Linda Octa

Had problem in writing files to my external harddisk with NTFS format through Snow Leopard.

In some forum, expert recommended to use free utility tools like: iNTFS and NTFS mounter

Write files to NTFS drive is actually supported by Snow Leopard but this functionality is not enabled by default. The above utility tools are useful for Leopard, as Leopard does not support write operation. To enable the write operation fro NTFS drive in Snow Leopard:

1. In Terminal, type diskutil info /Volumes/volume_name, where volume_name is the name of the NTFS volume. From the output, copy the Volume UUID value to the clipboard.
   diskutil info /Volumes/drive_name
2. Back up /etc/fstab if you have it; it shouldn’t be there in a default install.
   sudo cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab.ori
3. Type sudo nano /etc/fstab
   sudo vi /etc/fstab
4. In the editor, type UUID=, then paste the UUID number you copied from the clipboard. Type a Space, then type none ntfs rw. The final line should look like this:
   UUID=123-456-789 none ntfs rw

   where 123-456-789 is the UUID you copied in the first step.

5. Repeat the above steps for any other NTFS drives/partitions you have.
6. Save the file and quit nano (Control-X, Y, Enter), then restart your system.
7. Restart the computer, the added NTFS drive should be able to be written.

Useful link:

1. http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20090913140023382
2. http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=211212