PC-to-Mac switchers are sometimes surprised to discover that while Mac OS X has full support for reading, writing and formatting the older FAT32 Windows disk format, media formatted with the NTFS scheme (NT for "New Technology" a la Windows NT, FS for File System -- introduced in 1993, not so 'new' anymore...) mounts as read-only on the Mac.
Even though there are valid technical reasons for keeping the NTFS drives read-only -- for one thing, the NTFS format is a Microsoft trade secret and must be licensed for full compatibility -- this constraint may cause challenges for cross-platform operations or Boot Camp users who choose NTFS for their drives. Without a separate FAT32 volume or a Windows-side utility like MacDrive, transferring files can be a pain.
The primary selling point of Paragon's tool is speed and compatibility, when compared to the option behind door number 2: MacFUSE/ntfs-3g, the Google implementation of the FUSE library for Mac OS X paired with the open-source build of NTFS support (now stable after 12 years of development!). After a change of developers on the Mac build of ntfs-3g earlier in the year, the package is now tracking along nicely and all indications are that the combination of MacFUSE and ntfs-3g works well, albeit more slowly than would be ideal. If you have occasional need for NTFS writeability, MacFUSE might do the job; if you'll need it every day, check out Paragon's tool. If you only need to drag and drop to an NTFS volume while you're running Parallels or VMware Fusion... well, relax: both virtualization apps provide reciprocal file transfer, and Parallels will even open your disk images on the Mac side as needed, without launching the full Windows environment.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-19-2007 @ 11:25AM
Chow7 said...
Will this give me write access so that I can change the icon of my windows drive in leopard?
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11-19-2007 @ 11:42AM
artifex said...
NTFS-3g under MacFUSE does offer write, and does it well. However, it doesn't handle permissions properly, yet.
Michael, does Paragon's driver offer full permissions/ownership support?
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11-19-2007 @ 11:48AM
Greg said...
I use MacFuse and ntfs-3g extensively, to transfer files too large to be easily moved across a network - move the files to a big external NTFS USB drive, and them move that drive to the PC. I've never had a problem with it, and I use it at least once a week, with files sized 10 GB and up.
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11-19-2007 @ 12:04PM
sabih said...
I thought macfuse needed to be done in command line?
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11-19-2007 @ 12:11PM
Michael Rose said...
I'm trying to get someone from Paragon to answer the detail questions.
Chow: I'm not sure if it will let you change the icon, but if you download the demo and try let me know.
artifex: Paragon says the driver has permissions support.
sabih: There's been a packaged installer for MacFUSE for a while now. Mount/dismount and other filesystem tasks may require using the command line.
For what it's worth, I installed MacFUSE 1.1 and the stable build of ntfs-3g this morning in about 3 min + 1 restart, and it seems to work fine. Note that a Boot Camp volume will not show up in Startup Disks while the ntfs-3g driver is loaded; you can hold down the option key at reboot to start in Windows, or unload the driver if needed.
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11-19-2007 @ 12:12PM
David said...
So, does paragon NTFS will support usb/firewire drives?
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11-19-2007 @ 12:40PM
Greg said...
@sabih
The current iteration of MacFuse+ntfs-3g allows OS X to mount the drive just as if it were a normal HFS+ drive, so interaction with the drive is exactly the same as interaction with a Mac volume, if a little bit slower.
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11-19-2007 @ 4:11PM
Maddles said...
They've been getting feedback on Mac Rumors for a while
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=351476&highlight=paragon
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11-19-2007 @ 4:56PM
XGM said...
I have been looking for the all in one package for NTFS-3G and MacFuse, because i have a friend who would need it since he doesn't understand how to install it manually. If anyone has a link that would be cool.
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11-19-2007 @ 5:13PM
Michael Rose said...
XGM -- the two DMG disk images (one for MacFUSE, one for ntfs-3g) linked above provide your basic, idiot-proof install. No need to delve into the command line, fink, macports or any other whatnot.
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11-19-2007 @ 6:23PM
iJames said...
How's cross platform remote mounting going?
I've got latest versions of MacFuse and NTFS-3G and I have mounted NTFS on Tiger.
I even went into smb.conf and shared the drive partitions.
Yet on Leopard I get the error -6602 after authentication.
On XP I just get a typical windows error. The Fat32 drive I have on Tiger is working through SMB but is not visible in Leopard without using SMB unlike the HFS+ drive which is visible through the network. Yet Leopard can see all my PC mounted drives including NTFS partitions.
What is the relationship between mounting NTFS on a local machine (Tiger and/or Leopard) and sharing it remotely (using whatever protocal is best)? MacFuse/NTFS-3g or Paragon?
Thanks!
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11-19-2007 @ 10:05PM
XGM said...
Michael Rose --- Thanks for telling me that. It's been too long since I last installed it since it was still done trough terminal. So i was able to update my version quite easily, and got my friend to finally get it working.
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11-20-2007 @ 8:09AM
artifex said...
If you're going to use MacFUSE and also have an interest in SSHFS or FTP, go ahead and download MacFusion, which lives in your menubar and makes quick mounting pretty painless.
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11-20-2007 @ 4:53PM
Kenjiromasumune said...
i've tried macFUSE and ntfs-3g, but when i installed it and rebooted the Ntfs drive disappeard so i opened diskutility and i can see a drive, but the NTFS drive has become a folder with restrictions. So i changed the permission of it but i can't see all my files.
so i uninstall both and reboot and i could see my NTFS drive again.
i installed the trail version of paragon ntfs to mac.
it works like a charm.
But i want macfuse/ntfs-3g to work with my leopard when the 10day trial is over..
help
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11-21-2007 @ 6:41AM
Michael Rose said...
Hi Monroe --
I would strongly recommend reformatting your external hard drive (using the Disk Utility app on your Mac, or Disk Management on Windows) as a FAT32 volume; this will enable you to share it easily between your computers. Get a savvy friend or colleague to help if needed.
MacFUSE, ntfs-3g and MacFusion, despite the packaged installers and ease of use, are NOT commercially supported products and should NOT be installed or used by anyone who isn't reasonably comfortable with the Mac.
If you truly need NTFS write access, buy the Paragon product so you have a support path.
If you still need the links for downloading the MacFUSE, ntfs and MacFusion packages (against geek's advice... :-)
http://code.google.com/p/macfuse/ (downloads on the right-hand side, depends on your version of Mac OS)
http://macntfs-3g.blogspot.com/ (use stable version)
http://code.google.com/p/macfusion/downloads/list (MacFusion -- GUI for the above)
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11-21-2007 @ 12:08PM
monroe said...
Hello everyone.
I just today purchased a 500 gb hd (NTFS formatted)and i need to recover some files from a mac to be readable on my XP at home. I dont want to (or fully understand how to) partition the hard drive, as i wont be switching from HFS+ and NTFS that often with this HD. I have researched across many forums trying to figure out how to use MacFUSE and NTFS-3G all day! i have seen all of this stuff about terminal text, etc., but i am a simple user who isnt that "mac-smart". Can someone re-link the packaged installers mentioned above by Michael Rose and XGM that wont require much computer knowledge at all besides knowing how to press the "install" button? also, can you please explain how the two programs work together, as all i have gotten so far is "install it and it will work." please and thank you, i apreciate your patience--i am a n00b when it coems to computers, but i am learning!
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11-21-2007 @ 12:11PM
monroe said...
crap sorry about the repeat above-- i confirmed the wrong email.
thanks Michael--but one more thing. isnt FAT32 infamously slower and
more likely to cause problems? and if you do still trust it that
well, do you suggest i partition a 32 GB section for FAT32 (windows
only allows 32 GB correct? or any size i need on the mac) and leave
the rest NTFS so i still have the majority of the speed and
reliability there?
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11-21-2007 @ 12:21PM
Michael Rose said...
Hi Monroe --
FAT32 is still the default format for nearly every USB drive sold today, and is a perfectly valid boot drive format for every version of Windows prior to Vista. Its performance and reliability is perfectly adequate, with the caveat that your maximum file size on a FAT32 volume is 2 GB (making it inappropriate for video editing use). On the Mac, you can format a FAT32 volume of any size, or make multiple partitions -- HFS+ for Mac data, FAT32 for interchange, NTFS (formatted on Windows side) if you feel you need it -- and go from there.
If you format the drive as NTFS you will be using some software, whether Paragon's or ntfs-3g, on the Mac side to enable writeability. If you format it HFS+, you could do the same with Macdrive to allow the PC to read and write it. Either way you'll be sacrificing some degree of speed and stability to permit the cross-platform use of those disk formats. The least intrusive, easiest to support approach for disk sharing between OS X and Win XP/Vista -- the only mutually writeable, natively accessible format -- is FAT32.
I've got nothing against NTFS, I manage a lot of Boot Camp'ed machines that use it for their XP volumes. FAT is easier.
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11-21-2007 @ 12:35PM
monroe said...
wow. thanks so much--love this forum compared to others.. its actually responsive and the articles arent 3 years old! ill try the 2 way partition for now i think--i wont need the HFS+ for now--ill post more if i run into any problems.
thanks again so much!
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11-21-2007 @ 2:04PM
monroe said...
real quick-- whats the difference between checking the "quick format" box in XP's computer management when reformatting an unallocated partition? (reference screenshots are on http://www.jakeludington.com/hadware_upgrades/20040909_diy_external_hard_drive.html near teh bottom) please reply fast as i am in the middle of this process (and only because of your help)!
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