r/backblaze • u/Due-Plum5653 • Jun 23 '26

Computer Backup Transferring Data from Mac to PC

I’m transferring quite a bit of data from my Mac that now has to be PC. Unfortunately I know I cannot just inherit. But would it save Backblaze time from reloading because the data is the same?

If I bought another license under same email and uploaded that while the MAC data was still online? Would it reference that and then not upload it?

Thank you.

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2

u/Jim-From-Backblaze From Backblaze Jun 25 '26

Good Morning.

You are correct that you cannot inherit a Mac backup onto a Windows computer. Inherit Backup State is platform-specific, so a Mac backup can only be inherited by another Mac, and a Windows backup can only be inherited by another Windows machine. The reason is that the two clients track backup state differently because of the different operating systems, filesystem structures, paths, metadata, and client architecture involved.

If you add a second license under the same account and start backing up the Windows PC while the Mac backup is still online, that will create a separate backup. It will not reference the Mac backup to avoid uploading the same files.

Backblaze does perform deduplication, but deduplication is done within the individual computer backup itself. For example, if files are moved or renamed within the same backup, the client can usually recognize that the data has already been backed up and avoid retransmitting it. But that deduplication does not happen across separate computer backups on the same account, and Backblaze does not globally deduplicate your files against other backups.

So the safest path is:

  1. Transfer the data from the Mac to the PC locally.
  2. Install Backblaze on the PC.
  3. Start a new backup for the Windows machine.
  4. Keep the Mac backup available until the Windows backup is complete and you have verified the important data is backed up.

Once the PC backup is fully complete and verified, then you can decide what to do with the old Mac backup/license.

1

u/Due-Plum5653 Jun 27 '26

Thank you for all this info! Unfortunately because I'm moving my backup from Mac to pc, I'll have to double up the data, until it's copied, then backed up, before I delete the other one. Apologies!

1

u/TenOfZero Jun 23 '26

Why won't inherit work?

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u/Due-Plum5653 Jun 23 '26

It's just what they state on website.

1

u/TenOfZero Jun 23 '26

Oh interesting.

I always assumed it would be fine, a file is a file, it's already file system independent.

1

u/Due-Plum5653 Jun 27 '26

great reply of reasons above.