Restoring files to a mac

[Steeevo]

Hi just a quick question as i cant find the answer on the web and dont wanna join a apple mac forum,

I have had enough of my windows vista and my old laptop keeps freezing and getting virus's and torq keeps messing around. so have decided to upgrade to a macbook. all my files have been backed up using windows backup.

whats the easiest way of getting all them files onto a new macbook?

[Manu]

Get an external hard drive ?

[Steeevo]

I have one and its backed up with all my music BUT when windows backs it up I had a look at the folders they are all renamed and moved around. I spose windows does this for wen you have to restore your files if you loose them. BUT I want to restore these files to a mac?

[basspenetrator]

by backup you mean you used a software to back up your windows laptop?

when i switched several years ago i just copied my music on an external drive and then copied it to the mac. same with documents and stuff..

[Steeevo]

Yeah windows backup and restore. So it organizes all the files how it wants for wen u have to restore it. it seems like a waste of time to have to copy and paste all files again onto another external harddrive. It will take hours to transfer all again

[photojojo]

Not sure you'll be able to do this exactly. There's ways you can migrate your PC stuff to your Mac though. I even think the Apple Genius Bar will do this for you you if you're buying the Mac in a store.

[Steeevo]

basically my laptop has been trashed and all my files are on a external harddrive that has been put on there using the windows backup program and now i wanna put it all on a mac, im sure someone has come across this before?

[papo]

This will require a little time and a temporary pc.

first of all, you cannot just use a windows backup and restore it on the Mac. The backup you created was a backup of the whole Windows operating system.

you will need to restore your backup on a "temp" PC then just copy the files you want onto an external hard drive.


there are a few other possible options, but will require a bit more IT knowledge, installing a virtual windows copy on the mac, and purchasing some software. (i wouldn't go this route because you would hopefully only need to do this once. sucks to pay for software you are only going to use once.)

[mostapha]

The Apple Store guys will help you…just bring the backup drive with you when you buy it.

There's also a Migration Assistant that will launch when you boot up the computer for the first time (it's also in /Applicatons/Utilities/ if you need to run it again later).