How to Enable Read and Write Capability on NTFS File System for Mac OS X and Bootcamp Windows Users

As a Mac OS X user with Bootcamp Windows installed, you may find it difficult to modify or update your documents and files located in the Windows partition. This is because the partition is usually formatted in the NTFS file system, which allows you to read the drive natively in Mac OS X but not write onto it. However, there is now a solution to this problem.

Recently, a Google employee named Amit Singh released an implementation called MacFUSE which makes it possible to use any FUSE (File-system in USErspace) file systems in Mac. This includes the popular NTFS-3G Read/Write Driver, which enables the system to load NTFS with read and write capability. This is great news for those who dual boot Mac OS X and Windows XP or Vista.

While the technical details and compilation of the source code may be overwhelming, there are already pre-compiled binary versions available for MacFUSE and NTFS-3G. These versions are ready to install and can be found online. However, it is important to note that this is still an experimental software and should be used at your own risk. Therefore, backing up your data is highly recommended.

To install MacFUSE and NTFS-3G, follow these steps:

Step 1: Download the MacFUSE and NTFS-3G package

As previously mentioned, a pre-compiled binary version of MacFUSE and NTFS-3G is available online. Download the package and save it to your Mac hard drive.

Step 2: Install MacFUSE

Open the MacFUSE package and double-click on the “MacFUSE.pkg” file to begin the installation process. Follow the instructions on the screen to install MacFUSE onto your Mac.

Step 3: Install NTFS-3G

Next, open the NTFS-3G package and double-click on the “NTFS-3G.mpkg” file to begin the installation process. Follow the instructions on the screen to install NTFS-3G onto your Mac.

Step 4: Restart your Mac

Once both MacFUSE and NTFS-3G are installed, restart your Mac for the changes to take effect.

Step 5: Mount the Windows partition

After restarting your Mac, go to “Applications” and then “Utilities”. Open the “Terminal” app and type in the following command:

sudo diskutil list

This command will display all the disk partitions and their IDs. Look for the ID of the Windows partition (usually labeled as “BOOTCAMP”).

Next, type in the following command to mount the Windows partition:

sudo /usr/local/bin/ntfs-3g /dev/disk0sX /Volumes/Windows -olocal -oallow_other

Replace “X” in the above command with the ID of the Windows partition.

Step 6: Test the write capability

Once the Windows partition is mounted, you should be able to access it like any other drive in Mac OS X. Open a file located in the Windows partition and try modifying or updating it. If the changes are successful, then the NTFS-3G driver is working properly.

In conclusion, enabling read and write capability on the NTFS file system for Mac OS X and Bootcamp Windows users is now possible thanks to MacFUSE and NTFS-3G. However, it is important to note that this is still an experimental software and should be used at your own risk. Therefore, backing up your data is highly recommended. By following the above steps, you can easily install and use this feature to make dual-booting between Mac OS X and Windows a lot easier and more convenient.