Can windows read Time Machine backup files?

Hi all,
Is there any way this can be done?
Just thinking of possible hardware failures with the iMac. If it goes in for repair, I need to access the files on the TM backup.

Thanks

No, Time Machine backups can only be read from a machine running Leopard and the Time Machine program.

If you want your files to be read by Windows, you'll have to backup them up by making a copy of them to a FAT-32 formatted external drive. Time Machine backups can only be made to HFS+. And even if you could read the files in Windows, what then?

Regards.

What then?
That would mean I could read them and access the info within them, not necessarily edit them.
I just thought I read somewhere that it might be possible to do this. I have a windows laptop but not another Apple machine. Not that wealthy I'm afraid.

neilf said:

What then?
That would mean I could read them and access the info within them, not necessarily edit them.
I just thought I read somewhere that it might be possible to do this. I have a windows laptop but not another Apple machine. Not that wealthy I'm afraid.

Click to expand...

If you are really worried about it then I would use SuperDuper and make a bootable backup on an external device. This way if the HDD dies you can just plug in the drive and have full access to everything.

Of course, if you don't have a computer than that doesn't really help you. I am just thinking of HDD failures.

You can read it with a program like MacDrive or HFSexplorer. All the files are there in the Time Machine disk, and you can get to them and read them, it's just a matter of finding them.