While OS X can natively read and write FAT-formatted drives, it’s a one-way (read-only) street with NTFS-that is, without a little help from Paragon. NTFS (New Technology File System) debuted alongside Windows NT 3.1 and quickly became the default format for modern PCs because of its robust file and volume sizes.
Once activated, NTFS for Mac 14 requires no settings, with automatic updates as needed. NTFS for Mac is the best such software solution: Reliable, fast, and now affordable as well, version 14 (Paragon skipped unlucky number 13) provides unlimited read/write access to hard drives, SSDs, or thumb drives intended for Windows computers. The majority are formatted for PCs, requiring them to be reformatted prior to use on OS X-that is, unless you have the appropriate driver installed for native access. Mac shipments may be outpacing the industry as a whole, but if you need a reminder it’s still a Windows world, look no further than new hard drives.
