Enabling NTFS write support on the Mac is fairly technical and it's not officially supported by Apple, making it an experimental feature that is best.

One of the most usual problem encountered in file transfer between computers using a disk has something to do with disk format. Here’s how it normally goes: you plug in a disk to your computer running on Mac OS, and it’s all well and good until you notice that, even though your computer can read the disk, you can’t write anything to them or can’t save any files to them.

This is actually a cross platform compatibility issue that arises when the disk you use has been previously formatted using a Windows OS.

To understand this problem, you should know about file systems. A file system is an operating system’s way of organizing and storing files on drives, and specifies which information can be attached to files, such as permissions, filenames, and attributes. For instance, Windows retrieves, stores and formats any flash drive or external hard disk using its default format, that is: NTFS (New Technology File System). The thing is, although Apple largely has support for NTFS and other Windows formats, write support to NTFS drives is disabled in OS X. This means, when using a computer with a Mac OS and a Windows-formatted disk drive, you are not allowed to save to the drive or alter existing files in there.

Simplest Solution? Format your Drives in FAT

The easiest way to bridge this gap between formats is to just re-format your drive into FAT. By the way, FAT (File Allocation Table) is an older file system created by Windows, and which OS X has full read and write compatibility with.

Obviously, NTFS has several advantages as a format—it’s newer and has been tested to work faster than its FAT-formatted counterparts. But if your drive is relatively new, and you don’t have any files in your drives to keep intact, re-formatting and converting your drive to FAT is an easy workaround to the issue.

This might not be the solution for you for the following reasons:

• If you’ve data on your drive that you haven’t backed up. Re-formatting your drive to FAT format will erase all the data saved on it.
• If you need to transfer files that are higher than 4GB on one go, FAT isn’t the format for you. FAT only allows file transfer of size 4GB and below.

If the above are not your concerns, and want to make transfer between your computers with different operating systems easy, re-formatting your drive is the fix for you.

Third Party Utilities

There are applications available online that have been developed for this OS X limitation. Some are free, but these may be more difficult to set up and less reliable, so if you want surer options when working with your drive, you may want to consider going for paid applications.

Free Apps

OSXFUSE – FUSE for macOS is an open source, GitHub-hosted application that basically operates a mechanism that allows the implementation of a fully-functional file system in a macOS program. The process that FUSE for macOS uses is tedious and can get very technical, which might make people who are not very comfortable in rebooting into recovery mode and using Terminal quite uneasy.

In any case, you can use FUSE for macOS to write over NTFS formatted disk by following these steps:

1. Download osxfuse. Install it.
2. Make sure you have downloaded Homebrew, which is a command line package manager.
3. Open Terminal. You do this by opening your Applications folder, where the Terminal application is located.
4. After you’ve opened Terminal, type in this command:

brew install homebrew/fuse/ntfs-3g

5. Restart your Mac, and before the OS X starts, press and hold Command+R until the Apple icon and a progress bar appears, and then release. This will boot you to Recovery mode, instead of restarting.
6. Open Terminal from the Utilities menu and type this command:

csrutil disable

This will disable SIP (System Integrity Protection) or “rootless” mode, and it should show in a display message. Restart your computer.

7. After you have rebooted, open Terminal again and type these commands:

sudo mv /sbin/mount_ntfs /sbin/mount_ntfs.original

sudo ln -s /usr/local/sbin/mount_ntfs /sbin/mount_ntfs

8. Reboot your computer again and repeat what you did in Step 5, so that you reboot into recovery mode.
9. Once you’re in recovery, re-enable SIP by opening Terminal and typing this command:

csrutil enable

10. Reboot your Mac again. If you did all of the above correctly, NTFS will now fully work on your Mac OS.

You should note that the System Integrity Protection exists to prevent unwanted modification of system files. Disabling SIP will allow root programs to alter protected files on the operating system that may lead to a corrupt startup disk and the onset of malware.

Again, if this is something that alarms you, there are other methods of allowing to write to your NTFS disks on your Mac OS that may be more comfortable for you to use.

Paid Apps

Paragon NTFS – Paragon is a driver that allows a full read and write access to NTFS drives on Mac OS X. You can easily write, copy, move, and edit files on the NTFS drive by just installing the software and rebooting your computer to allow the change to happen on your Mac OS X, all hassle free and seamless. This application also boasts to be six time faster than any other NTFS-write software out there. It also comes in a beautiful interface and other functionalities such as a color-coded space indicator, disk formatter and partition creator.

Paragon can be downloaded for free for a 10-day trial, and then for purchase at $19.95, which we can vouch is truly bang for buck.

If your drive also happens to be a Seagate drive, you get a free license for Paragon NTFS, limited for Seagate-manufactured drives.

Tuxera NTFS for Mac – Tuxera is another easy-to-use paid application that allows NTFS drive writing while using Mac OS. It edges out its commercial competition with some of its powerful functions such as smart file caching during transfers and other advanced features. It’s also as easy to install and operate, like its other paid counterparts.

Tuxera can be downloaded for a 15-day free trial, and available for a one-time lifetime, all-devices purchase for $31.

Exploit Mac’s Experimental Feature

Technically speaking, Apple actually can allow you to write on NTFS drive, but this is an experimental feature that should be taken with a grain of salt. You can do this by using a command line that does not need the disabling of the System Integrity Protection, but still comes with the necessary risks. Be forewarned, tweaking with this might corrupt your disk and your data and might cause you to lose your data totally.

Enable Apple’s experimental feature by following these steps:

1. Open Terminal. Again, you do this by opening your Applications folder, where the Terminal application is located.
2. Enter the following command, which will enable the support for the NTFS drive:

LABEL=DRIVE_NAME none ntfs rw,auto,nobrowse

• • Substitute DRIVE_NAME with your disk name
  • As you replace your drive name, make sure that there are not spaces, as this may cause some issues.

3. Restart your Mac

If by any chance you do have a drive with a complicated name with spaces included, use the device UUID to be able to write support for that as well. This is how you do it:

1. Run your Terminal and type in the following command, but substitute “DRIVENAME” with your disk name:

diskutil info /Volumes/DRIVENAME grep UUID

2. This will give you the UUID of your disk.
3. Once you open the Terminal again, type the following command:

sudo nano /etc/fstab

4. Add to the file the following command, replacing “DEVICEUUID” with the UUID you obtained in Steps 1 and 2:

UUID=DEVICEUUID none ntfs rw,auto,nobrowse

Again, it pays to remember that the above method is experimental, and that no one holds accountability if the method will work, or if it will cause any corruption in your disk and make you lose your data. There’s no guarantee that paying for third party apps can give you, such as ease of access and plain peace of mind. In addition, if you are working with more than one disk, this experimental feature requires you to add one line per disk. This task, needless to say, can be quite laborious.

Wait for Future Updates

There is reason to believe that Mac OS X may develop native support for full compatibility with NTFS. Although this possibility is largely unconfirmed, the fact that Mac currently has an experimental feature in place already hints at how cognizant they are about this limitation. Nevertheless, Apple may totally choose to remove NTFS support altogether and decide to endorse third party apps instead to their users for writing NTFS disks.

Format to exFAT

Our out of the box suggestion, when you have the luxury of a new or empty disk is to format your disk to exFAT. exFAT is an improvement from FAT32—a newer version of FAT that is less efficient than NTFS but has more widespread support than NTFS and exFAT. Like NTFS, exFAT enables you to transfer files bigger than the 4GB limitation of FAT32. Most notably, exFAT is also supported by Windows and OS X both. All recent Windows versions and the recent versions of Mac OS have full read and write support for exFAT, something that cannot be said for NTFS.

This method has certain caveats too. Some devices such as PlayStation 3 and Xbox One does not support exFAT, as well as the now defunct Windows XP and older versions of Windows. exFAT is ideally used if you don’t have to deal with these devices, but exFAT is a good choice of file system format if you want greater compatibility than NTFS and a bigger file size limit than FAT.

Mounty for NTFS

This is a free software for Mac that enables the user to write on NTFS drives on Mac. Its design is rather simple for ease of mounting NTFS drives on Mac and providing the drives with write support. Because the utility is free, some highlights based on its service are provided. The software is free, and its size is less than an MB. Therefore, it is easy and fast to download, and it needs a one-time installation without the need to download additional drivers. However, some of the utility users say that when using it to write on an NTFS drive, the process is prolonged. Sometimes, the software tends to allow the read-write mode on an NTFS formatted drive automatically. Other times, the software becomes unstable, hence failing to mount the drive. When the utility malfunctions, the data saved in the drive can be lost. It has also been realized that tech support is also not provided for the software and that the current Mojave and Catalina Mac OS software do not support its utility.

SL-NTFS

This is free software that is also referred to as Snow Leopard NTFS. When using Mac OS 10.6, it is possible to write on an NTFS drive, even without installing third-party drivers. However, the write support in the OS settings is not active. Therefore, SL-NTFS software acts as an interface for the Mac OS 10.6 NTFS drivers hence allowing writing permissions for a drive in NTFS format. The utility has various merits and demerits. It is free and easy to install, but its developers do not provide technical support. Furthermore, if there is another enabler for NTFS drivers that had previously been installed, it may lead to technical problems. Writing on some external NTFS drives is impossible when using this software. Moreover, its access to vast amounts of data and files is usually limited.

iBoysoft NTFS for Mac

This is a utility that enables the read-write mode on drives mounted on Mac laptops and computers using Max OS X and macOS. Technical support for the software is freely provided, and the utility is easy to install. Furthermore, the service is compatible with Mac OS X 10.8, 10.9, 10.10, 10. 11, and MacOS 10.12, 10.13, 10.14, and 10.15. Apart from APFS format, it supports the formatting of drives into other file systems. Its users report that errors in NTFS file systems can be repaired using the utility. When using the software, you only need one click to eject or unmount NTFS volumes. Using the software allows the user automatic mounting of the NTFS drive to read-write mode.

iBoysoft Drive Manager

This additional commercial tool can allow the user to access NTFS read-write permission on Mac fully. Moreover, it needs one click to manage network drives and several external drives. The utility is a perfect replacement for other free Mac NTFS drivers because it offers free technical support. It can easily be installed and allows free upgrades for life. Using the software to transfer files between Mac and NTFS drive, as well as writing on NTFS drives, is easy. It is compatible with Mac OS X 10.8, 10.9, 10.10, 10.11 and macOS 10.12, 10.13, 10.14 and 10.15. The utility is also very affordable, and a seven days trial is offered for its users. Additionally, the utility can be used in the finder to manage map network drives as well as external drives. When compared to other NTFS Mac utilities, iBoysoft Manager is more affordable.

If you do want to stick with your NTFS, now you at least have a variety of options available for your file transfer needs. Just pick the one you think is safest and most convenient for you. Do not forget to back-up your files first, so you don’t lose any data in case something goes awry, or better yet, stick with a paid application that will do the job for you without any worries.

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! Supports macOS 10.15 (Catalina)

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!

• 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 Catalina
and older macOS
See Specifications

Powerful Features

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

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

6x times faster*

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

Fresh review: check out the video review by European Motion Picture Association. Portrait professional activation token keygen crack mac.