Written by
Sherry Song
Summary: You must fail to copy files from NTFS to APFS directly on Mac. Why and how to realize it? We will guide you through the best six methods, and without formatting, the easiest way is to utilize iBoysoft NTFS for Mac.
Suppose you're a Mac user trying to move or copy files from NTFS to APFS volume. In that case, you've probably encountered a common obstacle: The operation can't be completed because an unexpected error occurred. error Code -50.
Like these talked or seek for help:
I got this message when copying folders from NTFS to my APFS external drive. What can I do? -discussion.apple.com
I have an NTFS external USB and I wanna move it on my MacBook. But it failed, I wonder how to fix this. -dpreview.com/forums
Why can't? macOS has limited support for NTFS. While macOS can read NTFS drives, it cannot write to them natively, making direct file transfers to APFS impossible without additional tools or methods.
This guide will explore several solutions to help you choose the most suitable method, keep reading.
An overview table to copy files from NTFS to APFS drive
| Method | Ease of Use | Speed | Best for | Overall Score |
| Use iBoysoft NTFS for Mac | Easy | Fast | Frequent NTFS usage; Using on both PC and Mac | |
| Use one more external storage | Moderate | Moderate | Occasional transfers | |
| Use Network file sharing | Moderate | Moderate | Large files across devices | |
| Use Cloud storage | Easy | Slow | Remote or internet-based copies | |
| Use Terminal commands | Complex | Moderate | Moderate Advanced users | |
| Formatting NTFS drive | Moderate(data loss) | Fast | Reusable drives for Mac |
It seems like iBoysoft NTFS for Mac is a more effective tool when copying files of NTFS drives on Mac, let's see the detailed steps below.
The most convenient way to move file from NTFS to APFS
If you don't wanna to use another external drive, to avoid data loss during drive formatting, one of the simplest and most effective ways to copy or move files from NTFS to APFS is using some NTFS drives for Mac.
With the driver, you can seamlessly write the NTFS on Mac without any formatting, iBoysoft NTFS for Mac is an excellent tool, allowing you to access, move, or copy files and folders on the NTFS drive to APFS volumes with high transferring speed.
Let's copy data from NTFS to APFS with iBoysoft NTFS for Mac:
- Free download, install, and open iBoysoft NTFS for Mac.
- Connect your NTFS drive to Mac and wait for its mounting on the driver.
- You can directly access and copy the files in it and then paste them to your APFS drive.
So easy like using it on Windows, right? Besides its writing support, iBoysoft NTFS for Mac can also repair some NTFS file system errors and is even compatible with macOS Sequoia, Sonoma, and more. Please share this delicate tool with more people.
How to move files from NTFS to APFS on Mac?
If you prefer alternative manual but more complex methods, here we list several other approaches to copy files from NTFS to APFS.
# Use external storage
You can use a FAT32 or exFAT-formatted drive as an intermediary to transfer files from NTFS to APFS. These files systems are compatible with both NTFS and APFS.
- Connect an external drive to your Mac and check its disk format in Finder > Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
- If it is exFAT or FAT32 after selecting, you can copy the files from the NTFS drive to the external drive.
(If not, you have to click Erase on the top, then give it a name and choose the suitable format. Click Erase.)
- Connect the external drive to your Mac and transfer the files to your APFS volume.
# Use network file sharing
Network file sharing allows you to bypass filesystem compatibility issues by transferring files over a local network. But this requires a Windows PC and a professional network device.
- Connect your NTFS drive to a Windows PC.
- Enable File Sharing on the Windows PC. (You can go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Advanced Sharing Settings, then enable File and Printer Sharing.)
- On your Mac, open Finder, click Go > Connect to Server, and enter your Windows PC's network address. (e.g., smb://<PC_IP_Address>).
- Click Connect then access the shared folder and copy files to your APFS drive.
If you don't know your Windows address, you can press the Win and R keys, then type cmd, and type ipconfig, finally, look for the line labeled IPv4 Address under your active network connection.
# Use Cloud storage
Cloud storage services is another choice to move files from NTFS to APFS on Mac without using external drives. However, there are so many platforms to choose.
- Upload files from the NTFS drive to a cloud service such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud using a compatible device.
- Download the files from the cloud service to your Mac's APFS volume.
# Use Terminal commands
For advanced Mac users, macOS offers experimental NTFS write support via Mac Terminal. Note that this method is not recommended for critical or large-scale file transfers and sometimes it will fail to enable to write.
- Connect your NTFS drive to your Mac then open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
- Type diskutil list and press the Enter key then identify your NTFS drive.
- Mount the NTFS drive with write permissions, you can type sudo mkdir /Volumes/NTFS
sudo mount -t ntfs -o rw,auto,nobrowse /dev/<disk_identifier> /Volumes/NTFS
(Replace disk_identifier with your disk name.) - Copy files using Finder or drag and drop them.
- Unmount the drive after completing the transfer, type sudo umount /Volumes/NTFS, and press the Enter key.
# Format the drive to supported formats
If the NTFS drive is no longer required for Windows use, you can reformat it to a Mac-supported file system like exFAT or APFS. Remember this method will lose all the data on your NTFS drive, so this may be the last resort to copy NTFS to APFS after you do a backup.
- Back up all important data from the NTFS drive.
- Finder > Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility and select the NTFS drive.
- Click Erase on the top menu, then rename and choose the format.
(exFAT or APFS may be better.)
- Transfer files to the reformatted drive.
Now, you must learn how to copy NTFS to APFS on Mac, choose the one that suits you more, and share our article.
Conclusion
Moving files from NTFS to APFS on Mac can be done through several methods, depending on your needs and technical comfort level. For the most hassle-free experience, consider using iBoysoft NTFS for Mac, using it is just like the common drives on your Mac.
Always ensure your data is backed up before proceeding with any file transfer method. With these solutions, you'll be able to bridge the gap between NTFS and APFS effectively.
