name in the main forum view )

If its really really old, floppy is your only option. If its only really old, it may have dialup access as well as a floppy. Check the ports on the back, and see what you can do.

 

[TdC]

ooh that's handy. noted

 

[Shovel]

Depending on age (if it has Firewire) you may also be able to use Target Disk Mode on the Mac to make it operate like a Firewire hard disk (hold down 't' during boot).

However, it's only documented as working Mac->Mac, so there may or may not be a Windows utility to mount and read from the target Mac HD. And even if you can, it requires Firewire on your PC as well. And a cable to go between.

Probably only the slimest of outside chances with that, but worth noting for reference.

The file formats you find will subject to the same rules as on Windows: Entirely dependant on the application that created it. Microsoft Office has only been available for Mac since 2001, so if it's older than that you might need to import or convert the documents.