MacBook Air M1.

[Shackeng]

I decided to replace my 15 year old Acer 5220 very slow laptop, with one of these, and it should be possible to copy files from my Win 10 PC using the Migration Assistant or Ethernet cable. With the latter, neither one apparently sees the other despite sounding as though they do. With the MA, having done what seemed to be required, switch off anti-virus and carry out chkdsk, the MA starts OK on both but freezes almost immediately and sticks. I have also tried USB to USB C connection with no luck. I think I can copy files from Windows to Mac via the cloud, but not sure how. Can anyone help?

[Shackeng]

That surprises me, I felt sure there would be a Mac expert on here.

[deviator]

How much data are you talking about?

I know my way around Mac's, but I still hate them.

[deviator]

Right you need to know the name of the Windows computer to do this.

Open Finder on the Mac. On the menu bar at the top, click go, click connect to server.

In the server address box type....
smb://computername/c$

Replace computername with the name of your computer. It will need a Windows administrator username and password.

[Varche]

How much data are you talking about?

I know my way around Mac's, but I still hate them.

Why do you hate them? We have a mix of apple and win10 products. Just about to replace two win10 desktops and aio Imacs are my hot contender rather than hp envy for example.

[deviator]

Why do you hate them? We have a mix of apple and win10 products. Just about to replace two win10 desktops and aio Imacs are my hot contender rather than hp envy for example.

Overrated, overpriced, overly complicated and less useful than a Windows PC of less than half the cost.

People buy the stuff to be trendy and cool, it's like brand name clothing - you pay a premium for a potentially inferior product.

I really, really could go on and on and on about it, but that's not the point of this thread.

EDIT - I am actually writing this on an iMac. I got an iMac at work to force me to learn the OS better. I find it so frustrating.

[Doctor Gollum]

Even Faceachebook have issues with Crapple.

https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-apple-feud-over-privacy-internet-future/

[STEMO]

Even Faceachebook have issues with Crapple.

Not in wifey's world it doesn't.

[TheBoy]

I fikin' hate my Mac with a passion.  I improved it dramatically by installing Windows on it.

You can do it over the network, but the Mac is particularly shite at talking SMB (which is what Windows uses), and pretty shite at sharing out NFS (which needs extra services installed on Windows).


The USB is easiest way, whats the issue?


You can use cloud by uploading from Windows and then downloading to Mac, but as Windows and MacOS are so dreadfully different, not sure its a great help.


How many files, and what sort are they?  And what sort of size?

[Shackeng]

Thanks guys, I only need to move my photos and document, letters etc. from Textmaker which is part of Softmaker Office suite. I don't understand why I couldn't do it via usb, obviously as a tech nerd I am missing something. I will try Deviators suggestion, is computer name the make? I just call it my PC.

[deviator]

To find the computer name....
Click on the Start button.
In the search box, type Computer.
Right click on This PC within the search results and select Properties.
Under Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings you will find the computer name listed.

[TheBoy]

To find the computer name....
Click on the Start button.
In the search box, type Computer.
Right click on This PC within the search results and select Properties.
Under Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings you will find the computer name listed.

By default on a modern Windows, the network announcement broadcasts are disabled.  So might not work that well

[TheBoy]

Thanks guys, I only need to move my photos and document, letters etc. from Textmaker which is part of Softmaker Office suite. I don't understand why I couldn't do it via usb, obviously as a tech nerd I am missing something. I will try Deviators suggestion, is computer name the make? I just call it my PC.

What was the issue with USB?

Was it the Mac couldn't see the USB?

Is the USB formatted as FAT32 rather than NTFS (Mac's NTFS driver is at best flakey)

Presumably your old laptop was USB-A given its age, and the M1 is USB-C, so you are using an adapter?  Apple hardware is fussy on adapters.


To use you new crApple device, you will have signed up to iCloud.  You can install iCloud for Windows on the old laptop.  Copy your docs to the iCloud folder on Windows, and they will slowly start to appear on the Mac.  The freebie iCloud is only 5Gb, so you probably wont be able to get them all over in one go, which means moving them once they have sync'd over, then doing the next lot  (though using cloud storage long term isn't a bad idea, and despite its horrible limitations, iCloud isn't that expensive for the 50Gb version)

**NOTE** cloud storage is NOT a viable form of backup, dont let anyone tell you otherwise, so you still need to backup important stuff locally to optical media or external drives etc.



Once you get documents over, there is no guarantee the Mac apps can understand them, though the photos show be fine.  Also, be aware, the M1 is ARM based, and not all applications from last year "work" under the Intel x86 emulator.  With the M1 being so new, and the first to use an overgrown iPhone CPU, much of the guff on the internet is irrelevent.  Beware of following instructions blindly

[Shackeng]

Thanks guys, I only need to move my photos and document, letters etc. from Textmaker which is part of Softmaker Office suite. I don't understand why I couldn't do it via usb, obviously as a tech nerd I am missing something. I will try Deviators suggestion, is computer name the make? I just call it my PC.

What was the issue with USB?

Was it the Mac couldn't see the USB?

Is the USB formatted as FAT32 rather than NTFS (Mac's NTFS driver is at best flakey)

Presumably your old laptop was USB-A given its age, and the M1 is USB-C, so you are using an adapter?  Apple hardware is fussy on adapters.


To use you new crApple device, you will have signed up to iCloud.  You can install iCloud for Windows on the old laptop.  Copy your docs to the iCloud folder on Windows, and they will slowly start to appear on the Mac.  The freebie iCloud is only 5Gb, so you probably wont be able to get them all over in one go, which means moving them once they have sync'd over, then doing the next lot  (though using cloud storage long term isn't a bad idea, and despite its horrible limitations, iCloud isn't that expensive for the 50Gb version)

**NOTE** cloud storage is NOT a viable form of backup, dont let anyone tell you otherwise, so you still need to backup important stuff locally to optical media or external drives etc.



Once you get documents over, there is no guarantee the Mac apps can understand them, though the photos show be fine.  Also, be aware, the M1 is ARM based, and not all applications from last year "work" under the Intel x86 emulator.  With the M1 being so new, and the first to use an overgrown iPhone CPU, much of the guff on the internet is irrelevent.  Beware of following instructions blindly

What was the issue with USB?
Although both machines 'dinged', I cant see the Mac on the PC under devices where all the drives are shown, and I'm not sure where the PC would show up on the MAC, it doesn't show under network.

Was it the Mac couldn't see the USB?
In Mac under network it shows a USB, but says it is either not connected or the other end is not responding.

Is the USB formatted as FAT32 rather than NTFS (Mac's NTFS driver is at best flakey)
Pass

Presumably your old laptop was USB-A given its age, and the M1 is USB-C, so you are using an adapter?  Apple hardware is fussy on adapters.
Cable with USB A PC end to USB C Mac end.


To use you new crApple device, you will have signed up to iCloud.  You can install iCloud for Windows on the old laptop.  Copy your docs to the iCloud folder on Windows, and they will slowly start to appear on the Mac.  The freebie iCloud is only 5Gb, so you probably wont be able to get them all over in one go, which means moving them once they have sync'd over, then doing the next lot  (though using cloud storage long term isn't a bad idea, and despite its horrible limitations, iCloud isn't that expensive for the 50Gb version)

I have installed iCloud on the PC, but haven't got a clue how to transfer files into it. In this instance Google has not been my friend.

**NOTE** cloud storage is NOT a viable form of backup, dont let anyone tell you otherwise, so you still need to backup important stuff locally to optical media or external drives etc.
I have always done that on my PC, and will be doing so with the MAC. I should also say that I only ever used the old laptop as a backup if my PC failed, as it did once 18 months ago, but I hope to use the MAC more generally, as I physically need to be able to use it in the living room, and not the study, as I am full time carer for my wife.

Once you get documents over, there is no guarantee the Mac apps can understand them, though the photos show be fine.  Also, be aware, the M1 is ARM based, and not all applications from last year "work" under the Intel x86 emulator.  With the M1 being so new, and the first to use an overgrown iPhone CPU, much of the guff on the internet is irrelevent.  Beware of following instructions blindly
Yes I have discovered that, while it 'may' be a brilliant concept, it is so new that it has not caught up with transfers etc. I am not alone in having operating difficulties.
Incidentally, I did research before I bought the Mac, and all the reviews were excellent, but of course the reviews don't cover this sort of issue. Also it was cheaper than a couple of equivalent MS laptops I looked at.
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[deviator]

I miss target disc mode.