Now that you've got a new Mac, you might be wondering which files you can move from your Windows PC to your Mac. That's what we'll help you with here. Your Mac can open lots of different kinds of files from your PC, as long as you have software installed that can interpret them.

You don't have to start your Mac life from scratch—
you can transfer over many of your PC files and use them just like you've done before.

For example, you can move all of your Microsoft Office documents to your Mac if you have Microsoft Office for Mac OS X installed—Office functions almost exactly the same on a Mac as it does on a PC. Likewise, you can move any Photoshop (.psd) file to your Mac and open it as long as you have Adobe Photoshop (or Photoshop Elements) for Mac installed (Photoshop has pretty much the same interface on both platforms). Ditto for your Quicken, FileMaker Pro, Macromedia Studio, QuarkXPress, QuickBooks, and other application files; if you have a Mac version of the software, you can open your old PC files.

If you have a bunch of audio files (MP3, WAV, AAC QuickTime, AIFF, and so on), image files (JPEG, PDF, TIFF, GIF, RAW, and the like), or movie files (MPEG-4, DV, Flash, AVI, QuickTime, and more), you can move practically all of them to your Mac (click here for a list of QuickTime-supported file formats). You can use iTunes or QuickTime Player (included with your Mac) to play practically any audio file, iPhoto or Preview (also included) to view practically any image file, and QuickTime Player to watch practically any movie file.

If you're unsure if a manufacturer makes a Mac version of your Windows version software, you can either visit the manufacturer's website or check out our Macintosh Products Guide website to see all 23,000+ products made for Mac. Check your PC software install discs too—some manufacturers release both Mac and Windows versions of the software in the same package.

OK, but how do I move files over?
It's easy. Just connect your old PC to your Mac—either directly or over a network! Before you start moving files over, you should install any Mac software that you need to open your files first. Once you're done, do one of the following migration methods.

Direct connect

To move files by connecting your Mac directly to your PC:

1. Connect your Mac to your PC using a standard Ethernet cable.
2. Make sure that both computers are turned on.
3. In the Finder on your Mac, choose Connect to Server from the Go menu to open the window.
4. Type your PC's network address in the Server Address text box using one of these formats:
   • smb://DNSname/ShareName
   • smb://IPaddress/ShareName
5. Click Connect.
6. Follow the onscreen instructions to enter your PC's workgroup name, user name, password, and the volume or folder you wish to access.
7. Your PC volume should appear on your Mac Desktop.
8. Open the volume and drag and drop files directly from it to anywhere on your Mac.
9. When finished, drag your PC volume to the Trash to unmount it.

Network connection

To move files by connecting your Mac to your PC on the same network:

1. Make sure that both computers are turned on and connected to the Internet.
2. In the Finder on your Mac, choose Connect to Server from the Go menu to open the window.
3. Type your PC's network address in the Server Address text box using this format: smb://ServerName/ShareName, or select the name of your PC in this window (if it appears).
4. Click Connect.
5. Enter your PC's workgroup name, your user name, and your password when prompted, then select the volume or folder you wish to access.
6. Your PC volume should appear on your Mac Desktop.
7. Open the volume and drag and drop files directly from it to anywhere on your Mac.
8. When finished, drag your PC volume to the Trash to unmount it.

For easier moving, you might want to consider Move2Mac, a third-party application that makes the moving process easier. Not only will it move files from your PC to your Mac, it also transfers other items such as your email account settings and address book, Internet Explorer bookmarks, desktop backgrounds, dial-up Internet settings, and more.

Alternative Methods

If your Windows computer doesn't have an Ethernet port to transfer your data through a direct or network connection, consider any one of the following ways to do the deed.

• Use an external hard drive or storage device.
• Burn files to a CD or DVD.
• Copy files to a shared file server.
• If you don't have many files, transfer them over email.
• Use your .Mac iDisk (if you have a .Mac account).
• Get PC Data Transfer service at your local Apple retail store.

Migrating Mail

While it's relatively easy to copy your PC files to your Mac, other data, namely your email messages, need to be handled a little bit differently. If you don't have a lot of email, you can simply forward all your messages on your PC and then receive them all on your Mac.

If you've got a lot of email or have multiple accounts and mailboxes, click here to find out how to import email from your old PC into Mail on your Mac.

Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only, and does not constitute Apple's recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.