Microsoft Ntfs For Mac



Microsoft

Paragon NTFS breaks down the barriers between Windows and macOS. Paragon NTFS effectively solves the communication problems between the Mac system and NTFS. Write, edit, copy, move, delete files on NTFS volumes from your Mac. Access all your NTFS drives and perform the most common volume operations like mount, unmount, and verify.

The NTFS format isn't one that's widely discussed, so you may be wondering: 'what is NTFS format, and why would I use it?'

  • Tuxera NTFS for Mac allows Mac OS X users read and write to external hard drives, USB memory sticks and other portable storages formatted with Microsoft Windows. Tuxera's software is a key tool for users who migrate from Windows to Mac and need to retrieve important data from Windows backup storages.
  • PSingle License Fastest file system driver on the market even faster than macOS native read only NTFS Driver High performance read and write access to NTFS volumes on Mac Create modify or delete any files on Windows NTFS drives Updated to support macOS High Sierra Simplified Ease of Use Optimized for Mac and Windows OS Remove barriers between Mac and Windows with ease pCreate delete or modify.
  • Microsoft NTFS for Mac Microsoft NTFS is one of the primary file systems of Windows. If you work on a Mac computer and need to read or write files from HDD, SSD or a flash drive formatted under Windows, you need Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software. Write, edit, copy, move and delete files on Microsoft NTFS volumes from your Mac!

In this article, we'll tell you what NTFS is, how you can use it on your Mac, whether there's an NTFS Mac alternative, and discuss the best ways to use the niche filetype on your Mac.

What is NTFS?

NTFS stands for NT File System, and was first developed for Windows NT version 3.1, where itw as the default file system for that operating system. Many external drives are formatted to NTFS by default, as Windows is more widely used than macOS.

Because it's a proprietary file system Apple hasn't licensed, your Mac can't write to NTFS natively. When working with NTFS files, you'll need a third party NTFS driver for Mac if you want to work with the files. You can read them on your Mac, but that's likely not going to suit your needs.

NTFS for Mac: How to Work with Windows Drives in macOS

There are a few things you can do with NTFS files on your Mac beyond reading them. You can change the filetype to something else, but that can be tedious work! You can also tinker with Terminal and allow yourself writing privileges to NTFS, but that's not always advisable. Third party drivers and apps are your best bet, and come in several packages.

Some drivers are paid, and can be quite expensive. Others allow you to work with NTFS for Mac free, but free is not always the best option. Below are a few ways you can work with NTFS on your Mac, both native and third party.

Format to FAT32

Your Mac has an app named Disk Utility built into macOS that can help you reformat NTFS files to the FAT32 (file allocation table) format. Before you change the format of your NTFS files, consider what you have in them.

FAT32 isn’t nearly as efficient as NTFS, which can cause data loss for high-quality videos or documents. This happens because disks formatted as FAT are allocated in clusters depending on their size. The breaking up of files means FAT disks need to be updated often; not doing so is a common reason for file quality loss. Larger files are broken into smaller pieces, and FAT disks need to be told often how to discover those disks.

This is one reason backing your Mac up is critical, and why you should have Get Backup Pro. The app allows you to schedule backups as you see fit, and can backup your entire system, or limited to the data you want to ensure gets saved. If you were to reformat a disk to FAT32, the first step you should take is backing your disk up to ensure no data is lost or corrupted.

Another app you should have on hand is Disk Drill for Mac. If you were tinkering with reformatting and corrupted a file you didn’t back up, there's a chance your Mac has a copy of that file somewhere. Disk Drill helps you find it.

Use a third-party app

If you really want a safe way to work directly with NTFS files on your Mac, a third party app is the best bet. One of the best available third party apps for this is iBoysoft NTFS for Mac.

Living in your Mac menu bar, NTFS for Mac lets you quickly and easily work with drives formatted to the NTFS format, even external drives. You can quickly mount and unmount from the menu bar app, and the app allows full access to NTFS files so you can read, write, copy, delete, and transfer them without worry.

NTFS for Mac is a great option for those who have to work with or on PCs often; you can edit NTFS files on your Mac without fear you will somehow damage them!

Enable NTFS write support in Terminal

Terminal is the direct way you can edit features and settings on your Mac, but it’s a one-way street. Reversing things you do via Terminal can be difficult, and sometimes impossible. But, if you want to take the risk, you can enable NTFS write support in Terminal – just know it’s a highly risky move that could corrupt your drive and files.

Microsoft Ntfs For Mac

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Open Terminal on your Mac
  2. Connect the drive formatted as NTFS
  3. Enter this command: sudo nano /etc/fstab
  4. Note: This opens a full list of NTFS files your Mac recognizes. In the following step, replace “NAME” with the name of the NTFS drive you’re trying to alter.

  5. Scroll to the end of the list, and enter this command: LABEL=NAME none ntfs rw, auto, nobrowse
  6. Press Control+O on your Mac keyboard
  7. Press Control+X on your keyboard
  8. Open Finder on your Mac
  9. In Finder, select ‘Go’ in the menu bar
  10. From the Go menu, select ‘Go to Folder’
  11. Enter this in the “Go to the Folder” field: /Volumes/NAME
  12. Note: Remember to substitute the NTFS volume name for ‘NAME’ in the step above

  13. Select ‘Go’

This should allow you full read and write access to your NTFS disk on the Mac.

Terminal is scary for many users – which is why you should give MacPilot a shot. It’s a fresh interface for your Mac Terminal that avoids having to know specific commands, and is a far safer alternative to Terminal as it limits you to doing what’s safe. There are roughly 1,2000 hidden Mac features MacPilot can help you quickly and easily discover and activate, all without having to enter a single Terminal command!

Use BootCamp to access NTFS drive

Bootcamp is Apple’s method for allowing you to run Windows on your Mac natively, so using it to access and edit NTFS files is (currently) a safe bet. It downloads everything you need to run Windows on your Mac automatically, but there are a few catches.

It will delete all of your old Time Machine backups, if you’re using Time Machine. This is another great reason to use Get Backup Pro!

Bootcamp is also on its way out. Macs with Apple Silicon running the newest version of macOS, Big Sur, will not have access to Bootcamp. It’s unknown if Apple will simply disallow Bootcamp for all Macs, or just those running Apple Silicon chipsets.

But if you run Bootcamp and boot into Windows on your Mac, you will be able to manage NTFS files.

Move files to the Cloud

Cloud services may not grant you write access to NTFS files, but they do let you duplicate, share, and sync NTFS files. All cloud services can host and share NTFS files, so pick your favorite cloud storage option and give it a try.

Many will even sync to your Mac, allowing you to move files within Finder and have them synced to the cloud without you having to drag and drop anything. Just open the drive you have your NTFS files in, and move them to your cloud storage. Apple’s iCloud even syncs your desktop and Documents folders automatically, making it a far easier process to sync NTFS files to the cloud.

Conclusion

NTFS files are still a fairly niche filetype, but when you need to access them it can be maddening to not have full access. If you try to make changes and mistakenly ruin your Mac’s files, things can be even worse for you.

Happily, all the apps mentioned today – NTFS for Mac, Get Backup Pro, Disk Drill, and MacPilot – are available for free during a seven day trial of Setapp, the world’s leading suite of productivity apps for your Mac. Along with these four incredible apps, you’ll have unlimited access to the entire Setapp catalog of nearly 200 apps!

When your trial ends, Setapp is only $9.99 per month – an incredible deal, so why hesitate? Give Setapp a try today!

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Microsoft NTFS is one of the primary file systems of Windows. If you work on a Mac computer and need to read or write files from HDD, SSD or a flash drive formatted under Windows, you need Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software.

Write, edit, copy, move and delete files on Microsoft NTFS volumes from your Mac! Fast, seamless, easy to use. Mount, unmount, verify, format or set any of your Microsoft NTFS volumes as a startup drive.

New! Fully compatible with new Apple Silicon M1 Mac devices

Write files to Microsoft NTFS drives on your Mac

Can’t write, copy, edit or delete files on Microsoft NTFS-formatted drives from your Mac? It’s because macOS has limited support for Windows volumes — that is, you can only read data, but can’t write or delete anything. Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software provides blazing fast, unlimited read/write access to Microsoft NTFS hard drives, SSDs or thumb drives formatted for Windows computers!

  • A no-brainer upgrade for those installing macOS 10.14 Mojave, Paragon NTFS for Mac remains the best cross-platform utility money can buy, especially now that it plays nice with Apple’s new dark mode.

    MacWorld US, Editors’ Choice 2018
    www.macworld.com

  • Whether you’re a hardcore Boot Camp user or just need to occasionally write to Windows-formatted media, this update keeps things working at peak performance…

    MacWorld US, Editors’ Choice 2018
    www.macworld.com

  • Running a Mac and having NTFS formatted external disks, you definitely need NTFS for Mac. It is well priced <…> and enables read and write access to your NTFS drives no matter what size. The speed at which you can read and write the data on these drives is the best of any competitor if there really is one. Anyone who needs to use Mac and Windows computers needs this app for easy data transfer. The interface is best of any application found, and the application itself offers additional drive tools for taking full control. The latest version also supports Mojave and APFS format to complete a perfect application. It is without real competition and deserves a full 5-star award. This utility makes your external storage usable on any computer system Windows or Mac. So your data remains interchangeable and is fully adapted for macOS MOJAVE.

    MacSoftReview
    www.macsoftreview.com
    September 2018

  • Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software is a great upgrade to an exceptional cross-platform utility that’s easily worth the money, especially if you own the previous version 14, in which case this one’s free.
    The user interface is tastefully designed, with buttons for mounting, unmounting, verifying, or erasing the selected volume. Dual-boot users also have the option to reboot into a compatible mounted Mac or Windows startup volume. There’s even a lovely color-coded space indicator like the one introduced with Mac OS X El Capitan, displaying content by Audio, Video, Apps, Images, and Other categories.

    MacWorld, USA, August 2017,
    macworld.com

  • Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software, the excellent third-party file system driver that enables writing to Windows-formatted volumes at native speeds.

    MacWorld, USA, June 2017,
    macworld.com

  • Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software is the best such software solution: reliable, fast, and now affordable as well…
    Fast, seamless, and easy to use, Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software is required for those who need to write to Windows volumes. And now it’s more affordable than ever.

    MacWorld, USA 2016,
    macworld.com

  • A very specialized product that does its job in a very unobtrusive way. You just install it and it works. When you plug an NTFS disk into your Mac, it just mounts on the desktop like any other disk, and when you copy a file to it, it just works, no muss, no fuss. This utility is also invaluable if you find yourself in a situation where you need to format a disk as NTFS, and it performs this task with an equal lack of drama

    Apple Press, DVMUG

  • Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software is an essential installation for anyone working with Macs and PCs, as it helps to break down the barriers that exist between the two operating systems

    Mac World UK,
    macworld.com

  • It’ll install cleanly and easily on macOS 10.12 Sierra and “just work”, so it’s a good option

    How-to-Geek

  • Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software does exactly what we expect from it, by offering a seamless NTFS disk management. It’s good performances even allow working directly on the Windows partition, including for heavy applications such as video or photo processing.

    mac4ever.com

  • WOW….Ive been struggling with the whole MAC/Windows NTFS issue for some time and have a number of external drives that I need to swap between Mac/PC all the time. I’ve always had a headache with NTFS drivers etc. I bought and downloaded your Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software today and WOW. Amazing. Everything just works. Brilliant product. Worth every penny. Thank you.

    Robinson Philip

  • It is pretty fast with NTFS transfers (slightly slower than OSX extended partitions obviously) and I’ve never had any problems mid-transfer or anything. For me, it’s always done what it said on the box, and now with V14 it’s got El Capitan compatibility, so no complaints here. If you’re looking for a way to have plug-and-play NTFS drives on your mac, there really isn’t a better alternative to Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software. Highly recommended for all Mac users!

    M. Doyle

  • If you have a Mac and you need to access volumes that are formatted NTFS, this is the best solution out there. Why Apple hasn’t just baked in support for NTFS after all these years still remains a mystery. I’ve been using Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software for several years now and have never had any problems with it.

    H. Jaynes

Blazing Fast

Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software is up to six times faster than any of its closest commercial competitors!

Fully Compatible

Supports macOS Big Sur
and older macOS
See Specifications

Powerful Features

Safe data transfer, hassle-free work, easy to use, seamless user experience

Apple Silicon M1 Ready

Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software is built for the latest Apple ARM technologies and is fully compatible with M1-based Mac devices

How it Works

Simple as 1-2-3

Install

Download and install Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software onto your Mac.

Done!

Microsoft NTFS volumes connected to your Mac are available in the Finder.

All operations just a click away!

If you need more than just a blazing fast and reliable Microsoft NTFS driver, our lightweight menubar and full-featured Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software apps are always at your service.

Access all of your Microsoft NTFS drives and perform the most common volume operations like mount, unmount and verify.

Quickly restart your Mac in Windows from the menubar (assuming it’s installed on your mounted Microsoft NTFS drive).

Seamless User Experience

If you’ve ever used Apple’s Disk Utility, you already know how to use Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software. If you haven’t, it will only take a few moments to get acquainted.

Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software takes the best of Apple’s Disk Utility and moves it to the next level, augmenting Microsoft NTFS volume operations and advanced mount options.

Mounting is entirely under your control with advanced options

Mount in Read-Only: select this option if you need to access sensitive data without modifying any files.

Do not mount automatically: select this option if you want to manually control access to a volume.

Outstanding performance at blazing fast speed

Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software
is the fastest file system driver on the market:

6x times faster*

than competing solutions

*Tested on 2016 MacBook Pro with SSD drive, view benchmarks here.

Microsoft Ntfs For Mac

Fresh review: check out the video review by European Motion Picture Association.

Latest award: 5-star review of the Mojave-ready edition.

Features

Microsoft Ntfs For Mac By Paragon Software

Features

Benefits

Supported Technologies

  • Intel-based Mac devices
  • ARM-based Mac devices (Apple Silicon M1)

Supported Operating Systems

  • macOS Big Sur
  • macOS Catalina
  • macOS Mojave
  • macOS High Sierra
  • macOS Sierra

Supported File Systems

All Microsoft NTFS versions are supported (from Windows NT 3.1 to Windows 10).

Write Access

When a volume is mounted in write mode, you can do everything with the files and folders it contains: read, edit, delete, rename, create new.

Automount

Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software mounts supported volumes automatically at startup, so you don’t need to worry each time you restart the operating system or power your computer on. However, this feature can be disabled at any time in the program interface.

Volume Management

Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software easily formats, checks integrity and repairs corrupted volumes.

Internationalization

Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software supports all alphabets supported by your operating systems, including those that use non-Roman and non-Latin characters, so you will never face the problem of not getting access to file names on volumes mounted in non-native OS.

Compatible with Apple Boot Camp

Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software is fully compatible with Apple Boot Camp software and provides direct read and write access to Mac partitions from Windows installed on Boot Camp.

Compatible with 3rd party software

Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software is compatible with popular virtualization and encryption applications including VMware Fusion and Workstation, Parallels Desktop, TrueCrypt and its forks.

Paragon Technology Center

Want to learn more about the technology behind Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software? Check out the Paragon Technology Portal!

Frequently Asked Questions

Could I try your product for free before buying?
Sure, you can try Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software for ten days completely for free. After that it will be locked until you activate a purchased license.
I’m a user of a Seagate or Western Digital device with pre-installed NTFS for Mac. How can I get my update?
You are eligible for a special update for you current version of Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software. Please contact our Support Service at support@paragon-software.com to reclaim your update.
Does it work with the latest Apple Silicon M1 based Macs?
Yes, Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software is built for being used with both types of processor architectures.
Does it work with macOS 11 Big Sur?
Yes, Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software works with the latest available macOS versions.
How can I get the update if I have bought the previous version of Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software?
Please, visit your MyParagon account. If an update is released, you will be able to download it there.
What operations do you mean saying “Full read/write access”?
You can perform create/read/modify/copy/delete operations as usual.
What data transfer rate I will get using Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software?
The data transfer rate is fully the same as with the native macOS file system. There you can see the statistics.
What versions and features of the Microsoft NTFS file system are supported?
Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software supports ALL the versions of NTFS (from Windows NT 3.1 to Windows 10). Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software is able to get access to compressed files and folders, it has no problems with sparse files and enables all the needed operations with files and folders with security permissions.
Is BootCamp supported?
Yes, we completely support all BootCamp configurations.
What should I do if I have OS X 10.9 but Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software doesn’t support OS older than 10.10?
Please follow steps below.
  1. Uninstall Microsoft NTFS for Mac 15 by Paragon Software.
  2. Restart Mac.
  3. Download Microsoft NTFS for Mac 14 by Paragon Software from your MyParagon Account.
  4. Install it.
  5. Restart Mac.
Can I re-activate my license on another Mac?
Sure. Please re-activate the product following the steps below.
  1. Log in to MyParagon portal.
  2. Find your product in the list of My Products, then click “Show details”, press “Release license”.
  3. License status will be marked as “Not in use”: article in Paragon Knowledge Base.
  4. Then activate your product again.
How many times can I re-activate my license?
You can re-activate it 4 times. If you need to re-activate your license more than 4 times, please contact our Support or file a support ticket and we will help you to release the counter of licenses.
It doesn’t work! My Microsoft NTFS drive is not recognized by macOS, even after installing Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software.
First of all, please check that Activate/Buy buttons are shown, and (if you have started the trial period) that you see “X days left” message. Then check NTFS for Mac Preferences and make sure that the driver is enabled. If it did not work, please check the troubleshooting guide.
I frequently work with NTFS, HFS+, APFS-formatted partitions on my Mac and Windows PC. Can I get a discount, if I buy all drivers at once?
Yes, you can purchase our new Paragon Mac ToolBox for just $39.95. The Suite contains 4 tools to guarantee seamless cross-platform data exchange and disk space management:
  • Microsoft NTFS for Maс by Paragon Software
  • APFS for Windows by Paragon Software
  • HFS+ for Windows by Paragon Software
  • Paragon CampTune

required file system drivers based on your it environment regardless of os.

Resources

Current Version

Download Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software

Product Documentation

Download Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software One Pager

Need help?

Contact Support or file a support ticket

Latest review

European Motion Picture Association (EURMPA) reviews Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software. Watch the videos!

NTFS for Mac build for Apple Silicon

Microsoft Ntfs For Mac By Tuxera

Apple has announced a two-year transition to ARM-based processors known as “Apple Silicon.” Since the new Apple Silicon-based Mac computers are just around the corner, we proactively took on this project. We are delighted to offer Mac users our new NTFS for Mac build for Apple Silicon, which is available for download below.

Microsoft Ntfs For Mac By Paragon Review

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