HOWTO: Windows 7 ext2/3 support [USB-Slave]

[DeliriumNL]

Hello!

I'm currently running the public release of windows 7 build 7100 and i was strugling to get my popcorn hour mounted on windows 7. Got it to work though :

Here's the rundown :
- The only software that currently works on windows 7 for ext2/3 drives is 'Ext2IFS', this is due the fact that windows 7 requires a digital signature and cannot be overridden. [Turn's out i was wrong! You can override the signature by repeatedly pressing F8 during install: Thanks 'thogstad' ! Ext2IFS still remains the most stable client however.]

- To install Ext2IFS you have to run the installer under compatability mode choosing Windows Vista, not Windows XP because this will not work.
- After installation you will be able to assign a drive letter to your drive and be able to acces it.

Note:
Your drive has to be formatted with an inode size of 128 in order to be readable on windows 7 using Ext2IFS. If your drive has an inode size of 256 bytes Ext2IFS will not be able to mount the drive and windows will constantly keep asking you if you want to format your drive. This can be done by re-formatting [using a linux live cd] the 3rd partition on your drive using the ext2 format with journaling enablde and an inode size specified as 128 bytes. [example: mkfs.ext2 -j -i 128 /dev/sdb3]

Hope this helps

Good luck!

PS: This was used and tested on a Popcorn hour a-110 with a Samsung EcoGreen F2 HD154UI, 1.5TB [wich can by the way be added to the supported drives as : MIXED]

[arnovanamerongen]

great stuff, i am running windows 7, didnt try it yet.
ill keep it in mind when i need another drive

[thogstad]

Digital signature and can be overridden in windows 7 RC by pressing F8 repetably during startup.
You will then enter the menu where you can choose safe mode.
At the bottom of that menu you can override digital signature.

(06-05-2009 03:25 PM)DeliriumNL Wrote:  Hello!

I'm currently running the public release of windows 7 build 7100 and i was strugling to get my popcorn hour mounted on windows 7. Got it to work though :

Here's the rundown :
- The only software that currently works on windows 7 for ext2/3 drives is 'Ext2IFS', this is due the fact that windows 7 requires a digital signature and cannot be overridden.
- To install Ext2IFS you have to run the installer under compatability mode choosing Windows Vista, not Windows XP because this will not work.
- After installation you will be able to assign a drive letter to your drive and be able to acces it.

[DeliriumNL]

(06-11-2009 12:30 AM)thogstad Wrote:  Digital signature and can be overridden in windows 7 RC by pressing F8 repetably during startup.
You will then enter the menu where you can choose safe mode.
At the bottom of that menu you can override digital signature.

Oh cool! Never knew that. However, according to various reviews Ext2Ifs is the most stable mounting driver. Others seem to either randomly create bad sectors, not recognize harddrives and unmount drives in mid transfer >.>"

Personally i'll be sticking to Ext2Ifs, but good to know there are other options ^^

Thanks for the reply. I'll add it to the main post

[chris57]

How about changing the title to reflect that it works well for Vista?

[mihauuu]

Hi guys.
I recommend you use : EXT2FSD
It's working fine for Popcorn A-110 (I used the app with Vista for about one year, now Windows 7 Betas/RCs for few months). Write support for EXT3. Doesn't support local characters (Polish in my case). Local characters are shown correctly in PC, but can't be displayed and handled by NMT.
best regards,
mihauuu

[Gibbo]

I'll second that, I've always personally found ext2FSD to be more stable on XP and 7.

[chris57]

As the USB Slave Guides says use Ext2fsd for XP and extsifs for Vista. ext2fsd was originally the driver of choice however Vista users had problems and so moved to ext2ifs. As far as W7 I do not know which is recommended.

[tiwas]

Works like a charm under Windows 7 RTM, and no need to press f8 or anything. Didn't even have to boot

[crombiecrunch]

(08-17-2009 02:59 PM)mihauuu Wrote:  

Hi guys.
I recommend you use : EXT2FSD
It's working fine for Popcorn A-110 (I used the app with Vista for about one year, now Windows 7 Betas/RCs for few months). Write support for EXT3. Doesn't support local characters (Polish in my case). Local characters are shown correctly in PC, but can't be displayed and handled by NMT.
best regards,
mihauuu

Agreed no issues running this on windows 7 64 bit OEM

[Suge_K]

Ive tried to format a WD 1.5tb drive ext3 and then assign a drive letter etc with Ext2IFS....my vista laptop shows this as linux once ive rebooted windows (having used the a linux boot cd)....i rebooted using F8 and then removing the digital signage....still no joy. When i try and open the drive it just tells me to format it....

It mentions above the inode (whatever that is) must be set at 128 and jounalling enabled....i couldnt find any options to check or change these when formatting....??

Help!

S

[Gibbo]

remove ext2IFS and try ext2FSD, I've personally never had much luck with IFS and often saw the linux error.

[nugget86]

trying ext2FSD on windows 7 rtm

drives are formatted to ext3

no luck even when trying to change drive letter, nothing changes.

[Druig]

(09-10-2009 06:54 AM)nugget86 Wrote:  trying ext2FSD on windows 7 rtm

drives are formatted to ext3

no luck even when trying to change drive letter, nothing changes.

You have to boot with "Disable Driver Signature"....Hold F8 Key while booting.

[tiwas]

Shouldn't have to do that as long as it was installed as an admin...