How to access an APFS volume on Windows machine

Question

I have a Lacie 4TB external HDD which have 1.5 TB of data but I am not able to access it as it looks like the the file system of the volume which contains my data is Apple's File System and I cant find any way to access it from windows machine.

Please Help!!!

EDIT : Is it even possible? Or Do I need to hack my way through it? Cause I really dont wanna pay any direct/indirect singly penny to Apple.

Solution 1

There is certainly a way to read the data off the disk, although not natively (in the file explorer).

The easiest way to read it is using one of many "Linux Reader"-like applications, that allow you to read almost any file system used on Linux, Windows or Mac (Linux Reader from DiskInternals can read your drive).

The second easiest way would be to mount the drive in a Live Linux environment (Debian, Ubuntu etc.) and do it there since Linux systems have modules for all modern file systems (including NTFS for Windows and HFS+ for Mac).

Solution 2

These tools can be used:

https://github.com/sgan81/apfs-fuse for Linux

https://www.paragon-software.com/home/apfs-windows for Windows

Source: How to mount APFS on Linux or Windows?

Solution 3

Apple has not released the specs yet. I only know of two companies with beta versions for using on Windows: Transmac by Acute Systems and Macdrive from Mediafour.

Solution 4

Today I needed to read my APFS partition from desktop Windows machine. As I already answered here there is a free for now (preview-version) APFS for Windows by Paragon. It worked perfectly well for me in read-only mode.

View more solutions

Comments

[cengbrecht]

There is a driver that you can get for windows to see the file system, and be able to read it. You won't be able to write. If you have a mac, there should be a driver available. forums.macrumors.com/threads/… This is the source I use for HFS, I am still looking for APFS.

[Spiff]

Are you sure it’s APFS, which JUST shipped this month in macOS 10.13 High Sierra? Did you convert the drive yourself after installing the new OS in the last week or so? I don’t think the install process auto-converts external drives. I think you probably need HFS+ support, not APFS. As of mid 2017, HFS+ is still far more common than APFS as a Mac-native filesystem volume format.

[Necktwi]

hey can you spit out the linux mount command to mount the APFS formatted disk????

[grg]

Linux Reader can’t read APFS and neither can any live Linux I’ve tried

[Spiff]

This answer is only helpful if OP was mistaken and his drive is actually HFS+ and not APFS.

[Ramhound]

If the program's freeware version is useless and the pay version is to expensive why are you suggesting the useless expensive program in the first place?

[BlueDev]

Well if you have some money you can buy it. APFS is still new filesystem, so there are no so much alternatives. I've updated my post, so you can use MacDrive from Mediafour and it is not usefull... ;) Keep calm!

[Ramhound]

You might want to check our help center to better understand the proper way to recommend software, if in the rare cases, it actually is called for. Given there have already been 2 answers deleted for being spam, I suggest, not suggesting software until you better understand how to do it properly.

[BlueDev]

I've tried both softwares and it's working. I don't see anything wrong if I suggest it to someone. I still can't understand why are you so negative?

[DeveloperACE]

i believe they have now: github.com/sgan81/apfs-fuse/issues/66

[jvriesem]

There's also Paragon's software.....

[MrModest]

Now they claimed, that APFS is supported (but in read only mode): diskinternals.com/linux-reader