What to do right now
- Click cancel when Windows asks you to format the drive.
- If you have a Mac, check in Disk Utility whether the format is HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) or APFS.
- For HFS+, open it read-only and copy the files to an NTFS or exFAT disk.
Step by step
Cancel the format prompt
The Windows format prompt only means it cannot read the disk. Formatting creates a new file list on the spot and makes recovery much harder.
Check the format
On a Mac, Disk Utility shows Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or APFS. Without a Mac, select the disk in FileFix Ultimate and see whether an HFS+ volume appears.
Open the disk in FileFix Ultimate
Run it as administrator and pick the external drive. From version 1.0.4 it finds HFS+ volumes and shows their folder structure read-only.
Choose the folders you need
Pick the folders you need, such as your user folder, photo library or documents. On a Time Machine backup disk, folders by backup date appear.
Copy to another disk
Choose an NTFS or exFAT disk as the destination and copy. Nothing is written to the Mac disk.
HFS+ and APFS
HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) is the long-standing Mac file system and is still common on external hard drives and Time Machine backups. APFS is the default on recent Macs, and SSDs and newly formatted disks are often APFS.
FileFix Ultimate opens HFS+ read-only but does not analyse APFS. For an APFS disk, the most reliable route is to connect it to a Mac and copy the files to an exFAT disk. Disks encrypted with FileVault or similar cannot be opened either.
Files deleted on the Mac
When HFS+ deletes a file, its location information is removed from the file catalogue, so restoring it with its name and folder is difficult. Signature search, which finds photos, documents and videos by content, is the realistic option.
When it will not work
- The disk is formatted as APFS.
- The disk is encrypted with FileVault or similar.
- Windows has already formatted it (see the formatted drive guide).
- The disk is physically failing and keeps disconnecting.
How FileFix Ultimate helps
- From version 1.0.4, opens HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) volumes read-only to copy files and folders.
- Never writes to the Mac disk.
- Signature search finds deleted photos, documents and videos.
- Checks the external drive's SMART health first.
FileFix Ultimate is free, works offline and never writes to the drive you are recovering from. Check the signature before you run it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a Mac external drive on Windows without formatting?
Reading and copying files works for HFS+. To use one disk on both Windows and Mac, copy the files off and format it as exFAT.
Can a Time Machine backup disk be opened?
A Time Machine disk made with HFS+ can be read. APFS Time Machine disks from recent Macs are not supported.
I formatted it on Windows by mistake.
Stop using it and scan right away. After a quick format, signature search can find many files.