I have an NTFS-formatted SSD. It stores a lot of my files. When I connect the NTFS drive to my Mac, it shows up on the desktop and I can access it. However, I can’t edit files on the drive or add any files from my Mac to it. I don’t know why. Is NTFS compatible with Mac?
NTFS is a proprietary file system developed by Microsoft for use in Windows. Microsoft only grants Apple’s macOS read-only support to NTFS.
That is to say, NTFS is read-compatible but write-incompatible with Mac. You can connect an NTFS drive to a Mac and access the drive and copy files from it to the Mac. All these actions are called read to the NTFS drive.
However, if you copy or move files from your Mac to the NTFS drive, edit or delete files on the drive, your operation involves writing to the NTFS drive. This is not allowed.
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To read-write to an NTFS drive on a Mac, you need to either use an NTFS for Mac tool, which brings you full read-write access to NTFS drives on a Mac, or reformat the NTFS to a macOS-compatible file system such as APFS, exFAT, or HFS+.
Using NTFS for Mac is the best choice, apparently, as reformatting the NTFS drive will erase all data on it.
There are multiple NTFS for Mac software on the market, including iBoysoft NTFS for Mac, Paragon NTFS for Mac, NTFS-3G, SYSGeeker NTFS for Mac, etc.
Among them, iBoysoft NTFS for Mac stands out for its high stability, high security (Apple-trusted), auto NTFS mounting feature, and high compatibility.
Once you install iBoysoft NTFS for Mac and open it, this tool immediately detects your connected NTFS drive and mounts it in full read-write mode. You can edit files on the NTFS drive at ease or move any files from your Mac to it.
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Don’t believe those open-source NTFS for Mac tools. They probably carry malware that will damage your Mac and leak your data. Using the Apple-authenticated NTFS driver is the safest.
I have tried iBoysoft NTFS for Mac. Excellent tool. Now, I can copy files from my Mac to my NTFS drive smoothly, just like writing to an APFS drive on Mac.