Can You Read a Windows Drive With Lubuntu

Contents

1. General Considerations
2. Using the File Managing director
3. File System Differences
   1. NTFS
   2. FAT32
4. Configuring /etc/fstab
   1. Preface
   2. Automatic Configuration
   3. Manual Configuration
5. Other Resources
6. Footnote

Ubuntu is capable of reading and writing files stored on Windows formatted partitions. These partitions are usually formatted with NTFS, just are sometimes formatted with FAT32. You volition also see FAT16 on other devices.

General Considerations

Ubuntu will show files and folders in NTFS/FAT32 filesystems which are hidden in Windows. Consequently, important subconscious organisation files in the Windows C:\ partition will prove upwardly if this is mounted. Since it is all-too-easy to accidentally alter or delete files which are essential for Windows, it is advisable to mount your Windows C:\ partition every bit seldom as possible, preferably not at all, or read-only past configuring /etc/fstab (see below). If you have data which you want to access regularly from both Windows and Ubuntu, it is better to create a separate data partition for this, formatted NTFS.

Whether you write to your Windows C:\ partition or a shared NTFS information partition, be aware that if you are using Windows 7, and Windows vii is in a hibernated country when you write to the NTFS partition from Ubuntu, you lot will lose all your changes. This is because when Windows 7 is hibernated it writes the system state to a file stored on deejay and restores from that file when the arrangement is re-awakened, thus restoring the whole fileystem to a state before whatever changes made from Ubuntu. In Windows seven you must avert using hibernation. With Windows 8, the state of affairs is more complex in that, by default, information technology uses a hybrid hibernation/shutdown when you lot shut the system down. Any changes made by Ubuntu will be lost when y'all reboot into Ubuntu.

With both Windows vii and Windows 8 (when installed to a legacy mbr division tabular array) at that place is usually a 100-200MB boot sectionalization labelled "System". Practice not mount it - you lot do not need to. Similarly it is highly advisable to get out any recovery partitions unmounted.

Using the File Manager

For those using a desktop version of Ubuntu, or one of its offical derivatives, the easiest and quickest way of mounting NTFS or FAT32 partitions is from the file manager: Nautilus in Ubuntu, Thunar in Xubuntu, Dolphin in Kubuntu and PCManFM in Lubuntu. Simply look in the left pane of the file manager for the division you wish to mount and click on it - it will be mounted and its contents will show up in the primary pane. Partitions show with their labels if labelled, or their size if not.

Unless you require your Windows division - or a NTFS/FAT32 division for data shared with Windows - mounted every time you boot upward for one of the reasons given below, mounting from the file director in this way should suffice.

If you are using a Wubi version of Ubuntu and you wish to scan the host sectionalisation, you do not need to mount it - it is mounted already in the "host" binder. Click on "File Organisation" in the left pane of the Nautilus file browser and then open up the host folder which yous will see in the main pane.

File Organization Differences

For a more in depth analysis, encounter LinuxFilesystemsExplained, only hither are some basics:

• Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2000, older NT systems, and Windows Server 2003 and 2008 are formatted with NTFS. In rare cases, OEM manufacturers have pre-installed Windows XP and Windows 2000 to FAT32 filesystems.
• Older versions of Windows such as Windows ME, 98, and 95 are formatted with FAT32.
• Flash drives, such as a USB thumb drive or a camera'southward flash card are typically formatted as FAT16. Some Wink drives are formatted with Microsoft's proprietary exFAT file arrangement.

In Windows, yous can bank check which filesystem your partition is formatted with past right-clicking the partition in Windows Explorer and selecting Properties. In Ubuntu, run from final:

•               sudo fdisk -lu

NTFS

The ntfs-3g driver is used in Linux-based systems to read from and write to NTFS partitions.

NTFS (New Technology File System) is a file system developed by Microsoft and used by Windows computers (Windows 2000 and after). Until 2007, Linux distros relied on the kernel ntfs driver which was read-only. The userspace ntfs-3g driver now allows Linux-based systems to read from and write to NTFS formatted partitions.

The ntfs-3g driver is pre-installed in all contempo versions of Ubuntu and healthy NTFS devices should work out of the box without further configuration. In Ubuntu versions 11.10 and later the ntfs-3g package included the functionality previously provided past ntfsprogs. Trying to install ntfsprogs in 11.10 (and possibly in 12.04) volition cause the package-manager to enquire if you wish to remove ntfs-3g. Users who take installed ntfsprogs and failed to notice the message from the parcel managing director have unintentionally uninstalled ntfs-3g, after which the system falls back to the read-only kernel ntfs driver. Loss of the ntfs-3g driver for similar reasons has too been reported when upgrading from xi.04 to 11.10. If you are experiencing inability to write to a NTFS formatted partition or device, check whether or not the ntfs-3g package is installed.

FAT32

The vfat driver is used in linux to read and write FAT32 and FAT16 partitions.

Configuring /etc/fstab

Preface

If you require one or more than of your Windows partitions mounted automatically during bootup, it is necessary to add one line to the file /etc/fstab for each division that is to be mounted. Some reasons for mounting partitions by ways of /etc/fstab, rather than relying on the file director, include:

• Convenience.
• Where more one user account is in employ during a session. Partitions mounted from i user business relationship past means of the file director are not accessible to the other account(south).
• Where libraries take been fix in applications such as Banshee or Rhythmbox (for music) or Shotwell (for photos). If those libraries contain files on partitions mounted by ways of the file manager, an fault will occur in a subsequent session if the partitioning is non mounted get-go.

• Where more advanced or special mount options are needed. Three working configurations for different needs are given below, just anything more avant-garde is beyond the scope of this wiki page. The NTFS-3G transmission gives a list of mount options suitable for NTFS filesystems.

Automated Configuration

Although there are a number of GUI applications bachelor from the Ubuntu Software Centre, none of these can exist recommended at the time of this writing, unfortunately. They are obsolete and unmaintained and tin can all cause bug. Two examples are ntfs-config and PySDM. (PySDM is no longer in the repository with issue from 12.10.) If y'all detect a recommendation anywhere for either of these applications, it is likely to exist an old ane, and should not be followed. At this fourth dimension it is advisable to configure /etc/fstab manually.

Transmission Configuration

Offset, y'all demand to find the device locations of the sectionalization(s) you lot wish to mount. Open a terminal and run:

•               sudo blkid

For illustration purposes, an instance output from a figurer setup with a Vista/Ubuntu dual-kick and shared NTFS data partition is shown here:

•               /dev/sda1: Label="Recovery" UUID="B23613F43613B875" Type="ntfs"              /dev/sda2: Characterization="Windows" UUID="38CE9483CE943AD8" Type="ntfs"              /dev/sda3: Label="Data" UUID="519CB82E5888AD0F" TYPE="ntfs"              /dev/sda5: UUID="00d7d951-2a35-40fd-8e5d-411bb824ff3b" Type="swap"              /dev/sda6: LABEL="Ubuntu" UUID="6044b1d0-208e-4ab3-850d-03a92e1516fc" Type="ext4"            

The first three partitions, all NTFS, are the ones that concern u.s.a. hither. There are no FAT32 partitions. In this case, all iii NTFS partitions accept partition labels, which makes it easier to place the purpose of each. If your blkid output does non include partition labels, this ways that the partitions do not have labels and yous will have to determine which partition you lot wish to mount by another ways. Of the three NTFS partitions, we are going to configure /etc/fstab with only the third, the Data partition. Partitioning /dev/sda1 is the OEM manufacturer's recovery partition and should be left unmounted, or every bit described beneath. Division /dev/sda2 is the Windows C:\ partition and is all-time not included in /etc/fstab for the reasons described above, or mounted read-merely - see below.

You volition now need to create a mountpoint for each NTFS partition that you wish to mount by means of /etc/fstab. In our illustration we are going to add one entry merely for /dev/sda3. From a final:

•               sudo mkdir /media/Data

In this case nosotros have created a mountpoint with the aforementioned proper name – Information – as the partition label. You may use (almost) any string you wish.

Before editing /etc/fstab directly, it is a skilful idea to brand a backup. From a concluding:

•               sudo cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab.orig

At present open /etc/fstab in a text editor with root privileges. In Ubuntu:

•               gksudo gedit /etc/fstab

In Kubuntu:

•               kdesudo kate /etc/fstab

In Xubuntu or Lubuntu:

•               gksudo leafpad /etc/fstab

For a general-purpose read-write mount, add together this line to the cease of /etc/fstab:

•               UUID=519CB82E5888AD0F  /media/Data  ntfs-3g  defaults,windows_names,locale=en_US.utf8  0 0

Supplant the UUID with the one relevant for your division every bit shown in your blkid output. "519CB82E5888AD0F" will non piece of work for y'all.

Likewise, substitute your mountpoint for "/media/Data". In case you lot take a bare space in the name of the mountpoint you want to employ like "New Volume" instead of "Data" located in "/media" utilise "/media/New\040Volume". The space character is created by using "\040" in the fstab.

You will as well demand to change the "locale=en_US.utf8" selection to 1 suitable for your location and language if you are not in the United states of america. You lot can determine your locale with this concluding command:

•               locale

Or for a listing of all locales available on your system:

•               locale -a

At present salve your edited /etc/fstab and shut the text editor. The division(south) you lot have configured will be mounted the next fourth dimension you reboot, but to mount them now:

•               sudo mountain -a

Ii special cases

Sample /etc/fstab lines are suggested for two special cases.

Pick 1 - for mounting read-only admission. For instance, this would be suitable for mounting your Windows C:\ segmentation if you need to access it. Modify the line below with your UUID and mountpoint:

•               UUID=519CB82E5888AD0F  /media/Data  ntfs  defaults,umask=222  0 0

Choice two - to ensure that Ubuntu does not mount the division and also disables graphical mounting from the file director. For instance, y'all may wish to ensure that recovery and arrangement partitions are never inadvertently mounted and exercise not announced in the file director. In this instance yous need to create a mountpoint in /mnt, not /media. Modify the line below with your UUID and mountpoint:

•               UUID=519CB82E5888AD0F  /mnt/Information  ntfs  noauto,umask=222  0 0

Note: with these mountain options, the partition does not appear in the Devices list in the left pane of Nautilus (the Ubuntu file managing director), but it still appears in Dolphin, the Kubuntu File Manager. Clicking on the partition in Dolphin causes the display of an error message. This solution is less elegant in Dolphin than with Nautilus, only the desired event is achieved - the partition cannot exist mounted.

If y'all demand to revert to the original configuration:

•               sudo mv /etc/fstab.orig /etc/fstab              sudo umount  /media/<mountpoint>            

Substitute your mountpoint in the second line.

FAT32 Division

FAT32 partitions are by and large only found in older systems. If you are creating a division to be used for data to be shared between Windows and Ubuntu, information technology is ameliorate to cull NTFS. Should you have a FAT32 partition which you need to mountain using /etc/fstab, this will work to mountain it read-write:

•               UUID=<UUID> /media/<mountpoint> vfat defaults,user,exec,uid=1000,gid=100,umask=000 0 0

Replace <UUID> with the UUID that blkid reveals for your partition, and adjust for your mountpoint. These mount options will make all files in the partition executable. If you lot have other needs, you will demand to change the options, but this is beyond the scope of this wiki folio.

Other Resource

• ntfs-3g homepage

• Fstab

• LinuxFilesystemsExplained

• How to fstab

• CategoryBootAndPartition

This page has recently been field of study to meaning revision. If yous have whatever comments almost current content, or suggestions for further additions or edits, delight caput over to this Ubuntu forums discussion thread then that nosotros tin co-ordinate our efforts.

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Source: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MountingWindowsPartitions

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