Talk:NTFS

ntfsfix is bad

See this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/archlinux/comments/11qezjd/correctly_checking_ntfs_partitions_dont_use/

TL;DR: We should NOT be recommending installing `ntfsfix` in any way, e.g. in this note:

> Paragon Software, the author of the kernel module, has not yet released userspace utilities for NTFS3. You can use NTFS-3G userspace utilities without NTFS-3G driver via ntfsprogs-ntfs3^AUR. Teohhanhui (talk) 17:47, 28 April 2024 (UTC)

The dirty bit could be set without real fs corruption, e.g. partition simply wasn't unmounted cleanly due to unexpected shutdown / power loss.

Of course it is always better to perform chkdsk on it, but it is totally possible to get in a situation where you don't have a Windows system to solve the problem immediately.

So I think this information is useful, but we could slap a warning into the section.

Hanabishi (talk) 08:11, 29 April 2024 (UTC)

The Reddit thread suggests a viable alternative to `chkdsk` which is `chkntfs` (actually `chkufsd`) which has been found to be available on both Linux (x86 static build, found through an old Android apk of Paragon UFSD Root Mounter) and macOS (bundled in the free trial of Paragon NTFS for Mac and can be used even after the license has expired).

The Linux version could probably be packaged in AUR. The person who found it has uploaded it to archive.org: https://archive.org/details/tools_202401 Teohhanhui (talk) 12:41, 29 April 2024 (UTC)

Well, if you can actually pull this off - find a reliable distribution source and make an AUR package - it will be great. I'm not sure about legal implications though.

Hanabishi (talk) 13:35, 29 April 2024 (UTC)

I haven't gone through the license yet, but judging from Ufsd#Installation - the kind of hurdle they have to make the user jump through - it's probably not re-distributable.

But I really think a warning about the dangers of `ntfsfix` is warranted in any case. Teohhanhui (talk) 14:00, 29 April 2024 (UTC)