Re: [Sheflug] Bad Penny is back ;-)

[Robin Wood <robin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi
Linux can be set up to write to NTFS but it isn't the best option. What I'd
do would be to get all the data off one of the disks onto your main disk
then repartition it and reformat it to ext or one of the other Linux file
systems. You can then put you data back onto it and repeat with the other
two.

If you've not got the space to move a full disk across to your main disk,
you can mount one of the NTFS disks as writable and play Tetris moving the
files around.

This covers making NTFS writable in Mint.

https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=417321

Robin

On Wed, 29 Oct 2025, 13:26 Ruth Gunstone, <ruth@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> Long-time 'lurker' here.
> I've been on this mailing list for eons.  Dabbled in Linux and currently
> have a couple of elderly laptops running various distros (Kubuntu and
> Mint Mate).  Mostly a good experience - not least because it's saved a
> few bits of kit from the recycler or landfill!!
>
> I also fiddle about with a Raspberry Pi (well, three!) running a mixture
> of Linux and RISC OS (yes!!!)
>
> Anyway, since M$ got all stroppy and are forcing everyone off Win 10
> (and I got equally stroppy and said "f###-you M$"!), I've now started
> transitioning my main office PC to Linux.  I've gone with Linux Mint
> (cinnamon) as I've used it on one of my laptops and it's solid and I can
> find my way around most of what I need to do.
>
> So . . .
> Main system disc (containing Windows 10 + apps) removed from PC.
> New 1TB M.2 drive installed. Linux Mint installed. Pretty much without
> incident :-)
>
> Here's where I'm stuck...
> My PC has several additional hard-drives installed. Some are
> partitioned. Windows 'saw' them as drives "D","E"... etc.
>
> Linux Mint is 'seeing' these drives/partitions (all NTFS), but
> steadfastly refuses to let me do anything on them. This is very
> unfortunate as ALL my work files, video projects, audio mixing projects
> etc., etc. are stored there.  Yes, I COULD copy the contents onto my 1TB
> 'linux' drive, but that seems very wasteful.  I'd much rather be able to
> access the drives/files normally from Linux.   I'm SURE I've done this
> before, somehow, but can't remember!
>
> I've tried using things like "chown" to take ownership of the folders,
> but "computer says no". "Read only filing system".
>
> Command-line stuff is really not my thing, and I end up swearing at the
> screen and going to make tea.
>
> Any help/suggestions very welcome . . .
>
> Be kind :-)
>
>
> TTFN!
> Ruth
>
>
>
>
> --
> Ruth Gunstone
> Audio Visual Services
> 07870 993379
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
> GNU - The Choice of a Complete Generation
>
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