Migrate to Mac: What Most People Get Wrong About Moving From Windows

Switching from a PC to a Mac feels like moving into a new house where all the light switches are in the wrong places. You know everything you need is inside, but finding the "basement" (or your Downloads folder) takes a minute. Honestly, the biggest hurdle isn't the hardware. It's the fear of losing ten years of photos, tax documents, and that one specific spreadsheet you've been updating since 2018.

Apple knows this. That’s why the migrate to Mac process is centered around a tool called Migration Assistant. Most people think they can just drag and drop files onto a thumb drive and call it a day. You can, sure. But you’ll miss the underlying settings, email accounts, and browser bookmarks that make a computer feel like yours.

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The Real Secret to a Fast Migration

Speed is everything. Nobody wants to watch a loading bar for 14 hours. If you’re trying to move 500GB over a shaky 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection, you’re going to have a bad time.

The pro move? Use an Ethernet cable. If your new Mac doesn't have an Ethernet port (most don't these days), a simple USB-C to Ethernet adapter is your best friend. Directly connecting the two machines—or plugging both into the same router—cuts the transfer time significantly. If you must use Wi-Fi, make sure both computers are sitting right next to each other. Distance is the enemy of data integrity here.

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Before You Click "Start"

Preparation is boring but necessary. First, update everything. Your Windows PC should be running the latest version of Windows 10 or 11. On the Mac side, ensure macOS Tahoe (or whatever the latest version is for your model) is fully patched.

• Turn off the guard dogs: Antivirus software, firewalls, and VPNs are designed to stop unauthorized data transfers. Since that's exactly what you're trying to do, these programs will treat Migration Assistant like a virus. Disable them temporarily.
• The OneDrive Trap: If you use OneDrive on your PC, it’s often better to sign out or uninstall it before migrating. Since OneDrive files are often "placeholders" rather than actual files on your disk, the migration tool can get confused trying to "grab" a file that technically lives in the cloud.
• Check Your Disk: Run chkdsk on your Windows machine. It sounds technical, but just open the Command Prompt and type it in. If your PC has disk errors, the migration will likely hang at 99%, which is a special kind of heartbreak.

Step-by-Step: How the Magic Happens

You'll need to download the Windows Migration Assistant on your PC. Apple hosts different versions of this software depending on which macOS version your new computer is running. If you're on macOS Sonoma 14.4 or later, you need "Version 3." If you're on something older, you’ll need an earlier version. Matches matter here.

1. Open the app on your Windows PC.
2. Open Migration Assistant on your Mac (it’s in the Utilities folder).
3. On the Mac, select "From a Windows PC."
4. A code will appear on your Mac screen. Type that into the PC.
5. Wait for the "Calculating" stage. This is where the Mac "looks" at your PC to see what’s actually there.

What Actually Moves (And What Doesn't)

It’s not a perfect clone. Let’s be real. Your files—Photos, Documents, Music, Movies—will land in the equivalent folders on the Mac. Your email accounts (IMAP and Exchange) will usually transfer their settings over to the Apple Mail app. Even your desktop wallpaper and browser bookmarks from Edge or Chrome will make the jump.

But your programs? That’s a different story.

You cannot "migrate" a .exe file and expect it to run on macOS. You’ll need to download the Mac versions of Chrome, Zoom, or Microsoft Office. The good news is that most modern software is subscription-based. Log in to your Adobe or Microsoft account on the Mac, and your license usually just works.

Why Does It Get Stuck?

Sometimes, Migration Assistant just sits there. "Connecting..." or "Transferring starting information..." for an hour.

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Often, this is a network "handshake" issue. If the two computers can't see each other, check if "Network Discovery" is turned on in your Windows settings. Also, make sure your PC hasn't fallen asleep. Windows loves to go to sleep right in the middle of a big task to save power. Go into your Power Settings and set "Sleep" to "Never" until the job is done.

The Post-Migration Checklist

Once the Mac restarts and says "Migration Complete," you aren't quite finished.

• Authorize your Apple Account: Go to the Music or TV app and authorize the computer so you can play your old purchases.
• Spotlight Indexing: Your Mac will feel slow for the first few hours. Don't panic. It's just "Spotlight" (the search tool) indexing every single new file you just moved so you can find them later.
• Permissions: You might be asked for your "PC password" several times. This is the Mac creating a "Keychain" to store your old passwords securely.

Actionable Next Steps

If you're ready to make the jump, don't just wing it.

1. Audit your PC: Delete those 40GB of "Downloads" you don't need. The less you move, the less can go wrong.
2. Download the tool: Grab the Windows Migration Assistant from Apple's official support page.
3. Physical Connection: Locate an Ethernet cable or a fast USB-C cable if you have one.
4. Stay Plugged In: Both the PC and the Mac must be connected to power outlets. A dead battery mid-migration can lead to corrupted user profiles.

Moving to a new ecosystem is a big deal, but the migrate to Mac tool is surprisingly robust if you give it a clean environment to work in. Clean your PC disk, disable your firewall, and let the software do the heavy lifting.