Accessing partitions on dual-boot systems
GOING OVER
Why reboot every time you need to access data on the other side of your dual boot system? We’ll introduce you to Captive NTFS – a free tool for reaching Windows NTFS partitions from Linux. We’ll also show you some handy tools for reading Linux partitions from Windows.
As the Windows NTFS filesystem becomes more popular, users of Windows/ Linux dual-boot computers are increasingly confronted with a major problem: Linux is incapable of writing to NTFS [1] partitions. The Linux kernel has a module for binding the NTFS partitions, however, even its developers advise users against attempting write operations using the kernel module. The antiquated FAT filesystem was once the only free way for sharing data between the Linux side and the Windows side of a dualboot PC. However, Jan “Lace” Kratochvil has introduced the free tool Captive NTFS [2], a utility that supports Linux write access to NTFS partitions. Jan Kratochvil is the author of several other useful applications for Linux, including Surprise, a tool for resizing partitions [3]. The latest version of Captive NTFS (version 1.1.5) was released at the beginning of this year and drew the attention of a larger audience due to its use with Knoppix version 3.4 and other Knoppix-based systems, such as LinuxDefender Live! By Bit-Defender.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
ESET Discovers New Linux Malware
WolfsBane is an all-in-one malware that has hit the Linux operating system and includes a dropper, a launcher, and a backdoor.
-
New Linux Kernel Patch Allows Forcing a CPU Mitigation
Even when CPU mitigations can consume precious CPU cycles, it might not be a bad idea to allow users to enable them, even if your machine isn't vulnerable.
-
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.5 Released
Notify your friends, loved ones, and colleagues that the latest version of RHEL is available with plenty of enhancements.
-
Linux Sees Massive Performance Increase from a Single Line of Code
With one line of code, Intel was able to increase the performance of the Linux kernel by 4,000 percent.
-
Fedora KDE Approved as an Official Spin
If you prefer the Plasma desktop environment and the Fedora distribution, you're in luck because there's now an official spin that is listed on the same level as the Fedora Workstation edition.
-
New Steam Client Ups the Ante for Linux
The latest release from Steam has some pretty cool tricks up its sleeve.
-
Gnome OS Transitioning Toward a General-Purpose Distro
If you're looking for the perfectly vanilla take on the Gnome desktop, Gnome OS might be for you.
-
Fedora 41 Released with New Features
If you're a Fedora fan or just looking for a Linux distribution to help you migrate from Windows, Fedora 41 might be just the ticket.
-
AlmaLinux OS Kitten 10 Gives Power Users a Sneak Preview
If you're looking to kick the tires of AlmaLinux's upstream version, the developers have a purrfect solution.
-
Gnome 47.1 Released with a Few Fixes
The latest release of the Gnome desktop is all about fixing a few nagging issues and not about bringing new features into the mix.