10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes

So you have Boot Camp and a big disk to use, but then you are bound to the NTFS format instead of FAT. But Mac OS X 10.4 can only read, not write, to these kind of formatted volumes. Follow these steps and you will be able to write to them as well:

If you choose to compile yourself, install Xcode 2.4.1, and especially the SDK package within it. Also, compile the latest release of pkgconfig.
Download MacFuse. Compile it yourself, or easier of course, is to download the binary .dmg file.
Download ntfs-3g and compile it -- there's also a premade binary .dmg if you prefer.
In Disk Utility, check out the device identifier (disk0s2 or something) of the NTFS volume, and unmount it.
In Terminal, type mkdir /Volumes/your_ntfs_volume, where your_ntfs_volume is the name of your NTFS volume.
Still in Terminal, type ntfs-3g /dev/disk0s2 /Volumes/your_ntfs_volume -o ping_diskarb,volname="your_ntfs_volume".

Normally your volume should be mounted. If not, type disktool -r and killall finder. To unmount, use sudo umount /dev/disk0s2. Use AppleScript if you want to facilitate mounting and unmounting.

[robg adds: I haven't tested this one, and would caution that if you plan to test it, you have a good backup before you begin.]

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10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes
Authored by: critcol on Fri, Feb 23 2007 at 12:38PM PST

I didn't do all the steps that the hint says, but I've got MacFUSE and NTFS-3G installed and my NTFS boot comp partition is R/W now and works fine. It shows up as a mounted server rather than a drive, but it's there and fully accessible.

10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes
Authored by: Little Neddy on Fri, Feb 23 2007 at 2:13PM PST

I *know* I am slow, thick etc. but where it says

3. Download ntfs-3g and compile it -- there's also a premade binary .dmg

I couldn't find the premade binary.dmg. Are you able to point to it directly please?

[ Reply to This | # ]

10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes
Authored by: Nimitz on Mon, Feb 26 2007 at 10:51AM PST

This is the url http://files.lifehack.org/download/macfuse/NTFS-3G%2020070116-r3.dmg

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The Nimitz

[ Reply to This | # ]

10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes
Authored by: aqsalter on Fri, Feb 23 2007 at 9:46PM PST

The easiest way to do all this is to use Fink, you can install MacFuse and NTFS-3g quite easily:
http://pdb.finkproject.org/pdb/package.php/ntfs-3g

Still need to mount the drive manually, using above instructions, though.

Macfuse can also be installed via MacPorts, but ntfs-3g is not available as far as I know.

10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes
Authored by: thirdrockphoto on Thu, Jun 14 2007 at 8:08AM PDT

"Still need to mount the drive manually"??? My drive mounts ever so automatically. But even after MacFuse, restart, MacFuse Tools, restart, sshfs, restart, NTFS-3G, restart and spotlightFS, restart, the drive is still read-only. Does this mean I need to compile a bunch of stuff in Terminal or does it mean I should give up?

10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes
Authored by: jhb on Sat, Feb 24 2007 at 10:44AM PST

Not exactly on topic, but can MacFuse be used to get ext2/ext3 r/w support?

10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes
Authored by: Iawval on Fri, Mar 2 2007 at 11:08AM PST

This really works great! That's superhint - Thank you
I wonder what are the cons of this fuse? It seems everybody as got problemes with ntfs why isn't fuse more widespread?
installed fuse via fink
wrote ntrw.sh:
diskutil unmount /dev/disk0s2
sudo mkdir /Volumes/diskname
sudo ntfs-3g /dev/disk0s2 /Volumes/diskname -o ping_diskarb,volname="diskname"
sh ntrw.sh and everything is in place
How can I make this start with the system? without this silly sudo password bore?

10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes
Authored by: jo7ker on Sat, Mar 3 2007 at 9:12AM PST

This is just fantastic! In fact it was even easier for me (didn't even need to use the Terminal, let alone Xcode - only Safari and TextEdit!) What I did:

(1) Downloaded the latest MacFUSE package (dmg from Google);
(2) Installed MacFUSE package and restarted the Mac;
(3) Downloaded the NTFS-3g package (dmg from Chucker's - lifehack link is dead);
(4) Fixed the "macfuse_required" error (tip from InsanelyMac);
(5) Installed the NTFS-3g package (no restart);
(6) Plugged in my NTFS-formatted USB2 external drive (which wouldn't even mount before) and it just appeared on my Macbook's desktop - read-write!!!

Links:
http://macfuse.googlecode.com/files/MacFUSE-Core-0.2.2.dmg
http://chucker.mystfans.com/opensource/ntfs-3g/NTFS-3G%2020070116-r3.dmg
http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=38394&view=findpost&p=278080

Updated links
Authored by: mustang_dvs on Sun, May 6 2007 at 11:42AM PDT

The latest versions of MacFuse and NTFS-3G can be found via this constantly updated link:

http://shadowofged.blogspot.com/2007/03/ntfs-3g-for-mac-os-x.html#packages

10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes
Authored by: snotweasel42 on Sun, Jun 3 2007 at 2:41PM PDT

Every time I get to the point of installing something from one of the links you posted, it says there's nothing to install.

So...what's up with that?

10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes
Authored by: lfrios on Tue, Jun 5 2007 at 1:13PM PDT

Excelent instructions. Really easy to follow. I am a new user mac (1 month) and didnt have a problem at all and worked fine. Thanks

10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes
Authored by: Ethereal on Thu, Jun 7 2007 at 7:22PM PDT

Yay. After two days of incessant head-banging, the InsanelyMac tip finally let me install ntfs-3g. Now, my NTFS-formatted MyBook doesn't appear AT ALL. Yes, boys and girls, I've made the huge technological advance of going from read-only to NOTHING AT ALL. I'm ready to drop this hideous oversized truck muffler down a well and go back to a PC.

What's an "unclean logfile?" Eww...
Authored by: Ethereal on Thu, Jun 7 2007 at 8:00PM PDT

Running (well, finding, and then running) ntfs-3g from the terminal revealed an "unlean NTFS logfile" that could be cleansed (exorcised?) only by a holy Windows machine. A quick plug-in-and-eject to a handy XP laptop and MyBook is mounted read-write.

Phew.

10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes
Authored by: mrp3rs0n on Wed, Apr 4 2007 at 12:04AM PDT

AWESOME hint.

All I did was install MacFUSE and then install NTFS-3G with MacFUSE Tools.

I went do the disk utility and unmounted then remounted the windows drive and VOILA!! The only catch is the icon isn't a hard drive anymore but a network drive... no biggie :)

10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes
Authored by: No1nfoProvided on Thu, May 10 2007 at 1:53AM PDT

Hey guys,

I tried all this, but in the end (I'm running Vista) it says I don't have sufficient privileges for some items. What does this mean and what can I do?

Thanks for the help.

10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes
Authored by: hints_hinterton on Sun, May 27 2007 at 12:20PM PDT

I was able to read/write to an NTFS-formatted external drive but found that 50% of my .dmg disk images would no longer mount! They would just spit out a "nonmountable volume" error!

I'm not sure if it was the Terminal code above or some interaction with NTFS-3G and MacFUSE but using Uninstall.command by double-clicking it did not work. It has to be run as "sudo."

I had read a suggestion to uninstall each component of NTFS-3G manually butI was not sure how to track down the individual files belonging to the NTFS-3G distribution. So I attempted to run the NTFS-3G Uninstaller with "sudo" (read somewhere that the uninstaller is "broken").

Didn't appear to work until I reinstalled MacFUSE 0.3.0
and then reinstalled NTFS-3G -- give that uninstaller something to work with! ...I navigated to the NTFS-3G disk image directory (which I was able to mount; Toast would probably be able to mount it as well) and finally ran this in terminal:

sudo ./Uninstall.command / NTFS-3G

I restarted to be safe and was once
again able to mount .dmg files.

Can't wait for this all to be ironed out! Perhaps it was folly only to have put in the original Terminal code with this updated MacFUSE/NTFS-3G?? I have no idea....

10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes
Authored by: thirdrockphoto on Thu, Jun 14 2007 at 8:11AM PDT

funny, "sudo ./Uninstall.command / NTFS-3G" gives "command not found". I think you made a mistake.

configure: error: ntfs-3g can be built only under Linux.
Authored by: Ethereal on Thu, Jun 7 2007 at 6:48PM PDT

Title says it all. Is this simply untrue, or is there some secret workaround that must be employed to compile ntfs-3g on Mac OS?

10.4: Use MacFuse to read and write to NTFS volumes
Authored by: chimerical on Mon, Mar 23 2009 at 11:53AM PDT

Just confirming for anyone reading this that this works on 10.5 too.

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