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Btar Ikeda
Participant
January 9, 2017
Answered

Switched from Windows to Mac - how do I access my .tib backup files

  • January 9, 2017
  • 2 replies
  • 1738 views

Hello,

I've been unable to figure out how to access my .raw files and Lightroom catalog that was backed up on a Seagate hard drive formatted to Win7. I don't know if there is a way, but I've spent money at a local shop and reached out to Apple and other techie sorts and am still unable to access my old files. My story: My Win7 laptop died, but "luckily" I backed up my files. I got a MacBook Pro but was unable to access my Seagate external back up file because it was formatted for Windows. I paid a local shop to move my files to a new Seagate backup drive that is formatted for iOS. I can now see the .tib backup files, but am unable to open them from my Mac. Apple suggested I load Win10 on my MacBook and others suggested I install Acronis True Image. I do not want to buy a Win10 license and the Acronis did not work.

Has anyone switched systems? Were you able to get your backup files? How? And once you access the files, were you able to restore the old Lightroom Catalogs or did you lose all the adjustments.

I know this is not strictly a Lightroom question, but I've been asking here and there for a year now and I'm hoping that I don't have to sell my Mac to buy a Win10 machine to retrieve years of photos.

Thank you.

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Just Shoot Me

    Since Mac OS X can't natively write to drives formatted in the Windows NTFS format you will need a Utility, an Add On program, to let OS X write to that drive.

    In the future when buying a new external drive make sure you first format it in the Mac OS X format using Disk Utility on the Mac computer.

    2 replies

    Just Shoot Me
    Just Shoot MeCorrect answer
    Legend
    February 2, 2017

    Since Mac OS X can't natively write to drives formatted in the Windows NTFS format you will need a Utility, an Add On program, to let OS X write to that drive.

    In the future when buying a new external drive make sure you first format it in the Mac OS X format using Disk Utility on the Mac computer.

    Mohit Goyal
    Community Manager
    Community Manager
    February 2, 2017

    Hi BtarIkeda,

    I paid a local shop to move my files to a new Seagate backup drive that is formatted for iOS

    Please check is your new Seagate drive works on windows machine to store the data, if yes then you need to use a windows machine(  borrow the windows machine only for the day) move your data from the old Seagate drive to windows machine and copy the same on the new Seagate drive and move the date to mac.

    Acronis: Acronis True Image on Mac: Restoring | Knowledge Base

    Regards,

    Mohit