When both are installed to the PC, they will enable the user to read and write on the drive that is after following these steps. How to format NTFS drive on Mac Step 1. Follow the similar procedure that is used in formatting the FAT32 above. Go to finder window in your Mac, and then click on Applications at the left hand side of your screen. You can use paid software like Paragon NTFS for Mac or Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Tuxera. Or you can use open source software to save some money. But open source solution requires some messing in.
NTFS (short of new technology file system) is a default file system for Windows. It was first introduced in Windows NT and over the years it has only got better. It supports all the modern features like encryption, journaling (reduce data loss), file permission, compression etc etc.
Since Windows is still the most popular desktop OS, most external HDD comes preformatted with NTFS. This means you can use them on Windows with no problem.
But on MAC, NTFS volume becomes read only i.e. you can only copy data from external HDD to your MAC but not the other way around.
By default, an NTFS-formatted disk can be mounted and read on macOS, but files will appear locked or read-only. You can't rename, delete or edit the files at all. To solve the incompatibility problem, you can choose to format the NTFS drive, install an NTFS for Mac driver or use Terminal. Method 1: Format the external hard drive in Disk Utility. Apple's macOS can read from Windows-formatted NTFS drives, but can't write to them out of the box. Here are a few solutions for getting full read/write access to NTFS drives. This could be useful if you want to write to a Boot Camp partition on your Mac, as Windows system partitions must use the NTFS file system. Question: Q: can mac read ntfs files? I cant read any drive that isnt ntfs format. MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.8) Posted on Jul 10, 2012 8:23.
Now you can always format your hard drive to FAT32/exFAT and make it compatible on both platforms or even use samba server to share file between MAC and Windows.
But, if you are going to use your external drive mostly on Windows, then it does make sense to keep NTFS and sometimes when you want to use it on MAC, use a software.
So here are three workarounds, on how to use an NTFS volume with MAC
Use NTFS Drive on MAC
#1 Terminal
Now you may not know, but modern MAC OS support NTFS volume (both read and write) However, this feature is disabled by default. Why? We will come to that later,
If you want to enable the support for NTFS, you can easily do it by editing a small file.
1. Simply insert your hard drive, in your MAC note down its drive name.
2. Now press cmd + space to launch spotlights then type in terminal and hit enter.
3. In terminal copy paste the following command.
sudo nano /etc/fstab
With this command, you are telling the super user to open the fstab file using the nano text editor. You will have to enter the login password.
4. Next, a new window will open, though you won't see anything on it. Simply paste the following command.
LABEL=DRIVE_NAME none ntfs rw,auto,nobrowse
Replace the drive name with the hard drive name. And save changes. To do that, first type CTRL + o (o for orange) to write data and CTRL + x to exit. And that's it.
5. Restart your MAC and under finder, go to the 'Go -> Go to Folder' and type in /Volumes. You will your NTFS drive.
Verdict: This is the most simple method. However, I don't prefer it, neither it's recommended by apple (and that's why it's hidden) because it's experimental and people who have tried this, reported an error. Also, since there are other solutions, why to take the risk.
#2 NTFS -3g (recommended)
This is the most popular method, and also the one I am using right now. Instead of tinkering the core system settings via terminal, you can install a free software like NTFs-3g.
The development of NTFS 3g has been stopped from a long time. But, you can still get it work by installing few extra packages.
Well precisely, you have to install 3 program one by one. I have this guide on MACbreaker, and here is the summary of the process, for details check out the original article.
First, start with fuse for OS X — this provides a framework for NTFS support.
Download it from here and install it like you normally do. Under the installation type make sure to check the 'MacFUSE Compatibility Layer'. Once done restart the system.
Second install the NTFS 3g. This is the actual software that will be responsible for providing write support to your file.
Finally, install fuse Wait. Since NTFS-3g has not been updated from 2010, you will see an error like this, when the system boots up. So it will remove that.
So basically you download all this 3 software and install them one by one in the same order. It's recommended you restart your system after every install. And once you're done, plug in your hard drive and now you can use it both read and write access.
Can Mac Read Ntfs Drive
Verdict: The good part is it's free, safe and stable. Using it for a while, never had any problem. And the bad part is, you have to install three different packages thus making it impractical if you want to try it on your friends computer.
#3 Paragon or Textra (Paid)
It's similar to NTFS-3g, but you only have to install one software. Also, since this is paid version, bugs are fixed regularly and software is more stable than NTFS-3g.
But this stability do come with a price. Paragon ($19) and Textra ($24) are expensive and comes with a license for a single computer. Though there is a trial version which you can try for free.
Verdict: Me personally, I didn't try their service as I had no problem with NTFS-3g. However judging from the reviews online, for professional use these are better.
Conclusion
Ftp manager mac os x. For general use, NTFS-3g is a good solution. NTFS is the most stable file system for windows and with drivers like NTFS-3g you can get it work easily on MAC.
However, if you work with multiple MAC computers then it's not a good idea to install NTFS-3g on your friends computer. Neither is paying each time or using a terminal. So in such cases, you may want to look towards another file system like exFAT — which is like NTFS but work with both MAC and Windows.
Trying to figure out why you can't save files or change the contents of your external storage device on your Mac?
If you are unable to modify the contents of your external drive or unable to save new files, there is a high chance that your external device is using an NTFS file system format.
New Technology File System or simply NTFS is a file system used by most Windows computers since the 90s. Now, why is it not working on macOS?
As we all know, Microsoft and Apple offer their own operating system for desktops and laptops. While both companies try their best to make their OS compatible with other operating systems, Apple locks out its users from being able to manage NTFS drives on macOS.
Thankfully, there are a few workarounds to this problem and that is what we are going to talk about in this guide.
Let's get started.
1. Enable NTFS Writing on macOS.
The primary reason why macOS is not able to modify or save new files on NTFS drives is that it is only set to read data from it. However, this doesn't mean you can enable data writing on the drive.
Thanks to a few terminal commands, you can enable macOS to write on NTFS storage devices. Keep in mind that this method is not officially supported by Apple and could come with additional risks like corrupting your device or bricking it permanently.
Before doing anything on your drive, do yourself a favor and backup all of its content so that it is safe in case something goes wrong with this procedure.
Now, let's jump right into the guide.
- First, plug in your NTFS drive to a Windows computer.
- Now, press on Windows key + S and search for This PC.
- Click on Open to launch it.
- After that, right-click on your NTFS drive from the side menu and select Rename.
- Finally, assign a one-word name for your drive.
Once you are done renaming your NTFS drive, unplug it from the Windows computer and follow the steps below.
- On your Mac, connect the NTFS drive using a USB or Thunderbolt cable.
- After that, launch Finder and ensure that the drive is being detected on your Mac.
- Now, go to the Applications tab inside the Finder and open the Utilities folder.
- Inside the Utilities folder, find the Terminal app and open it.
Can Mac Read Ntfs Usb Drive
- Next, type sudo nano /etc/fstab and hit Enter. Type in your Admin password and hit Enter once more.
- Finally, type LABEL = (NTFS Device Name) none rw,auto,nobrowse then hit Enter.
After the process has completed, press on Command + Q on your keyboard to save the changes. Close the terminal and reconnect your NTFS drive to your computer.
Now, try to save or modify the files inside your NTFS storage device to see if everything is in order.
2. Use Third-Party Applications.
If you are not willing to risk bricking your NTFS storage device or find the steps above too complicated, can always go the easy route and use third-party applications.
iBoySoft NTFS for Mac is an application that lets you read and write NTFS drives on macOS Catalina and its other versions without any problems.
Aside from giving you full access to your NTFS device, it also has features like mounting and unmounting NTFS volumes, formatting NTFS devices and managing other drives like exFAT and FAT32.
The best thing about the software is that it is compatible with macOS 10.13 up to macOS 11.0, also known as Big Sur.
To use the software, check out the guide below.
Trying to figure out why you can't save files or change the contents of your external storage device on your Mac?
If you are unable to modify the contents of your external drive or unable to save new files, there is a high chance that your external device is using an NTFS file system format.
New Technology File System or simply NTFS is a file system used by most Windows computers since the 90s. Now, why is it not working on macOS?
As we all know, Microsoft and Apple offer their own operating system for desktops and laptops. While both companies try their best to make their OS compatible with other operating systems, Apple locks out its users from being able to manage NTFS drives on macOS.
Thankfully, there are a few workarounds to this problem and that is what we are going to talk about in this guide.
Let's get started.
1. Enable NTFS Writing on macOS.
The primary reason why macOS is not able to modify or save new files on NTFS drives is that it is only set to read data from it. However, this doesn't mean you can enable data writing on the drive.
Thanks to a few terminal commands, you can enable macOS to write on NTFS storage devices. Keep in mind that this method is not officially supported by Apple and could come with additional risks like corrupting your device or bricking it permanently.
Before doing anything on your drive, do yourself a favor and backup all of its content so that it is safe in case something goes wrong with this procedure.
Now, let's jump right into the guide.
- First, plug in your NTFS drive to a Windows computer.
- Now, press on Windows key + S and search for This PC.
- Click on Open to launch it.
- After that, right-click on your NTFS drive from the side menu and select Rename.
- Finally, assign a one-word name for your drive.
Once you are done renaming your NTFS drive, unplug it from the Windows computer and follow the steps below.
- On your Mac, connect the NTFS drive using a USB or Thunderbolt cable.
- After that, launch Finder and ensure that the drive is being detected on your Mac.
- Now, go to the Applications tab inside the Finder and open the Utilities folder.
- Inside the Utilities folder, find the Terminal app and open it.
Can Mac Read Ntfs Usb Drive
- Next, type sudo nano /etc/fstab and hit Enter. Type in your Admin password and hit Enter once more.
- Finally, type LABEL = (NTFS Device Name) none rw,auto,nobrowse then hit Enter.
After the process has completed, press on Command + Q on your keyboard to save the changes. Close the terminal and reconnect your NTFS drive to your computer.
Now, try to save or modify the files inside your NTFS storage device to see if everything is in order.
2. Use Third-Party Applications.
If you are not willing to risk bricking your NTFS storage device or find the steps above too complicated, can always go the easy route and use third-party applications.
iBoySoft NTFS for Mac is an application that lets you read and write NTFS drives on macOS Catalina and its other versions without any problems.
Aside from giving you full access to your NTFS device, it also has features like mounting and unmounting NTFS volumes, formatting NTFS devices and managing other drives like exFAT and FAT32.
The best thing about the software is that it is compatible with macOS 10.13 up to macOS 11.0, also known as Big Sur.
To use the software, check out the guide below.
- First, download and install iBoySoft NTFS on your Mac.
- After that, restart your computer by clicking the Apple logo at the top-left corner of your screen, then select Restart.
- Once you've restarted your Mac, connect your NTFS device using a USB or Thunderbolt cable.
- Finally, open iBoySoft and you can do what you want on your drive as you would normally on an exFAT or FAT32 storage device.
Since this problem has been present for many years, there are a lot of third-party applications on the App Store that offers the same functionality. Simply search for ‘NTFS drive' on the App Store and it should give you several choices.
Ntfs Vs Fat32
3. Format Your NTFS Drive.
The simplest way to use your NTFS drive on your Mac is to format it to another file system that macOS supports like exFAT and FAT32.
Can Mac Read Ntfs
While this is not an actual solution, changing the file system of your external drive is less complicated and risky compared to the methods above.
However, you would need a computer running on Windows to perform this method.
- On your Windows computer, connect your NTFS drive using a USB cable.
- After that, press on Windows key + S and search for This PC.
- Next, click on Open to launch it.
- Inside This PC, right-click on your NTFS drive and select Format.
- Lastly, change the File System of the drive to exFAT or FAT32 and hit the Format button to proceed.
This should take a couple of seconds depending on your storage drive and computer. After formatting the drive, go back to your Mac and connect the external drive once again. Try to save a couple of files on the drive to see if everything is working as it should.
This ends our guide on how to read and write NTFS drives on macOS Catalina. If you have questions, leave a comment below and we would try our best to answer them.
If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂
