hello all:
i am trying to read my ntfs based external hard drive on mac (el capitan) on my new macbook pro. from the internet, it should work, just as read-only. but my macbook pro doesn't seem to be aware of the drive after i plugged it in. do i have to do anything in order to read the content? i can't feel the drive is spinning, but nothing else.
thanks
MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5)
nothing else to read it.
but just because it's spinning does not mean the mac won't see it.
open disk utility.
does the drive appear?
what is the drive formatted as? (click the into button)
The usual reason for this to happen is that you installed third-party software such as "NTFS-3g" or "Tuxera NTFS" to enable writing to Windows-formatted volumes, and that software is incompatible with the latest system upgrade. If applicable, please either remove the third-party software according to the developer's instructions, update it, or refer to the developer for support. Back up all data before making any changes.
thanks linc:
well, i don't think i have NTFS-3g or Tuxera NTFS installed. at least i don't see those apps in "Applications" folder.
You won't see them in applications as they are low level system hacks.
Is the drive bus-powered? If so, is it spinning smoothly or spinning for a moment, clicking, then spinning up again?
thanks!
after reload the macbook pro. i can see the drive now.
Is there any free software available to write on ntfs drive for mac??
I haven't used it in a while, but NTFS-3G was the free version of Tuxera. It was flaky, so I wouldn't recommend it.
Do you need the drive to be NTFS?
None I know of. There is a terminal hack but I don't know how reliable it is and I certainly don't recommend it but I'm sure you can find it if you search for it. Use at your own risk.
None free since Tuxera stopped developing their free version and went with the newer pay software. However, I think just about anyone can afford a lousy $20 for software that works and is up to date.
As dialabrain noted, you can find a Terminal hack both here and around the Internet, but it is definitely a "Use at your own risk" hack. It's not something Apple makes known because it's unsupported. It's unsupported because it's flakey. People have lost everything on their NTFS drives using it.
I think I recall someone posted "massive data loss" with that hack, so backup with something other than Time Machine ('cus TM does not work with NTFS) if you are itchin' to ride that data straight to ****!!!
To the OP: Some Seagate drives are eligible for a free NTFS package if you go their site and identify the drive or call them to see if it's available.
ntfs external hard drive on mac
