MacBook Pro can't edit NTFS!

[cutecdo]

Why not try copying all the files and data into your MBP or another HDD, run DISK UTILITY in UTILITIES and ERASE the HDD, formatting it with MS-DOS FAT format at the same time? Both Mac and PC can read and write it after formatting. Same goes for any flash drives. After that, copy the files and data back into your newly formatted HDD. It takes less than a minute to ERASE and format the HDD to MS-DOS FAT.

FAT is inherently less stable and there's the limit of max 4GB partition. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/100108

 

[canturn]

http://code.google.com/p/macfuse/

Try MacFUSE, Its supported by Google staff, free and works well.

I second that, using MacFuse now on my Macpro , so far so good

 

[maddyks]

FAT is inherently less stable and there's the limit of max 4GB partition. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/100108

the limit exists for FAT 16 FAT32 can handle upto 8 TB with 32K clusters. But the file size is limited to 4 GB.

 

[cutecdo]

the limit exists for FAT 16 FAT32 can handle upto 8 TB with 32K clusters. But the file size is limited to 4 GB.

Is the updating of the file table being unstable still valid?

 

[maddyks]

Is the updating of the file table being unstable still valid?

Think so. Mainly coz of the insane amount of fragmentation that happens Anyway we are OTing a bit

 

[cutecdo]

Yup. Thanks anyway

 

[limwhow]

Is the updating of the file table being unstable still valid?

Think so. Mainly coz of the insane amount of fragmentation that happens Anyway we are OTing a bit

No, don't worry about the OT.
All these that you all are discussing are important knowledge for me. And I thank cutecdo for pointing out the inherent instability of FAT 32. I think that is why Windows went ahead to NTFS and Mac has its own format.
Thank you both.

 

[limwhow]

I second that, using MacFuse now on my Macpro , so far so good

Thank you for re-emphasizing that, and pointing that out, canturn.

Yep I'm using this and it works with external usb drives too.

And thank you for giving this the much needed support. I would certainly give the MacFUSE a go, K3N.

i use Paragon NTFS.

the other free software (ntfs3g i mean), from what i heard, the speed is slower than this Paragon ones. but this one is not freeware.

tirza, how much does you Paragon NTFS cost? If I may ask, how significantly faster is Paragon NTFS as compared with, say MacFUSE?

 

[limwhow]

http://macntfs-3g.blogspot.com/

Thanks for pointing me over to this link.

 

[gazkw]

using NTFS-3G with no problems

 

[limwhow]

using NTFS-3G with no problems

http://code.google.com/p/macfuse/

Try MacFUSE, Its supported by Google staff, free and works well.

i've been using macfuse, so far no problem.

MacFUSE uses NTFS-3G But yea I started with MacFuse and till now have no issues handling any NTFS drive connected to my MBP

And yes FAT32 has size limitation of 4 GB.

Hello gentlemen and everyone, I have downloaded and installed MacFuse onto my MacBook Pro with the Leopard OS. Read all the google notes and whatever instruction I can find on the MacFUSE website but just simply do not know how to make use of it to, say, copy a photo file from my laptop to the external hard drive that was formatted NTFS. When I tried to werite onto the drive it kept giving an error message saying that it cannot be modified. Have I missed out something here?
Can anyone of you be so kind as to give me a lead to kick start this?
Thanks again.

 

[Darren]

Hello gentlemen and everyone, I have downloaded and installed MacFuse onto my MacBook Pro with the Leopard OS. Read all the google notes and whatever instruction I can find on the MacFUSE website but just simply do not know how to make use of it to, say, copy a photo file from my laptop to the external hard drive that was formatted NTFS. When I tried to werite onto the drive it kept giving an error message saying that it cannot be modified. Have I missed out something here?
Can anyone of you be so kind as to give me a lead to kick start this?
Thanks again.

You need both to run - MacFuse is an extension to enable access to multiple filesystem types, and NTFS-3G is the "plug-in" to MacFuse that allows writes to NTFS volumes (read access is already built-in to Mac OS).

For Snow Leopard users, please take note that NTFS-3G does not work if you switch to the 64-bit kernel extensions (by default, most Macs other than X-Serves boot into the 32-bit kernel - just an FYI if you find that you cannot write to NTFS after upgrading to Snow Leopard.)

Download the unified package here (both MacFuse and NTFS-3G extensions) - http://macntfs-3g.blogspot.com/

 

[limwhow]

You need both to run - MacFuse is an extension to enable access to multiple filesystem types, and NTFS-3G is the "plug-in" to MacFuse that allows writes to NTFS volumes (read access is already built-in to Mac OS).

For Snow Leopard users, please take note that NTFS-3G does not work if you switch to the 64-bit kernel extensions (by default, most Macs other than X-Serves boot into the 32-bit kernel - just an FYI if you find that you cannot write to NTFS after upgrading to Snow Leopard.)

Download the unified package here (both MacFuse and NTFS-3G extensions) - http://macntfs-3g.blogspot.com/

Thank you very much for your advice, Darren.
Is there a neccessity to uninstall the MacFuse before installing this unified package?

 

[Darren]

Thank you very much for your advice, Darren.
Is there a neccessity to uninstall the MacFuse before installing this unified package?

No need to uninstall (if I recall) as it will just overwrite the existing installation.

 

[CSlye]

Hi all,

Some info the share ...

I have just updated to snow leopard (directly from tiger) and it appears to have retained the previous mcfuse and ntfs-3G installations. However, when connected to the external drive (NTFS and FATS), it gave an error msg ("os too old" or something). So, I deleted the ntfs-3g and reinstalled only the latest mcfuse. Everything seems to be working properly so far.

Cheers!

 

[limwhow]

No need to uninstall (if I recall) as it will just overwrite the existing installation.

Thank you once again, Darren. Will do that.

Hi all,

Some info the share ...

I have just updated to snow leopard (directly from tiger) and it appears to have retained the previous mcfuse and ntfs-3G installations. However, when connected to the external drive (NTFS and FATS), it gave an error msg ("os too old" or something). So, I deleted the ntfs-3g and reinstalled only the latest mcfuse. Everything seems to be working properly so far.

Cheers!

Hello CSlye, thanks for your info. In fact, I was about to purchase my Snow Leopard OS. If I understand you correctly, once we are on the new Snow Leopard OS, then we would just need to install the latest Macfuse without any NTFS-3g, and it would just work like that, am I correct?

 

[madmacs]

Thank you once again, Darren. Will do that.


Hello CSlye, thanks for your info. In fact, I was about to purchase my Snow Leopard OS. If I understand you correctly, once we are on the new Snow Leopard OS, then we would just need to install the latest Macfuse without any NTFS-3g, and it would just work like that, am I correct?

if it doesn't work then just re-install the latest version of both macfuse and ntfs-3g.

 

[viix]

Another :thumbsup: for Paragon NTFS..
having used both freewares NTFS3g drivers, nothing beats Paragon NTFS for speed.. especially when writing large files over few gigs..

The only irritating thing is all NTFS drivers need to be updated/reinstalled everything MacOSX is updated..

Ultimately, if TS is not going to be using the ext. HDD on PCs, I'd recommend backing up your data and formatting the HDD to HFS journeled partitions.. HFS is much more robust and easier to manage in the long term than NTFS..
I also find them faster than NTFS partitions as there are less fragmentation when data gets rewritten over and over again..

 

[limwhow]

Another :thumbsup: for Paragon NTFS..
having used both freewares NTFS3g drivers, nothing beats Paragon NTFS for speed.. especially when writing large files over few gigs..

The only irritating thing is all NTFS drivers need to be updated/reinstalled everything MacOSX is updated..

Ultimately, if TS is not going to be using the ext. HDD on PCs, I'd recommend backing up your data and formatting the HDD to HFS journeled partitions.. HFS is much more robust and easier to manage in the long term than NTFS..
I also find them faster than NTFS partitions as there are less fragmentation when data gets rewritten over and over again..

Thanks for your input, viix. I actually will be still connecting the external hard disk back to my Windows-based PC for it has been set up to auto daily synchronise this HDD with the other few external HDD that are attached. Therefore I will only connect this HDD to my MacBook Pro for a while to download new and edited photos, then connect back to its original set up.
That is the reason why I need it to be still in NTFS, and yet be writable by the Mac.

if it doesn't work then just re-install the latest version of both macfuse and ntfs-3g.

Ok, got you. Thank you, madmacs.

 

[limwhow]

success!
Thanks to all. The combination of NTFS-3g and Macfuse really saved my set up.
Appreciate everyone of you for your advice!