How to Get Full Access to Files or Folders on Windows 10 with Mac-Formatted Drives

Are you trying to access files from an HFS+ formatted drive on your Windows 10 PC? If so, you're not alone. Many users face issues when connecting Apple's HFS+ formatted drives to their Windows PCs. In this article, we'll explore the common problems and provide a simple solution to get full read and write access to these drives.

The Problem:

When you connect an Apple's HFS+ formatted drive to your Windows PC, you may encounter the following issues:

* Windows will not show the graphical view of used or available space in My Computer or File Explorer for HFS+ formatted drives.

* You'll receive a message 'You need to format the disk in drive X: before you can use it.'

* The HFS formatted external HDD is unreadable/unrecognized or does not appear in File Explorer on Windows.

Why Can't Windows Recognize Mac-Formatted Drives?

The reason behind this issue lies in the fact that Microsoft has not included any driver for HFS format in Windows. As a result, Windows by default can neither read nor write to Apple's HFS+ formatted partitions.

How to Take Control and Get Full Access:

Don't worry; you won't need to learn complex commands or tasks to enable full read and write access to Apple's HFS+ formatted drives on Windows. We'll guide you through some simple paid and free software tools that can help you achieve this goal.

Before proceeding, make sure not to format your drive, as this will result in losing all your precious data. Instead, simply click 'Cancel' when prompted to format the disk.

What are the Limitations of HFS+ Formatted Drives on Windows?

Here are some key limitations to keep in mind:

* Maximum volume size limit: 2 TB

* Maximum file size limit: 2 GB

* Total number of files: cannot exceed 65,535

* File name length: cannot exceed 31 characters

With the right tools and knowledge, you can easily access your HFS+ formatted drives on Windows without having to format them. By following this article, you'll be able to get full read and write access to your files or folders on Windows 10, 11, 8, or 7.

Stay tuned for more tutorials and tips on how to overcome common technical issues!

Mac drive windows 10