Major Update to Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software Refines Support for macOS High Sierra

Today we release an important update to Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software  – a software utility that grants ultra-fast, transparent read/write access to Windows-formatted NTFS hard drives, SSDs, and thumb drives under macOS. This release delivers improved support for macOS 10.13 High Sierra in conjunction with the latest update from Apple. macOS High Sierra is designed to be secure by default and includes several architectural changes, including a new file system and user-approved, third-party kernel extensions. Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software now provides full support for Secure Kernel Extension Loading, which enables users to install the application and evaluate its benefits without any additional interaction with System Preferences.

New features and enhancements:

  • Support for Secure Kernel Extension Loading;
  • Improved functionality of “Set as startup” option;
  • Login via Facebook now fully available for macOS High Sierra;
  • Service APFS volumes hidden by default;
  • Enhanced stability and performance improvements;
  • Bug fixes for macOS 10.10.

Paragon Software Introduces New Linux File Systems for Windows: High-Speed Access to ExtFS, Btrfs, XFS from Your Windows PC

Paragon Software releases Linux File Systems for Windows. Now you can easily access disks and partitions formatted under the most common Linux file systems directly from your Windows PC. Linux File Systems for Windows by Paragon Software offers high-speed access to Linux file systems and supports Secure Boot protocol — there’s no need to turn off the driver when working with Linux volumes.

Features:

  • Create, read, modify, copy, delete files on ExtFS volumes.
  • Read files on Btrfs, XFS volumes.
  • Full support for Secure Boot protocol.

Supported Operating Systems:

  • Windows 7, 8/8.1, 10 (x64/x86)
  • Windows Server 2008, 2012, 2016 (x64)

Availability:

Download a 10-day trial version from https://www.paragon-software.com/home/linuxfs-windows/. The trial period can be extended by sharing a post about the product on Facebook.

If you have already purchased Paragon ExtFS for Windows or Paragon ExtFS for Windows Professional, you can upgrade your product free via MyParagon account at https://my.paragon-software.com/#/login.

New users can purchase Linux File Systems for Windows for $19.95.

About Paragon Software

Since 1994, Paragon Software has been delivering reliable software products and technology solutions that every day help users, IT professionals, and businesses keep data healthy and safe. We offer file systems and storage management, deployment and migration of heterogeneous appliances and systems, data protection, business continuity and disaster recovery for hybrid environments. Our global business partners include AJA, Asus, QNAP, Western Digital, ZTE, and many others.

Introducing APFS for Linux – Industry-first ISV Driver to Deliver Apple File System Support

Today we release APFS for Linux—the industry’s first driver that allows OEM solutions and embedded systems to access Apple File System volumes from Linux. This technology is already available for licensing to manufacturers of information appliances (e.g., set-top units, smart TVs, PVRs), infotainment and surveillance systems, medical equipment, network appliances (such as routers, switches, WAPs), and other devices.

  

Key features:

  • Use shell scripts to build, install, and uninstall the driver,
  • List and read APFS volumes formatted with macOS,
  • Read files up to 100GB in size,
  • Read resident and fragmented files,
  • Read file metadata and access rights.

Key benefits:

  • Easily evaluate how it fits into your technical and business needs,
  • Integrate APFS for Linux with other file system drivers by Paragon Software,
  • Contact Paragon engineering team to help with technical questions;
  • Contact Paragon business team to help with solution design, integration, and maintenance.

Availability:

To download the technology preview version APFS for Linux, please visit https://www.paragon-software.com/business/apfs-linux/

About Paragon Software

Since 1994, Paragon Software has been delivering best-of-breed solutions to enable assorted file systems across heterogeneous platforms and environments.
Carefully designed for data safety, robust performance, and unobtrusive operability, this technology powers users and businesses across the world, including Belkin, Bosch, Cisco, D-Link, Dell, Toshiba, HP, Western Digital Corp., ASUS, Seagate, LG Electronics, Logitech, Buffalo, Acer, EMC/Iomega, Siemens, Lenovo, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, and ZTE.

It’s Cyber Monday!

Enter the code “MONDAY” in our online shop to get a 30% discount on all data management products! The most essential tools for PC and Mac users at a great discount – today only! It is crucial that you always back up your important information and have a plan for recovering data from a system failure. An attacker could crash a computer’s OS or data may be corrupted by a hardware problem. All Paragon’s data management solutions, including Hard Disk Manager: https://shop.paragon-software.com/80/uurl-7s797q1ckq at 30% off. Hurry!

Paragon Software Group Releases Hard Disk Manager Version 16 with Redesigned UI, New Backup Wizards and 35 Key Features for Home Users!

Paragon Software Group releases the latest edition of Paragon Hard Disk Manager 16 – a complete all-in-one software to protect, maintain, and manage PC data. This software assembles more than thirty advanced data management technologies, including partitioning, boot correction, file and image backup, disk copying, secure data wiping (including on SSDs), and flexible recovery options. Even more, the most essential easy-to-use backup and recovery functionality is available free of charge — including Recovery Media Builder in case of data loss. Additional backup and partitioning features are available at the cost for advanced users. The new release offers a completely redesigned, intuitive UI, new handy graphics to represent feature sets, and advanced functionality to accomplish system and data management tasks easier than ever. Complete backup strategies save time and effort in configuring regular backup jobs for entire computers, individual volumes, or files. In addition to regular backups, the new release allows users to restore older copies of data files from archives created by earlier software editions.

The latest edition of Paragon Hard Disk Manager 16 also provides advanced users full control via additional backup strategy settings. The new Create Backup Job Wizard makes complex backup processes simple and ultra-fast, allowing users to define automatic backup jobs by selecting from predefined strategies. Create Backup Job Wizard has several built-in automatic backup strategies to choose from, or users can create their own. When creating your own backup strategies, users specify the start time (daily, weekly, monthly, or at specific events, such as system start or user login), adjust the number of increments created, define a strategy for deleting old archives, and control other options, such as shutting down the PC after backup. Another handy new feature is the creation of network connections, which are used to save backups on networked storage.

Despite the name, Paragon Hard Disk Manager is not only great for hard disk drives but also for solid state drives (SSDs) and virtual disks. This utility helps the home user backup and restore anything with an exact replica of a selected partition or system disk; manage partitions; permanently wipe sensitive data; and migrate specific files or the entire operating system to different storage devices. In the event of data loss, powerful restore options allow users to easily recover anything from the full system to individual files or folders. In case of boot-related problems like file system corruption or hard drive failure, the free Recovery Media Builder included in the basic version helps users create a backup that might later restore files in case booting into Windows the normal way is not possible. Most importantly, if ransomware or other malware encrypts files, the user can safely recover data using the Recovery Media Builder and restore the system to normal quickly and effortlessly.

Key features:

  • Supports Windows 10 Fall Creators Update;
  • Complete backup strategies save time and effort when configuring regular backup jobs for entire computers, individual volumes, or files;
  • Fast and safe migrations of Windows OS single partitions or entire disks to new storage devices, even those of smaller capacity;
  • Easiest, fastest, and most rock-solid drive partitioning of physical and virtual hard disk drives on the market;
  • Fix most boot issues in a couple of minutes without turning to restore or other advanced actions;
  • Permanent irreversible data erasure from any storage media type with SSD Trimming and wiping algorithms;
  • Completely new UI helps manage systems easier than ever;
  • Define scenario-based backup jobs;
  • Quick standalone/single time backups;
  • All wizards redesigned to cover more scenarios. The new UI combines wizards into modules representing a specific feature set to guide users to the right selection:

Backup & Recovery:

  • Create single backup;
  • Create backup job;
  • Restore backup;
  • File Transfer Wizard.

Partition Manager:

  • Undelete partitions;
  • Split partition;
  • Redistribute free space;
  • Merge partitions;

Disk Wiper:

  • Wipe disks or partitions;

Drive Copy:

  • Migrate (with Copy HDD and Copy partition);
  • Redesigned Express view provides ad hoc access to all wizards, each organized by color;
  • Direct control over partitioning: Move and resize partitions via drag and drop in “My Computer” disk map view or launch specific tasks via dialog:
  • Test partition surface;
  • Change primary slots;
  • Convert file system;
  • Set partition as active/inactive;
  • Convert to MBR/GPT disk;
  • Change volume label;
  • Format volume;
  • Delete volume;
  • Check File System integrity;
  • Create volume;
  • Move partition;
  • Resize partition;
  • Change drive letter;
  • Hide/unhide partition;
  • Make partition Active/Inactive;
  • Convert to logical/primary;
  • View/Edit sectors;
  • Compact MFT;
  • Defragment MFT;
  • Change partition serial number;
  • Connect virtual disk.
  • Redesigned “Show advanced properties dialog;”
  • Separate whole computer backup scenario allows users to back up all data on a PC worry-free in just three clicks;
  • Restore several objects (disks, partitions, files) in a single pass without repeatedly running wizards multiple times;
  • Fast migration to new HDDs & SSDs.

Additional functionality is also available for $79.95. Differences between basic and advanced functionality can be found at https://www.paragon-software.com/home/hdm-windows/#features

System requirements:

Windows 7 SP1 and later.

Availability:

Paragon Hard Disk Manager Version 16 is available for free download at https://www.paragon-software.com/home/hdm-windows/ Basic functionality is available free of charge. Advanced functionality is available for $79.95.

Paragon NTFS for Mac 15 supports macOS 10.13 High Sierra and is now available as a free update to all Paragon NTFS for Mac 15 customers!

Paragon NTFS for Mac is the industry’s fastest, high-performance, multilingual utility that solves interoperability issues between macOS and Windows. The 15th edition announced earlier this year comes with a completely new, ultra-fast engine guaranteeing advanced support of the latest NTFS file systems, including Windows 10 system compression. The new UI makes is easier than ever to access information and manage the system. Now Paragon NTFS for Mac 15 provides full fledged read and write support of NTFS formatted volumes on macOS High Sierra and is available for download at https://www.paragon-software.com/landing-pages/ntfs-mac/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=ntfs14-15-en&utm_campaign=rss-ntfs14-15-en

 

Redistributing free space on NTFS partitions has never been easier!

Paragon Software Group has released a new edition of Paragon CampTune, a utility for redistribution of disk space between HFS+ or APFS (Apple File System) and NTFS partitions on macOS systems.

With just one slider, dual-boot users can instantly allocate more disk space to either macOS or Windows operating systems. Paragon CampTune is the first Paragon macOS product to support Apple’s APFS. The update also offers a host ofnew features, including System Integrity Protection (SIP) management, which allows users to selectively disable individual parameters for this security option.

Paragon CampTune is available for $19.95 at https://www.paragon-software.com/home/camptune/ Current Paragon Camptune X users can buy an upgrade to Paragon CampTune with a 50% discount.

High on Sierra: Apple’s WWDC 2017

This year’s Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) brings us, as usual, a new version of macOS. Despite various suggestions for what to christen this forthcoming update, Apple tricked everyone and chose a most unexpected name: macOS High Sierra. The similarity to the current macOS Sierra hints at the minor improvements most users will see. However, there are many bigger changes under the hood.

With High Sierra, Apple claims its Safari web browser is faster than all competitors, and presented various benchmarks as evidence. This bold statement was followed by the introduction of Intelligent Tracking Prevention — a feature that means Safari now has content blocking built-in, automatically halting those annoying auto-play ads with sound in their tracks. Safari will also be more privacy conscious, blocking attempts to access cookies on your Mac that are deemed to be an invasion of privacy.

The Photos app also received a few improvements. With better facial recognition and a persistent sidebar, it’s easier to search for objects and scenes, or filter your library more intelligently. If you don’t have Adobe Photoshop installed or don’t want to spend your time poking around inside complicated editing software, High Sierra brings simple but helpful photo-editing tools to Photos, which sync across all your devices. Live Photos can be edited with special effects, while the Memories section of the app is a more intelligent and thoughtful curator of your memoirs.

Photos app WWDC 2017

Apple has also tweaked Mail.app, bringing full-screen, split-window support and better organization with improved Spotlight search that will serve up the most relevant results first.

The macOS update also encouraged Apple to move to the H.625 video standard, with support for improved 4K playback and efficient decoding of ultra-high-resolution video content. Those improvements are coupled with the launch of a new graphics API for developers: Metal 2, which is more efficient than its predecessor (up to 10x in many cases), with support for VR content.

Finally, the Apple File System makes it’s debut with High Sierra. APFS is a next-generation file system for Apple products based upon the iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS software platforms, which now covers devices from the diminutive Apple Watch all the way up to Mac Pro. It’s optimized for Flash/SSD storage and features strong encryption, copy-on-write metadata, space sharing, cloning for files and directories, snapshots, fast directory sizing, atomic safe-save primitives, and improved file system fundamentals.

Apple claims APFS vastly accelerates the speed of actions like duplicating large files, while boasting improved performance, security, and reliability. All users who upgrade should see noticeable gains in day-to-day use.

To celebrate this news, we’re offering big savings for our powerful application that covers all aspects of the computer’s life cycle: Paragon Hard Disk Manager for Mac is now available with a 20% off discount! HDM for Mac includes drive partitioning, file system optimization and repair functions, data backup capabilities, irreversible data wiping, and much more.

macOS High Sierra is available as a public beta for early adopters in June from beta.apple.com, and is currently free to download for all Mac developers at developer.apple.com. The new macOS 10.13 will arrive as a full release for all users with compatible Macs and MacBooks this autumn.

Important Tips on Protecting Your System and Data Against WannaCry and Ransomware Attacks

Past few days we all have been following the breaking news on the fast-spreading WannaCry ransomware affecting globally hundreds of thousands PC systems around the world, and are wondering what is this virus and whether your computer system and data might be at risk. WannaCry, like any ransomware is a computer virus that usually spreads via spam emails and malicious download links. The virus is designed to lock up computer files and the ultimate goal is to blackmail the affected user until the victim pays the ransom demand, usually $300-$500 in Bitcoins.

Wana_Decrypt0r_screenshot
Screenshot of the ransom note left on an infected system

WannaCry is especially malicious because it spreads itself and doesn’t even require the user to click any link or open a file. Now most of us wonder how to make your system and data secure.

Planning your data protection and recovery strategy is essential to any PC user. This awareness guide will help you be cautious and save your valuable data on PC from WannaCry or any other potential ransomware threat. In addition to installing anti-virus software like Kaspersky or similar solutions, every PC user should implement stringent backup controls with snapshots to increase safety from attacks and prevent possible data loss. Since this widely spread global cyber-attack is just one of many to hit users, reliable system and data backup is always the key to protect against such malware threats.

Countries_affected_in_WannaCry_ransomware_attack
Map of the countries initially affected by the virus

The following advisory on WannaCry ransomware will help prevent data loss and in case of a disaster recover it fast:

1. Backup your computer with the reliable backup solution.
2. Update your Windows OS with Microsoft’s latest fix.
3. B careful of opening any unknown emails, websites and apps.
4. Use anti-virus protection software in conjunction with a firewall.

To help users protect their systems and valuable data, this week Paragon Software Group started offering all new and existing customers of Paragon Hard Disk Manager 15 Suite and Paragon Hard Disk Manager 15 Professional – the all-inclusive data management tools with full Windows 10 Creators Update support, Br16-protect-restoreParagon Backup & Recovery 16 software absolutely free of charge. This essential tool can be used alongside Paragon Hard Disk Manager for stronger backup functionality, or separately on other devices.

Stay safe and always backup your system.

NTFS For Mac 15 Preview: A New Perspective on Windows Partitions

It finally happened: We’re releasing a preview version of Paragon NTFS for Mac 15! Two years have passed since version 14, during which time we’ve gathered a lot of feedback from you. So, let us proudly present a fresh version of our well-known Mac software utility that eliminates boundaries with the Windows operating systems, enabling full read and write access to Windows-formatted drives on macOS.

  • New file system driver engine

The new edition comes with a robust new engine that guarantees advanced support of the latest NTFS file systems such as Windows 10 system compression and provides even faster, more transparent access to NTFS partitions under macOS.

  • Completely redesigned UI

We’ve designed the new UI based on your requests and feedback. Now all product functionality and options have been migrated from the previous System Preference Pane to a standalone macOS application:

bootcamp-volume-light

A menubar application provides quick information on mounted volumes, as well as startup and verify options:

ntfs-mac-15-preview

Here’s what it looks from the macOS Finder:

app-tray-menu-ntfs-prevew

Based on your feedback, we’ve also added support for two color themes: Dark and Light.

bootcamp-volume-light
bootcamp-volume-dark
 

  • New mount options

The first option, “Mount in read-only mode,” denies write access to the selected volume to keep sensitive data intact. The second, “Do not mount automatically,”  prevents a volume from being mounted automatically on system startup or when the storage device is reconnected.

preferences-ntfs-preview-paragon
 

  • Support for Spotlight indexing

Spotlight is a search feature of Apple’s desktop and mobile operating systems designed to quickly locate specific data including documents, music, and pictures. Spotlight also delivers other benefits, including quick access to definitions from the built-in dictionary. This feature is helpful without compromising performance by working periodically in the background. A major re-indexing only occurs after a major OS update.

  • New OS Boot manager

The program detects all bootable volumes available on the system, allowing you to choose the one you’d like to boot from. After selecting a startup volume, you can choose whether to restart your Mac from it immediately or postpone the operation until next time.

Thanks to your feedback, we have managed to create a great utility you’re sure to love. Please give it a try, and feel free to provide us with any thoughts or ideas about this new release. It’s free to use until September 1st, 2017, so click here to download the latest version, or check your MyParagon account if you already own a previous version.