Can this be done?

jaysus · 8 Mar 2011 at 12:25

I've got an F4 2TB HDD that I want to use for an HTPC. Whilst I wait for the rest of the bits to arrive I want to install Ubuntu then transfer a fair bit of media onto the F4.

To that end I disconnected the HDD from my desktop (in sig) and plopped the F4 in. Installed Ubuntu without issue and I've just disconnected the F4 and reconnected my normal HDD.

I thought I'd be able to then pop the F4 into the top slot of the case and open it from W7 to copy media across, but W7 is insisting I reformat it. If I reformat and then re-install Ubuntu will I then be able to plug in the F4 (with Ubuntu installed) and copy and paste across? Or can it not be done?

paradisiac · 8 Mar 2011 at 12:27

what filesystem is ubuntu using?

jaysus · 8 Mar 2011 at 12:43

I'm pretty sure NTFS.

paradisiac · 8 Mar 2011 at 12:46

can you install ubuntu on NTFS? i thought there were permission problems with that.
im not sure then, from my little experience with linux, i thought it used its own types of system, and you needed to get a app for windows to see it.

Chiribo · 8 Mar 2011 at 12:58

By default Ubuntu would not select NTFS as I recall. It would be ext5, as I say, if memory serves me correctly.

paradisiac · 8 Mar 2011 at 13:01

Chiribo said:
By default Ubuntu would not select NTFS as I recall. It would be ext5, as I say, if memory serves me correctly.

thats what i thought, sure i read it used ext3 or ext5, so would need a windows app to view this partition.

jaysus · 8 Mar 2011 at 13:11

Ah fair enough. I'll see what app's google reveals.

jaysus · 8 Mar 2011 at 13:26

paradisiac said:
thats what i thought, sure i read it used ext3 or ext5, so would need a windows app to view this partition.

The app most people refer to for this appears to be DiskInternals Linux Reader - which does read it fine, but doesn't give me the option to copy and paste (or anything similar as far as I can see.)

Anyone got any suggestions?

paradisiac · 8 Mar 2011 at 14:05

link worth a read

Ext2 Installable File System for Windows

It provides Windows NT4.0/2000/XP/2003 with full access to Linux Ext2 volumes (read access and write access). This may be useful if you have installed both Windows and Linux as a dual boot environment on your computer.

Project Home Page :- http://www.fs-driver.org/

Latest Version :- 1.10c

this one jumped out at me, but again, without knowing what filesystem it is its hard to know what will/wont work.

jaysus · 8 Mar 2011 at 16:07

paradisiac said:
link worth a read

this one jumped out at me, but again, without knowing what filesystem it is its hard to know what will/wont work.

W7 isn't supported by the above link, but Ext2fsd did in the end. Needed a reboot to work but now the Linux stuff just shows up normally in Explorer.

paradisiac · 8 Mar 2011 at 16:10

glad its all sorted

sorry for the duff link/suggestion, was just a quick read through.