Configure HFS files from Mac-formatted hard drives on Windows
HFSExplorer is a useful, free, and simple application to configure and read Mac-formatted HFS files on your Windows PC. Developed by Erik Larsson and destined primarily for Microsoft Windows computers, the program is now usable on Mac OS X and Linux systems. With this tool, it becomes easier to open a Mac drive on Windows using a user-friendly interface. The software has been written in C and Java 5, 6, and 7.
Free to use, intuitive interface, and auto-detect feature
The HFSExplorer download is a straightforward and easy-to-use program, which lets you configure native Mac-formatted files on Windows-specific devices. You can use the program on multiple versions of the operating system and runs smoothly on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 computers.
What is HFSExplorer?
Apart from opening a Mac drive on Windows, HFSExplorer can also read disk images. Additionally, the program can read Mac OS Standard file systems (HFS), Mac OS Extended files with some case-sensitive names (HFSX), and Mac OS Extended files (HFS+).
Compared to other file explorers like TransMac, SpaceSniffer, and Unlocker, the program’s interface looks a bit outdated. However, it lets you conveniently browse multiple Mac volumes in a graphical system browser window.
From here, you can also extract files or copy them to the hard disk, view important information about the hard disk volume, or create disk images.
Unlike other similar programs, HFSExplorer can read .DMG and .Sparsebundle disk images created on Mac-formatted hard drives. This also includes AES-256/AES-128 encrypted images, bzip2/zlib compressed images, and more.
While many users opt for this program to open Mac files on Windows, there is support for partition schemes like Apple Partition Map, GUID Partition Table, and Master Boot Record.
How to open a Mac drive on Windows?
To extract files configured in an Apple Mac environment, you need to click on ‘File’. This lets you access the file explorer’s dropdown menu. The next step is to click the first option, which states ‘Load File System’. This option is accessible via Ctrl + L from the keyboard.
From the ‘File’ tab, you can choose from multiple options, such as loading file system from path, debug console, or file. This tab also lets you exit the program. Once you choose an option, HFSExplorer opens a new window with some additional details and specifications.
From the dropdown menu right next to ‘Detected Device’, you can manually locate the partition. Additionally, you can choose ‘Autodetect’ to automatically identify the drive. To continue with the evaluation and exportation process, you can click ‘Continue’.
In case you choose ‘Autodetect’ to open a Mac drive on Windows, the program will scan the hard drives to identify, locate, and display relevant files. You only need to click ‘Ok’ to get access to the data from a compatible drive. From here, you also need to find an empty folder to back up data.
Once you’ve done this, you right-click on the file’s title. In the context menu, you then click ‘Extract Data’. You’ll also notice some other options in this section, including Extract Extended Attributes, Extract Data & Extended Attributes, and more. From the upper bar, you can choose options like Info, Extract, and Up.
Before selecting a file to transfer, HFSExplorer Download lets you click on ‘Info’ to check the document’s specifications, including name, size, etc. In case you need to monitor storage space, this can be quite useful. After clicking ‘Extract’, you’ll notice an ‘Extract Here’ prompt, which lets you choose the destination folder.
Our take
HFSExplorer is one of the simplest and fastest file explorers to give you the flexibility to view and open Mac files on Windows PCs. It’s a very useful and convenient tool without any subscription or fee. In case you have some information on a Mac device and need to view it on Windows OS, this is the perfect solution.
Should you download it?
While the software program doesn’t receive regular updates, the developer encourages users to get in touch with feedback on issues or queries. Having said that, HFSExplorer is a safe, stable, and hassle-free program to read Mac flash drives on Windows machines. The tool also functions with a mode that reads encrypted files too. You just download, install, and start using this program on your computer from the get-go.
