Forum Discussion
How can I read and write an ntfs drive on Mac?
I recently encountered a problem when using a Mac computer, and I hope to get some help here. My problem is that I can't read and write NTFS drives on Mac. I know that the default setting of the Mac system is that it can only read the contents of NTFS drives, but not write. This is very inconvenient for me because I often need to transfer files between Windows and Mac.
I have tried some methods and tools, but I still haven't found a stable and safe solution. Does anyone know how to effectively read and write NTFS-formatted hard drives on Mac? If you have any good suggestions or experiences, it would be great if you could share them with me, thank you very much!
I also encountered the problem that Mac cannot write to NTFS formatted hard disk before, which is really troublesome. Later, I used a tool called SYSGeeker NTFS for Mac. This software allows Mac to fully support reading and writing NTFS hard disks. It is very convenient and stable to use.
I got it here: (works for me)
https://www.poweruserof.com/read-write-ntfs-drive-on-mac
After installing NTFS for Mac, it is basically like handling a normal Mac formatted hard disk to operate the NTFS hard disk. You can copy and modify files at will. This solves a big problem for me because I often need to transfer large files between Windows and Mac. If you often encounter similar needs, I recommend trying this software, which should meet your needs!
I also encountered the problem that Mac cannot write to NTFS formatted hard disk before, which is really troublesome. Later, I used a tool called SYSGeeker NTFS for Mac. This software allows Mac to fully support reading and writing NTFS hard disks. It is very convenient and stable to use.
I got it here: (works for me)
https://www.poweruserof.com/read-write-ntfs-drive-on-mac
After installing NTFS for Mac, it is basically like handling a normal Mac formatted hard disk to operate the NTFS hard disk. You can copy and modify files at will. This solves a big problem for me because I often need to transfer large files between Windows and Mac. If you often encounter similar needs, I recommend trying this software, which should meet your needs!
I used to have an external hard drive in NTFS format, which I mainly used on Windows. But later, due to work needs, I started using Mac, and found that it was really inconvenient that Mac could only read but not write NTFS drive on Mac. So I decided to reformat the hard drive to exFAT format.
Reformatting is actually quite simple, and you only need to use Disk Utility on Mac to complete it. The advantage of exFAT is that you can read and write on Windows, and you can also freely operate files on Mac, which is very suitable for my needs of frequently transferring large files between the two systems. After formatting, I backed up the data in the previous hard drive and then transferred it back to the hard drive. The whole process went smoothly.
Although reformatting means that I need to back up all the data first, which is a bit troublesome, in the long run, it does solve the inconvenience I encountered when using Mac, and now there is no big problem with file transfer and management. If you also often need to transfer files between Mac and Windows, it may be a good choice to consider formatting the hard drive to exFAT.
NTFS is a file system developed by Microsoft and is strictly copyrighted. Apple needs to pay copyright fees to fully support the read and write functions of NTFS in its operating system. Due to cost and strategic considerations, Apple may choose not to fully support the write function of NTFS.
Using network sharing to access files on a Windows machine's NTFS-formatted hard drive on a Mac is a very convenient method, especially for those who do not want to write to NTFS on Mac. In this way, Mac users can easily access and transfer files stored on Windows computers without worrying about file system compatibility issues or reformatting the hard drive.
However, this requires that both machines must be on the same network, and sometimes if the network is unstable, it may be a bit slow to access files. In general, for users who don’t want to toss hard drive format, using network sharing is a relatively simple solution.
- The convenience of reformatting your external hard drive to exFAT! It's true that it can solve the hassle of transferring files between Mac and Windows, but if you're someone who frequently needs to read and write NTFS drives on Mac, then this option might not be the best choice for you.
I, myself, have had to deal with the frustration of trying to read and write NTFS drives on my Mac. I used to have an NTFS external hard drive and it was a real pain to use on my MacBook. I had to rely on third-party software to make it work, which was inconvenient and sometimes even caused errors.
If you want to read and write NTFS drives on Mac, you're stuck with using software like Paragon NTFS or Tuxera NTFS. These programs do work well, but they can be buggy and slow down your computer's performance. AdamsRobinson On new macOS version, reading NTFS is a built-in feature. This means you can copy files from NTFS drive to Mac without installing other software. But NTFS write is not supported on any Mac. You have to download and install 3rd-party NTFS for Mac software to write NTFS drive on Mac, including the Apple M1, M2 and M3 Mac.
I have previously encountered the need to write NTFS drive on a Mac. Since the Mac system does not support direct writing to NTFS by default, I decided to try to use Apple's file sharing feature to solve this problem. By setting up file sharing, I can handle the NTFS-formatted hard drive on Windows, and the Mac can access these files over the network, thus indirectly achieving the purpose of "writing" NTFS on the Mac.
Here are the specific steps:
- Open "System Preferences" and click the "Sharing" icon.
- Check the "File Sharing" option in the list of shared services.
- Under the "File Sharing" option, you can add folders to share and set who can access them.
- In the "Users" list, you can add new users and set their access rights, such as read, write, or read-only.
On a Windows computer, open "File Explorer" and type \\[Mac's IP address] in the address bar and press Enter. - If necessary, enter the username and password you set on the Mac.
With this setup, I can make changes to files on either computer and the other computer will sync the changes. The benefits of using file sharing are fast transfer speeds and intuitive operation, especially in a home network environment. However, it is key to ensure that the network is set up correctly, as incorrect settings may cause sharing to fail.
Using Boot Camp is a popular method for Mac users to install and run the Windows operating system on their machines. Doing so allows Mac users to enjoy the full functionality of Windows, including full support to read and write NTFS drive on Mac.
When you install Windows on a Mac through Boot Camp, you are actually running Windows directly on the hardware, which is no different from running Windows on any ordinary PC. Therefore, all the functions that Windows natively supports, including full read and write support for NTFS, can be used on a Mac through Boot Camp.
The steps of this method mainly include:
Install Boot Camp:
Using the Mac's built-in Boot Camp Assistant, you can partition your hard drive to reserve space for the Windows system.
Install Windows:Through the Boot Camp Assistant, you need to prepare a Windows installation disk or ISO file and follow the instructions to install the Windows system.
Switch systems:After the installation is complete, you can choose to boot the MacOS or Windows system at startup. In the Windows system, your Mac is like a standard Windows computer, which can freely access and write to the NTFS drive connected to the computer.
The benefit of using Boot Camp is that you can take full advantage of the functions of Windows, including a variety of professional software and games. However, this method requires restarting your Mac to switch operating systems, which may not be as convenient and quick as virtual machine software (such as Parallels Desktop).AdamsRobinson You can install Windows 10 on your Mac using Boot Camp Assistant. After that, boot into Windows 10 on your Mac and start reading and writing NTFS on macOS. However, this only works for Intel Mac.
- Download the Windows 10 ISO file from the official Microsoft website.
- Go to Applications > Utilities and open Boot Camp Assistant. Follow the on-screen instructions to partition your hard drive and install Windows 10.
- Boot Camp Assistant will guide you through the installation process. When prompted, choose the partition size for Windows (at least 64GB recommended).
- Your Mac will restart and boot into the Windows installer.
- Once Windows is installed, the Boot Camp installer will appear. Follow the instructions to install Apple’s Boot Camp drivers, which ensure your Mac hardware works correctly with Windows.
- Once Windows is set up, you can access and write to NTFS drives just as you would on a native Windows machine.
By installing Windows 10 on your Mac with Boot Camp, you will be able to write to NTFS drives while running Windows. Alternatively, if you want to avoid dual-booting, you can use third-party NTFS for Mac software to enable write access to NTFS drives directly from macOS.
- To enable both read and write access to a drive on both macOS and Windows, you can format the drive to exFAT. exFAT is a file system that is compatible with both operating systems. Formatting the drive will erase all the data on it, so make sure to back up any important files!
Right-click on the drive and select Format. In the Format dialog box, choose exFAT from the File System dropdown menu. You can also set a name for the drive in the Volume Label field. Click OK to start the formatting process.
After formatting, connect the drive to your Mac. Access the Drive: The drive should now appear on your desktop or in Finder, and you should have full read and write access to it. By formatting your NTFS drive to exFAT, you enable seamless read and write operations on both macOS and Windows without the need for additional software or dual-booting. Mounty is a lightweight macOS utility that allows users to write to NTFS-formatted drives. Since macOS natively supports only read access to NTFS drives, Mounty bridges this gap without requiring complex configurations or third-party drivers. It works by re-mounting the NTFS drive in read-write mode using macOS’s built-in NTFS support.
To write to NTFS on Mac for free with Mounty, download the application from the official website or the Mac App Store. Once installed, connect your NTFS drive to your Mac, and Mounty will automatically detect the drive and prompt you to re-mount it in read-write mode. Simply follow the on-screen instructions, and within moments, your NTFS drive will be accessible for both reading and writing. This utility is especially useful for users who frequently switch between operating systems and need a hassle-free method to manage their files on NTFS drives.
