Can I decrypt Time Machine for Windows?

You are going to need a Mac AND your encryption key to decode that external disk. You can then transfer the files via that Mac. It can be a friend's Mac.

You can't access encrypted OS X volumes in Windows. You would have to connect the drive to a Mac and decrypt it.

You could, of course, go to an Apple Store and buy a Mac. If you decide not to keep it, you can return it for a full refund within 14 days, no questions asked.

Time Machine when backing up from a Mac to a locally connected hard disk allows you to chose whether to encrypt that hard disk or not. Most people would not need to encrypt it.

It is possible the drive in this case is despite what you are currently thinking not encrypted, it will however be formatted as a Mac compatible hard disk and not as a Windows compatible hard disk. This means it will likely be partitioned using the GUID scheme rather than the Master Boot Record scheme, and also that the partition/volume will be in HFS+ format and not FAT32 or NTFS.

No while it is certainly true you are not going to be able to read an encrypted Mac disk on the Windows PC, it is possible to read a Mac formatted but non-encrypted disk on Windows. To do this will however require installing additional software for Windows to let it understand HFS+ format partitions.

There are several utilities available to let Windows read (unencrypted) HFS+ volumes, below are some of them.

http://www.mediafour.com/products/macdrive

http://www.paragon-software.com/home/hfs-windows/download.html

free version of above for Windows8/8.1 http://www.paragon-software.com/home/hfs-windows-free/

Note: If a Mac backs up to a network Time Machine server instead of a local hard disk then it will always be encrypted, however your friend is unlikely to have used a server to do this so it would not apply. However if you have used a Time Capsule made by Apple then this is a WiFi router with a built-in network Time Machine server and this would be encrypted. I still suspect this does not apply either.

Finally, assuming you are able to connect it to the PC and using a tool like those listed above read it Windows itself will not have a Time Machine client to navigate the backups, you will therefore have to do the handwork yourself. This should be possible though, you would navigate to the relevant folder and copy from it to your Windows drive. DO NOT try doing a file-search, I cannot see Windows being able to cope with searching all the links Time Machine uses.

You can also consider a dual-boot OSX and Windows setup (with or without bootcamp) on a single Mac..

You can also consider a dual-boot OSX and Windows setup (with or without bootcamp) on a single Mac..

That does not help him get a Microsoft Surface computer, unless he wants to try ripping the screen off of a Macbook Air 😁

BobHarris wrote:

You can also consider a dual-boot OSX and Windows setup (with or without bootcamp) on a single Mac..

That does not help him get a Microsoft Surface computer, unless he wants to try ripping the screen off of a Macbook Air 😁

jcp42877 wrote:

well now I'm considering a Macbook Air, or a Surface Pro 3.

The Surface is an evaluation, but since the OP is familiar with Macs, in general, the Mac+Windows route may be an option to retrieve data from the TM backup. 😉

The Surface is an evaluation, but since the OP is familiar with Macs, in general, the Mac+Windows route may be an option to retrieve data from the TM backup.

I think it was the hardware that was attracting the OP, not Windows. If the OP goes with a Macbook Air, and considering the OP has had 5 previous Macs, I really do not think the OP would really want Windows all that much. The Surface offers a tablet w/keyboard and cost saving to the OP.

Personally I would stay with the Mac, but I'm not the OP and my needs and expenses are not the same as the OP's.

I think John Lockwood's suggestions offer the best hope for the OP at this moment.

I know this is NOT what the OP (jcp42877) wants, but here is a ModBook which converts a Macbook Pro to a tablet for only $1999 (you must provide the Macbook Pro 😊 )

<http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/30/retina-modbook/>

I do realize jcp42877 is trying to save costs, not have a Mac based tablet, but I thought it was funny that this should appear at this time.

it is possible to read a Mac formatted but non-encrypted disk on Windows. To do this will however require installing additional software for Windows to let it understand HFS+ format partitions.

Well, there is the problem with the licensing agreement for Apple software:

http://images.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/OSX109.pdf

It stipulates that the software must be run on an Apple branded computer.

Babowa, I do not think the OP wants to run Mac OS X on a non-Apple system. Just get his own files from a Time Machine backup. In which case software to read HFS+ on a Windows box is not a violation.

A free Ubuntu installation can read/write HFS+.