macFUSE for Mac

MacFUSE is a free tool that allows you to access and use files not normally readable on a Mac. It started as a Linux open-source project and has been brought to Mac for extended handling of file systems. MacFUSE works as a system of plug-ins that quickly integrate new file systems, allowing you to mount files and folders, both local and external, as volumes and integrate them onto your system. This means you can access a drive via FTP in read/write mode directly from your Finder and handle files and folders as if they were on your own drive.

One of the standout features of MacFUSE is its ability to read and write onto drives that have not been formatted for Mac. For example, if you have an external hard drive formatted in NTFS format from Windows, MacFUSE allows you to read and write to the drive without any issues. However, this does require the downloading and installation of the NTFS-3g package, which can be a bit tricky for beginners.

While MacFUSE offers great functionality, it can be a bit difficult to understand and use for many users. Additionally, transfer speeds can be slow, which can make reading and writing files a bit painful at times. Despite these downsides, MacFUSE is a fantastic free tool to open up your Mac to other file systems and operating systems.