If your PC has a CD/DVD burner, you could, of course, transfer your PC files via a series of blank CDs or DVDs. Let's start with the easy old method of copying to an external storage device. Tags added to JPEG images in Picasa are allocated to the file, for example, but you can also employ the help of third-party software to both verify and insert tags. One workaround for this problem is to ensure that the tags you wish to transfer are embedded in the files themselves, rather than held within the program. If you use Google's Picasa to organise your photos on your Windows PC, for example, you'll be able to move the JPEGs themselves across to be managed in iPhoto without any problems, but the organisation that you've done in Picasa, and some special tags, unfortunately won't translate across. This creates a virtual PC on your Mac, inside which you can install Windows and your old software programs, enabling you to edit and access those files you're unable to open on your new Mac.Ī problem you're much more likely to run into, however, is that while the Mac will happily read the files themselves, it may not be able to read 'catalogue' files that organise these files into photo albums, say, or playlists. If you have a spare, unused copy of Windows lying around, you can create a virtual computer on your Mac using free software called VirtualBox.

If, after everything else, you still can't open or edit certain files on your Mac, all may not be lost.

If this fails, try another file format if a match exists. Hopefully the file will be transferred and most - if not all - of its original features will be preserved. If one matches the options in your Mac program, then export the file in that format, copy it across to your Mac and attempt to open it in the new application. Now switch back to the program you usually use on your PC to edit that file, choose File > Save as or File > Export, and see what file types are supported. Instead, make a note of what file types are supported by the program. If your file type isn't covered, don't panic.

Then, install the application you wish to use on your Mac.Ĭhoose File > Open, or look for an Import option and explore the choices to see what file types the program can import - if your file type is covered here, you can simply transfer the file across and open it directly to verify it works correctly. First, you need to source a suitable free application for your Mac - sites such as can help here.

How to migrate files from pc to mac