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How to open an APFS drive on Windows

APFS (Apple File System) is what a Mac uses for its own disk and, by default, for any drive you erase in Disk Utility. Apple calls it "the file system used by macOS 10.13 or later" (Apple). Windows has no APFS support of its own, so an APFS drive shows no drive letter on a PC.

Options for APFS on Windows

  • Read-write drivers. MacDrive 12 ($59.99) and Paragon APFS for Windows ($24.95 for home use) give the drive a letter in File Explorer. Paragon's page says it "Supports APFS volumes created in macOS 12 Monterey" and that volumes with snapshots are "mounted in read-only mode".
  • Read-only apps. Diskferry, TransMac (its help says "Currently TransMac does not support writing APFS volumes"), UFS Explorer Standard Access and DiskInternals Linux Reader let you browse and copy files out.
  • Free and limited. 7-Zip can "extract APFS (Apple File System) images" since version 22.00 (7-Zip history); it opens image files, and in our test it could not open a password-protected APFS volume. HFSExplorer does not read APFS at all.

Prices and quotes checked 30 October 2026. Full comparison: Diskferry compared.

Open an APFS drive with Diskferry

  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.

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Things that are specific to APFS

  • Several volumes on one drive. An APFS drive holds a container that can have several volumes sharing the space. Diskferry lists each volume with its name and size.
  • Case-sensitive APFS opens the same way. Windows folders are not case-sensitive, so two files named Photo.jpg and photo.jpg cannot sit in one Windows folder; Diskferry saves the second under a safe name and lists every renamed file in its report.
  • Encrypted APFS volumes ask for their password first. Encrypted APFS on Windows
  • Mac internal SSDs with a T2 or Apple silicon chip are not supported. Getting files off an old Mac

Questions

Is there a free APFS reader for Windows?

Partly. DiskInternals Linux Reader lists APFS as "Read and save files" in its free version, with encrypted APFS limited to "Preview only" (checked 30 October 2026). 7-Zip opens APFS image files. Diskferry is free to browse and preview; copying out is a one-time US$14.99 unlock.

Can I write to an APFS drive from Windows?

Only with a driver such as MacDrive or Paragon APFS for Windows. Diskferry is read only on purpose: it never writes to the drive.

Can I convert APFS to NTFS without losing data?

Not in place. Copy the files off first (for example with Diskferry), then erase the drive in the format you want. Erasing deletes everything on it.

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

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