Tuxera NTFS for Mac

Pros

• Read NTFS drives on Mac
• Write NTFS drives on Mac

Cons

• OS updates can break it

Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Tuxera is a program that lets you read and write to NTFS-formatted drives.

NTFS—which stands for New Technology File System—is a proprietary file system developed by Microsoft for use with the Windows operating system. Mac OS has the ability to read files, and it can even transfer them over to formats that the Mac support. The ability to write to NTFS is murkier.

The ability to write to drives is actually accessible from within the OS but just not enabled. Power users have been enabling and using it for years. However, the functionality is not fully supported, and it has not always been as reliable as users would like. In other words, use it at your own risk.

That is where programs like Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Tuxera come in. NTFS for Mac is among the most popular solutions on the market, and it lets you read and write to drives that have been formatted in NTFS in Windows with great reliability.

In recent years, this has become a big problem for users who’ve needed external drives that could swap back and forth between Windows and Mac seamlessly. The emphasis on this grew as movies and other files grew so large that the NTFS was far more practical. With this program, you can write, edit, copy, move, delete and so forth without even having to think about it. It just works, and if you have problems, Tuxera has an excellent knowledge base to help guide you through them.

Another scenario where NTFS for Mac is incredibly useful is when dual booting between Windows and Mac OS. Need to run Windows through a virtual machine? This program handles that as well. The program even has technologies built in that prevents data from being lost or corrupted in the event a USB connection is disabled prematurely, of a power outage or an entire drive is corrupted. Smart caching technology is employed as well to ensure the fastest transfer speeds possible.

There have been cases of recent updates to Mac OS breaking this program. If you are someone who relies on Tuxera NTFS for Mac on a daily basis for business, this can be a significant inconvenience. You may want to wait to update until it is confirmed working and/or a patch has been released.

This is a trial version of Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Tuxera. If you want to continue using it beyond the trial period, you will need to acquire a paid license. Pricing is relatively low compared to other such tools. In addition, one license covers all of your Macs for both personal and commercial use, and you are guaranteed all upgrades at no additional charge for the life of the product.

Pros

• Read NTFS drives on Mac
• Write NTFS drives on Mac

Cons

• OS updates can break it