# Data Migration from a MAC SERVER to WINDOWS SERVER



## Photomancia (Sep 25, 2015)

Basically my main goal to move 200GB from a MACSERVER and make sure the integrity of the files to a WINDOWS SERVER. As far as I know you can't do that kind of job by just copy/paste. I have a couple suggestions for use this Software

NTFS for Mac by Paragon, also have another recommendation of using two step.

First copy all the files with Carbon Copy Cloner and them using Robocopy to move those files to WINDOWS but since I don't have user experience with that I don't know if that is a good way to precede

That is according to this source: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4503828

I just need some of your advises as always, and also giving me new ways of doing this job because the MAC SEVER is about to die so I am running out of time. if you need more information please let me know. Thanks for any comments. Have a nice day.


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## MartyF81 (Jan 23, 2013)

Do you have an external drive you are not using that is big enough?

If so just format it to ExFAT (Formatting Option Available on Your Mac) and copy the files on to that. Then copy them from the External to the Windows Server.

ExFAT is compatible with both Mac and Windows, no special software required.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

If both the MAC SERVER and the WINDOW SEVER are on the same network and have shared files, you can drag and drop between the two. As long as the connection is not broken, for the length of time it will take, it should go. 
Or you can do what Marty suggested. Commercial HDD's come pre Formatted NTFS, attach the external HDD, go to *Disk Utilities*, highlight the drive on the Left panel, and choose the *Erase* tab, choose *ex-FAT*, which is specifically designed for external drives to share files between Mac and Windows.


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## Photomancia (Sep 25, 2015)

Thank you very much guys for your answers. Yeah we have an external drive with this capacity our major concert is the data integrity we need to make sure that every user in network always have the ability to get access to his files. So no need to use a third party software to do the job ?


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## MartyF81 (Jan 23, 2013)

Photomancia said:


> Thank you very much guys for your answers. Yeah we have an external drive with this capacity our major concert is the data integrity we need to make sure that every user in network always have the ability to get access to his files. So no need to use a third party software to do the job ?


I am not following what the issue is here... All you are doing is moving files from 1 server (Mac) to 1 server (Windows).

This is really just as simple as a copy and paste. User's ability to access the data is controlled by the server and has nothing to do with the conversion.

The only complication is the middle man drive you are using to transport from one location to another needs to be formatted ExFAT so that both locations can communicate with it.


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## Photomancia (Sep 25, 2015)

MartyF81 said:


> I am not following what the issue is here... All you are doing is moving files from 1 server (Mac) to 1 server (Windows).
> 
> This is really just as simple as a copy and paste. User's ability to access the data is controlled by the server and has nothing to do with the conversion.


I have this concerns in mind
_UNIX vs NTFS naming conventions
Illegal characters (will not copy to NTFS)_


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## MartyF81 (Jan 23, 2013)

Photomancia said:


> I have this concerns in mind
> _UNIX vs NTFS naming conventions
> Illegal characters (will not copy to NTFS)_


Unless your current drive formatting on the Mac is "Mac Journaled *Case Sensitive*" it will not be an issue. Mac and NTFS naming conventions are compatible.

If somehow you have managed to get a file in there that isn't compliant... when you try to transfer it, the OS will give you an error telling you which file is a problem.


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## Photomancia (Sep 25, 2015)

Actually this is the problem I just connect the two servers I used the connect to a server option from MAC server and then just trying the process using cp command but this is the problem that I was trying to explain View image: 2015 10 16


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## MartyF81 (Jan 23, 2013)

I see. The problem you are having is that the file name (which in this case includes the entire path including folder structure) is too long for the receiving file system. 

Shorten up that folder structure and it should work.

Personally, I would suggest not doing it directly sever to server. They are using different OS, and getting them to talk to each other smoothly thats just asking for trouble. I would move the files to a FAT formatted external drive first, then from the external on to the new server.


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## Photomancia (Sep 25, 2015)

MartyF81 said:


> I see. The problem you are having is that the file name (which in this case includes the entire path including folder structure) is too long for the receiving file system.
> 
> Shorten up that folder structure and it should work.


Yes exactly, that is why I am going to try make some tar over those folder and sending to the server I guess windows is not going to accept that did you know if Robocopy can help me with this also can you recommend me some third party tools that I can buy to make my life easier


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## MartyF81 (Jan 23, 2013)

We are talking about 200GB... this is nothing, you do not need any tools. You are making this much more complicated than it has to be. It really is as simply as copy and paste.

1. Format External drive to ExFAT.
2. Copy and Paste Entire Folder structure and files onto an external drive.
3. Unplug drive.
4. Plug drive into New Server.
5. Copy and Paste Entire Folder Structure and files onto new server.
6. Done.

You don't need software, you don't need to compress in to tars or zips, or anything.

The longest part of this operation is going to be the couple of hours it will take to transfer 200GB over USB.

I move twice that when I move my Photo Library to a new computer.


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## Photomancia (Sep 25, 2015)

MartyF81 said:


> We are talking about 200GB... this is nothing, you do not need any tools. You are making this much more complicated than it has to be. It really is as simply as copy and paste.


Yeah is true you windows support ExFat but the point is that the windows server is not formatted as a ExFat that is my whole problem I can copy and paste that but when I move the files over an NTFS driver again I guess I am going to have some problems with those long files names. :sad:


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## MartyF81 (Jan 23, 2013)

Photomancia said:


> Yeah is true you windows support ExFat but the point is that the windows server is not formatted as a ExFat that is my whole problem I can copy and paste that but when I move the files over an NTFS driver again I guess I am going to have some problems with those long files names. :sad:


The server doesn't have to be ExFat. The external drive is just acting as a PASS THROUGH. Its just a delivery man. Using ExFAT is just simply making the "middle man" compatible with both servers.

The long files names is going to be an issue period. Software is not going to solve that for you. You have to solve that manually by fixing those issues. The folder names in that example screen shot can clearly be reduced to be more reasonable.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

The long file name includes the path. So, anything that is too long, you move to the Root of the server or a file on the root of the server. this shortens the name. Windows can accept up to 256 characters in the file name, including the path. Windows supports exFAT, As Marty said, exFAT was designed specifically for sharing files on a USB device between Mac and PC.


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## Photomancia (Sep 25, 2015)

spunk.funk said:


> The long file name includes the path. So, anything that is too long, you move to the Root of the server or a file on the root of the server. this shortens the name. Windows can accept up to 256 characters in the file name, including the path. Windows supports exFAT, As Marty said, exFAT was designed specifically for sharing files on a USB device between Mac and PC.


This project is a little bit delicate and short of time. I know 200gb is not much but we are talking about "users folders information" I know it can be done manually but that would take to much time I guess.I have a little bit of budget also so do you guys can recommend me a third party software that I can use to do this task. Thank you very much for your support also


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## MartyF81 (Jan 23, 2013)

I am not aware of any software that will tackle this for you, and if there is any such thing it is going to take far longer than what I suggested because you are going to have to setup the software and learn how to use it etc. and it is still transferring the same amount of data so the transfer time will be the same. 200gb of data is 200gb of data no matter how you transfer it. Frankly I don't think you will find any such software because I don't know why anyone would write software to do something the core OS already does extremely well.

What I suggested will work perfectly fine. I don't know any easy way to say this.... But we have been going about this since mid-September. You could be done with this already within a few hours of asking how.

I get the feeling that you think this task is more Complicated than it is. It's a copy and paste that simple.


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## msm93 (Oct 22, 2015)

i suggest that you use "Long Path Tool" its an amazing tool google it


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## MartyF81 (Jan 23, 2013)

msm93 said:


> i suggest that you use "Long Path Tool" its an amazing tool google it


That application is Windows Only. So will not work for him. He is using a Mac.


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## Photomancia (Sep 25, 2015)

msm93 said:


> i suggest that you use "Long Path Tool" its an amazing tool google it


Thank you very much. but one thing that I can do is to put all the files over an extarnal HDD that can be supported on WINDOWS and then use this tool to fix the "long files names" could work right ?


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