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Sometimes we have to run an application that we do not trust, but we are afraid that it might look at or delete our personal data, since even though Linux systems are less prone to malware, they are not completely immune. Maybe you want to access a shady-sounding website. Or perhaps you need to access your bank account, or any other site dealing with sensitive private information. You might trust the website, but do not trust the add-ons or extensions installed in your browser.

In each of the above cases, sandboxing is useful. The idea is to restrict the non-trusted application in an isolated container -a sandbox so that it does not have access to our personal data, or the other applications on our system. While there is a software called Sandboxie that does what we need, it is only available for Microsoft Windows. But Linux users need not worry, since we have Firejail for the job.

So without further ado, let us see how to set up Firejail on a Linux system and use it to sandbox apps in Linux:

Install Firejail

If you are using Debian, Ubuntu, or Linux Mint, open up the Terminal, and enter the following command:

[sourcecode]sudo apt install firejail[/sourcecode]

Enter your account password, and press Enter. If you are asked for a confirmation, type y, and press Enter again.

If you are using Fedora, or any other RedHat-based distribution, just replace apt with yum. The rest of the instructions remain the same:

[sourcecode]sudo yum install firejail[/sourcecode]

You are now ready to run Firejail.

Optional: Install the Graphical Interface

You can choose to install the official graphical front-end for Firejail called Firetools. It is not available in the official repositories, so we will have to manually install it.

1. Download the installation file for your system. Debian, Ubuntu and Mint users should download the file ending with .deb. I am on a 64-bit Mint installation, so I selected firetools_0.9.40.1_1_amd64.deb.

2. After the download is complete, open the Terminal, and navigate to your Downloads folder by running cd ~/Downloads.

3. Now install the Firetools package by running the command sudo dpkg -i firetools*.deb.

4. Enter your password, hit Enter, and you’re done.

Basic Usage

In a Terminal, write firejail, followed by the command that you need to run. For instance, to run Firefox:

[sourcecode]firejail firefox[/sourcecode]

Make sure to close all Firefox windows first. If you don’t, it will just open a new tab or window in the current session – negating any security benefit you would get from Firejail.

Similarly, for Google Chrome:

[sourcecode]firejail google-chrome[/sourcecode]

Running commands like this gives the application access to only a few needed configuration directories, and your Downloads folder. Access to the rest of the file system, and the other directories in your Home folder is restricted. This can be demonstrated by trying to access my home folder from Chrome:

As you can see, most of my folders, including Pictures, Documents, and others are not accessible from the sandboxed chrome. If I still try to access them by modifying the URL, I will get a File not found error:

Restricting Applications Further

Sometimes, you might need more restrictions, for example, you may want to use a completely fresh browser profile with no history, and no add-ons. Let’s say you don’t want your web browser to access your Downloads folder either. For that, we can use the private option. Run the application as follows:

[sourcecode]firejail google-chrome –private[/sourcecode]

This method completely restricts the application – it always starts in a fresh state, and can not even create or download any new files.

Using the Graphical Interface – Firetools

If you prefer to use a GUI instead of running a command every time, you can use the graphical front-end for Firejail called Firetools. Open the Terminal, and run the command firetools. You will see a window like this:

You can double click on any pre-configured application (Firefox and VLC here) to run it sandboxed. If you want to add an application, right click on an empty space on the Firetools app, and click on Edit:

You can now enter the name, description, and the command that you want to run. The command would be the same as you would run in a console. For instance, to create an icon for Google Chrome that you want to run in private mode, you would input the following:

Now simply double-click the icon you just created to launch the app:

Run Doubtful Applications Securely On Linux With Firejail

That is it from our side when it comes to sandboxing non-trusted apps in Linux with Firejail. If you wish to learn more about the advanced sandboxing options that Firejail offers, take a look at the official documentation. What do you use Firejail for? Has it saved you from malicious applications or websites? Make sure to let us know by dropping us a line in the comments section below.


Software related bugs are a part of computing life. Developers usually release new versions of a software either by removing some bugs, patching security vulnerabilities, or by introducing new features. If you have installed lots of apps on your Windows PC, then updating them individually can be a daunting task. Keeping up with the updates is also challenging because many developers don't communicate well with the customers. In this article, we'll show you how to update all your desktop apps without any hassle.

How to Check for Software Updates

Check for Updates in the Help Menu

Most modern desktop apps contain an update feature. The command "Check for Updates" is either located in the "Help" menu or in the "Preferences" window. Sadly, they don't all work the same way. Some check for updates every time they're launched, or on a fixed schedule. Some check for updates only on demand; those that do automatically, do not have this feature turned on. Some apps simply download an .exe file and expect you to open it and run the installer; or some do nothing but open a webpage with links to your updates. If you have installed many apps, it's not practical to check for updates. This solution works best if you've installed only few, popular apps.

Subscribe to the Developer's Blog

Every developer website has a blog where they talk about what's included in a minor or a major release. You can subscribe to their blog in your feed reader. If the developer website does not have a blog, you can subscribe to various software sites, which periodically add listings of up-to-date software. They include Filehippo, MajorGeeks, Gizmo's Freeware, SourceForge, Neowin, Softpedia, and more.

Filehippo website is intuitive and they include only the best, popular apps for Windows, Mac, and Web. They have categories for popular apps, and software categories of various types - File sharing, Compression, Messaging, Security, Multimedia, Developer, and more.

MajorGeeks is the popular website of my choice. It aims to provide only the top 1% of safe, editor tested downloads. They have categories for popular apps, and software categories of various types. They also include a section on compatibility database for apps running under various operating systems. Although the site database is small, they've been doing this from 2001.

Gizmo's Freeware, aka Tech Support Alert is a freeware review site that utilizes the help from volunteers to scrutinize apps and make recommendations to users. Gizmo has better reviews of fewer programs, run entirely by volunteers and recommends only the best freeware programs in dozens of different software categories.

While subscribing to the developer's blog and software sites will certainly help you in getting regular updates, it may feel daunting as you have to keep up with dozens of RSS feeds and news from software publishers.

Make Twitter Lists for Apps

The idea behind Twitter lists is to essentially group a number of accounts together. When you view this list, you'll see all the tweets from those accounts. There are two advantages of making a Twitter lists. First, you don't have to add the user in order to add them to a list. Second, tweets from your lists do not show up in your primary feed.

Nowadays, every developer market their apps in social media to gain traction, customer feedback, and news updates. Visit your favorite app website, and see whether they have accounts in social media link or not. Every Twitter account has a unique domain name and handle. For instance – LibreOffice (a popular, open source, office suite for Windows and Mac) has their Twitter account since 2010 and their Twitter handle is "tdforg." Search for that handle in your Twitter app, and add them to your Twitter lists.

After adding all your favorites apps on the Twitter list, you can get the updates directly from TweetDeck, and dedicate an entire column to your apps list. With Twitter lists you can get updates from your developer, report issues to them and if lucky, get discount coupons on future upgrades.

Software Update Tools

Software update tools are monitoring utilities to scan your computer for old and outdated software packages. While some tools just check or updates, some even let you install all the software updates with ease. Although there are many apps out there for this purpose, it's not possible to review each of them in this article. Before you jump to download any of these utilities, here’s what you should check:

  • How many software updates does it detect? This is an important criteria because if it recommends you only a handful of updates, then the purpose of the utility gets defeated.
  • Will it run at startup and automatically scan for updates?
  • Will it automatically download the updates it identifies or suggest only a link to your update.
  • Is the installer bundling any unwanted software (such as toolbars, add-ins, adware)?
  • Can you add any custom locations to scan for installed apps? For e.g., Portable Apps directory.

Some of the popular software update checkers, tried and tested are - FileHippo App Manager, Ninite, and SuMo. While you don't have to use software update checker daily, it's a handy utility to check for the software updates in one go.

Using SuMo to Check for Outdated Apps

SuMo aka Software Update Monitor (download) is a utility for Windows to keep your PC up-to-date by installing the most recent version of your favorite software.

Note – The regular installer version of the SuMo contains an adware, called as "Relevant Knowledge." Most security software's can flag the installer as a spyware. It is best to download either the Lite or Portable installer, because they do not contain any adware.

After installing the software, allow it to scan your whole computer for outdated packages. The software scans your "Program Files," "Program Files (x86)," "Users," "Registry," and any custom folder of your choice. For e.g., Portable software folder.

Click "Options->Settings" and under "Scan" section click "Additional Folders". A new window will open, and in here click "Add" to add your portable apps folder.

Click the "Check" button to check for the availability of updated apps in your PC. SuMo highlights all the minor and major updates with different labels and arranges them accordingly. The version numbers are also clearly visible in another column, so that you can take a quick glance at all the apps. If you find some of the updates unnecessary, right-click any app and click "Skip this update".

While SuMo definitely lists out all the outdated packages in one go, when you click "Get Update", it doesn't take you to a download page directly. It directs you to a webpage with usage statistics about recent versions of the program. Although this information is interesting, it makes the app unnecessarily complicated to use.

There are definitely some advantages of using software update checker, since it makes the process of finding outdated software packages much easier but again it only notifies you of available updates.

Use Ninite to Install and Update Apps

Ninite (download) is a free tool that lets you automatically download, install, and update various desktop apps in one go. If you're setting up a PC for the first time, Ninite is the safest place to get up-to-date freeware. You don't have to worry about all the download sites full of crappy installers bundled with adware or toolbars.

Visit the website and you'll see the list of all the supported programs. Select the programs that you want to install and click on "Get Your Ninite" installer. The installer is a stub, which means that the programs you have selected will automatically download and install in the background.

By default, the programs install in their default locations. If your system is 64-bit, 64-bit version of your app will install, if available. To update your outdated apps, re-run the installer again. If a new version is available, it will automatically update the app in the background or else it will skip the installation.

Ninite is an incredible program and you should consider it in your workflow. If you're using a PC just for your basic tasks, then Ninite is the best way to install and update apps. Ninite database contains only the popular apps, so if you install apps from the indie developers frequently, use package manager to update and uninstall them.

Chocolatey – Package Manager for Windows

Chocolatey is a command line application sfor Windows based on the package manager NuGet. Just like Ninite, Chocolatey installs, updates, uninstalls programs in the background with minimal user interaction. Volunteers and project’s members create and maintain the entire package feed. Thus, their database is unique and huge.

System Requirements:

  • Windows 7 and above
  • Windows Server 2003 and above
  • PowerShell version 2 and above
  • .NET framework 4+ (if you don't have .NET 4, it will attempt to automatically install them)

Go to Chocolatey Install and under "Installing Chocolatey" section copy the command listed in the "Cmd.exe."

@powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))" && SET "PATH=%PATH%;%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\chocolatey\bin"

Press "Win + X" and choose "Command Prompt (Admin)" from the Start menu. Now, paste the command you copied into the Command prompt window and press "Enter".

Once you've got Chocolatey up and running, it's time to start installing apps. Visit Chocolatey packages website and you'll notice that there are 4343 software packages in its database. Let's assume that you want to install Google Chrome. In the command prompt window type

choco install googlechrome

If you want to install Firefox type

choco install firefox

Try out and install 7-zip, SumatraPDF, Notepad++, and more. If you think you might forget these commands, write them down in the Notepad and save it as a text file.

If you want to update any software package, simply type

choco upgrade

So for Google Chrome, it's

choco upgrade googlechrome

and for Firefox

choco upgrade firefox

To uninstall any package type

choco uninstall

Chocolatey is all-in one package manager for Windows. Once you get the basics of Chocolatey, you'll never think of installing or updating apps manually. Now when you run SuMo, check which apps require an update. As you can see in the screenshot, I have an old version of Ccleaner. Launch "Command prompt (Admin)" and type

choco upgrade ccleaner

The Chocolatey script will check for the updates, if no updates are available it will tell you that your software is up-to date.

Update All Your Software on Windows With These Tools

Updating desktop apps is still a time consuming and daunting task. As described in this article, every method has its own pros and cons. SuMo along with Chocolatey package manager is the best solution for upgrading your apps. If you want to share your experience or have trouble in any steps described in this article, let us know in the comments section below.


Fingerprint gestures have been around for quite a while now. Most devices, like the Google Pixel, feature a single swipe down gesture on their fingerprint scanner to reveal the notification shade. Other manufacturers like Motorola have gone further ahead, with the idea to completely replace the navigation bar. For example, on the Moto G5, you can swipe left to go back, tap to return home and swipe right for your recent apps. So, when Android Oreo came to the scene, many users expected the ability to customize fingerprint gestures to come as a native feature in the OS. While Android Oreo did come with a plethora of new features, customizing fingerprint gestures wasn’t one of them. Well, fret not, for if you own an Android Oreo device and wish to make more of the fingerprint sensor on your device, read on as we bring to you how to customize fingerprint gestures on your Android Oreo device:

Customize Fingerprint Gestures on Android Oreo

Note: The following method requires devices to be running on Android Oreo 8.0. I tried it on my Nexus 5X and Pixel, both running stock Android Oreo 8.0, and it worked well.

  • To start off, download the Fingerprint Gestures-Selfie & Secret Pics (free) app from here to your device.

  • Once you’ve downloaded the app, head over to Settings -> Accessibility. Under the heading “Downloaded services”, tap on “FingerprintGestures: Service”. In the new page that opens up, enable the toggle to turn on the Fingerprint Gesture Service.

  • Now that you’ve enabled the service, open up the Fingerprint Gestures app. You’ll be presented with a menu to customize the various actions. The gestures included are swiping up, down, left or right on the fingerprint sensor.

  • To assign a specific action to a swipe gesture, tap on that gesture’s entry. You’ll now be presented with a list to select from all the various actions available. Using the app, you can select a single swipe to go back, go to the home screen, switch to the last app, scroll the screen up and down, and much more. Additionally, the app also has support for Tasker, which you can use to create automated actions. Select your preferred action from the list.

  • Similarly, you can assign various actions to each type of swipe on the fingerprint sensor. For example, in my case, I set the up and down swipes to be used to scroll the screen, while the left swipe to go to the home screen and right swipe to switch to the last app.

  • Additionally, tapping on the gear icon in the top-right corner will take you to the settings menu of the app. Here, you can enable the app’s constant notification which will help it retain in the system’s memory. Furthermore, you can choose to enable a vibration feedback upon the use of the set gestures.

Do More With Fingerprint Gestures on Your Android Oreo Device

Fingerprint gestures certainly prove to be an easier way to go about carrying normal tasks. As opposed to using the navigation bar or going through various menus, you can use just a single fingerprint sensor on your device to carry out all these tasks. But that is what I feel about fingerprint gestures. What’s your take on fingerprint gestures? Did you customize fingerprint gestures on your Android Oreo device? Let us know in the comments section below.


The Amazon Echo is a great smart speaker. It can connect to a number of smart home devices, and let you control them with voice; it can play your music for you, set alarms, and remind you about things you ask it to. Plus, you can augment it’s abilities by enabling Alexa Skills, from within the Alexa app, along with all the cool tricks it can do. So, wouldn’t it be great, if you could have a portable Amazon Echo inside your very phone? If you’re looking for a way to have Amazon Alexa’s smarts inside your, iPhone, or Android device, or even a Mac, here’s how you can convert your iPhone, Mac, or Android device into a portable Amazon Echo:

Use Reverb to Get Alexa in Your Devices

Reverb for Amazon Alexa is an app (available on iOS, macOS, and Android), that puts Alexa inside your devices. You will need an Amazon account for the app to work, and it is capable of sending your requests to Alexa, and even working with the Alexa app, in order to allow you to see response cards, timers, and more. If you’ve enabled skills on your Amazon Echo, they will automatically work with Reverb, as well. Simply follow the steps below to get started with Alexa on your favourite devices:

  • When you launch the app, you will have to sign in before you can use Alexa on your devices.

  • Once that is done, you’ll be taken to the main interface of the app. You can simply tap and hold (or click and hold on a Mac), to get Alexa to listen to you.

  • After you’ve spoken the command out, simply let go of the button, and Alexa will start processing it, and provide you with the appropriate response.

Just like on the Echo, you can get Reverb to perform all of the things that the Echo can do; and if you’ve enabled any Skills in your Alexa app, they will work via Reverb, as well. The Reverb app on Android comes with a hamburger menu, that has options for getting help with using the app, as well as section that displays your alarms and timers.

While the Timers and Alarms feature works on the iPhone version of the app, as well, there is no dedicated section to view it. On an iPhone, you will have to launch the Alexa companion app to view your timers, and alarms.

The Reverb app on the Mac is even more watered down. You just sign in, and you can click and hold on the button to speak. The commands are processed when you let go of the mouse, and Reverb provides the appropriate response. However, there is no other option in the app, and you will have to completely rely on the Alexa website to view your timers, alarms, shopping lists and more.

Other Apps to Get Alexa on Your Devices

There are a number of other apps that you can use to get Alexa on your devices. Especially on an iPhone you can use apps like Ava (iOS), Astra (iOS) and more to get Alexa working. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of options for the same, when it comes to Android devices (Alexa Listens is one that is available for free), and Macs. Reverb is still possibly the best way to go about getting Alexa working on your iPhone, Mac, or Android device, allow ing you to use it as a remote Amazon Echo.

Use Alexa on Your iPhone, Mac, and Android Devices

With apps like Reverb, that put the power of Alexa on your portable devices, you can easily use your iPhone, or Android device as a portable Amazon Echo, and since Reverb integrates seamlessly with everything that you’ve enabled in the Alexa app with your Amazon Echo, you can use every single Alexa Skill that you want to use, directly from your phone. This can come in exceptionally handy, if you’re out and about, and need to ensure that the lights in your living room are off. Simply pull your phone out, and ask Alexa to turn off the living room lights, and it will do it. There are a lot more use cases for having a portable Amazon Echo in your pocket, and if you’re a heavy user of Alexa, you’ll definitely find these apps useful, as well.

As always, we would like to know your thoughts on Amazon Echo, Alexa, and other AI powered assistants that we’re seeing these days. Also, if you know of any other app that lets you put Alexa on your iPhone, Mac, or Android devices, do let us know about it in the comments section below.


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macOS Mojave is probably one of the biggest macOS update in the recent few years and people are already saying good things about it. I am using Mojave beta on my MacBook Pro and I am certainly enjoying this new experience. With macOS Mojave, my Mac has a brand new dark-mode and it has become even more functional than ever before. That said, apart from bringing new features, the new desktop operating system from Apple has also relocated some of the old features which might irk some users. One of those features is the user’s ability to check for software updates. To help users grapple with this change, in this article, we are going to show you how you can check for software updates in macOS Mojave:

Check for Software Updates in macOS Mojave

Before macOS Mojave, users could easily check for the app as well as operating system updates by visiting the Mac App Store app. However, in Mojave, Apple has changed that. Now, the Mac App Store’s “Updates” section only shows the app updates and the software updates for the operating system has been relocated. That said, it is still fairly easy to access and check for software updates and this is how you can do that:

  1. Click on the Apple logo on the top left corner of your desktop and then click on “System Preferences”.

2. Now, locate the new “Software Update” option and click on it.

3. Here, you can see when your Mac last checked for system updates and manage your update settings.

4. You can either enable the “Automatically keep my Mac up to date” option which will automatically download and install any software update that is released or you can click on the “Advanced” button to configure how you want your system to handle updates.

Manually Check for System Updates in macOS Mojave

That was a fairly easy tutorial and I hope that none of you had any problem in following it. Still, if there is something that is confusing to you, just shoot your question in the comments section below. While you are at it, do let us know which is your favorite macOS Mojave feature.


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Instagram has just recently launched a new video service called IGTV and it brings long form video content to the image and video sharing platform. The newly launched service that comes in the form of an Android and iOS app, and is also available on the web allows users to post videos from 15 seconds to 60 minutes in length, vastly increasing the potential for the kind of content creators can share on the platform.

So, if you’ve installed the IGTV app and are following your favourite creators, why not make your own channel and start creating some videos for the world to watch as well? Here’s how you can create your own channel on IGTV.

Create an IGTV Channel

First things first, I’m assuming you’ve installed the IGTV app (Android, iOS) already and are logged in. To create an IGTV channel, just follow the steps below:

  • In the IGTV app, tap on the settings cog to head over to your profile. Here, tap on ‘Create Channel.’

  • IGTV will now walk you through some of the basics of IGTV videos, simply tap ‘Next’ and then tap on ‘Create Channel.’

That’s it. Your channel on IGTV has been created. IGTV uses your default Instagram handle to create your channel, and you can tap on your profile icon on IGTV to view your channel at any time.

Create an IGTV Channel without IGTV App

If you don’t have the IGTV app installed, you can create your IGTV channel from Instagram as well. Here are the steps you have to follow.

  • From the Instagram home page, tap on the IGTV icon up top, and then tap on the Settings icon.

  • Tap on Create Channel.

Follow the instructions on-screen, and that’s it. You’ve successfully created your IGTV channel. Now get sharing!


If you’ve ever tried transferring files between a computer running Windows and one running Mac OS X, chances are you’ve faced the problems arising due to NTFS and FAT formats. Windows, by default prefers using NTFS formats on it’s drives, and if you have formatted external hard disks and pen drives on Windows, you most probably have used NTFS to format those.

That’s all well and good in the Windows universe, but switch over to a Mac and you’ll notice how OS X can read those NTFS formatted disks but not write anything to them. That’s one of the biggest problems in cross platform compatibility for external data storage between Windows and OS X.

What We Can Do

The most common solution you’ll hear to this is to format drives in FAT. While this works, we’ll give you two reasons why you might not want to do this:

  1. Your disk might already contain valuable data that will be lost if you format it into FAT.
  2. You might need to transfer files larger than 4GB into your disk, and FAT doesn’t allow this.

So, how to bridge this glaring gap between Windows and OS X?

We explore the possible solutions to this problem today. However, before you can understand what to do, you need to understand what it is that you are trying to fix. A little background is in order:

NTFS and FAT are two of the most commonly used file systems to format drives. These are abbreviations for New Technology File System and File Allocation Table, respectively. These formats govern how disks arrange data.

Using FAT can actually fix most of your problems with using the same external storage between Windows and Mac, however, there’s the caveat that files larger than 4GB can not be stored inside disks formatted using FAT.

How to Enable NTFS Write Capabilities on OS X

OS X natively supports reading capabilities for disks in the NTFS format. This means that you can use your NTFS formatted disks with OS X to read files from. However, you can not transfer files from your Mac to the disk in question.

So, you’re flummoxed? Don’t worry, we have the fix, and we are going to explain it to you. As it turns out, there are two possible solutions to this problem.

1. Third Party Applications

Obviously you were not the first to encounter these limitations, so problem solvers have come out with solutions in the form of third party apps. These come in both paid and free variations, but before you skip ahead to the free section, be warned, the free one takes a lot more hard work and is generally not as reliable as the paid ones.

Paid Applications

The awesome people at Paragon Software Group and Tuxera have created utilities that bridge the NTFS gap between Windows and OS X.

All you need to do with these apps is download them (and install, obviously.) and you’re all set. Well, almost. You do need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect, and then you can freely read/write on NTFS drives without any hassle.

“Paragon NTFS for Mac” is priced at $19.95 and has a 10 day trial if you want to be sure that it works out for you.

“Tuxera NTFS for Mac” is priced at $31 and has a 15 day trial.

Both of these apps come with the added functionality that allows you to format a drive using NTFS or create partitions. We have tried Paragon’s offering and it’s well worth the price.

Also, note that if you’re using a Seagate drive, Seagate offers a free license for “Paragon NTFS for Mac”, with the limitation that it only works with Seagate drives, or with drives that are manufactured by Seagate. I could use it with a Samsung external HD that was manufactured by Seagate.

Check out Paragon and Tuxera for an easy, hassle free NTFS experience on your Mac.

ntfs paragon

Free Applications

“osxfuse” is an open source application hosted on GitHub that also allows users to write to NTFS drives on Mac. The process is tediously long, and not recommended if you’re not comfortable with using the Terminal, or rebooting your Mac into recovery mode.

Nevertheless, we have outlined the steps here.

1. Download osxfuse and install it.

2. Download Homebrew (a command line package manager for Mac), if you don’t have it already.

3. Open Terminal, and type the following command:

brew install homebrew/fuse/ntfs-3g

4. Now, you’ll have to disable System Integrity Protection (SIP, or “rootless”). To do this, you need to reboot into recovery mode.

  • Turn your Mac off and press Command + R while starting it up again. This will boot up your Mac in a recovery environment.

5. Launch Terminal and type the following command:

csrutil disable

  • This will disable System Integrity Protection on your Mac.
  • Reboot your Mac normally.

6. Open Terminal and type the following commands:

sudo mv /sbin/mount_ntfs /sbin/mount_ntfs.original
sudo ln -s /usr/local/sbin/mount_ntfs /sbin/mount_ntfs

7. Next, you to re-enable System Integrity Protection.

  • Reboot your Mac into recovery.

8. Launch Terminal and type the following command:
csrutil enable

  • This will enable System Integrity Protection on your Mac.

9. Reboot your Mac.

10. NTFS should now be working on your Mac.

ntfs homebrew osxfuse

Ok, that was a lot of work to do. Especially, considering how there are much simpler and easier methods available. Also, disabling System Integrity Protection is not something that should be done lightly as it allows root programs to access protected files on your Mac and might make your Mac an easy target for malware, or lead to corruption in your startup disk.

2. Apple’s Experimental Feature

As it turns out, Apple themselves have an experimental feature that can be enabled to allow NTFS writing capability on the Mac. This method also requires the use of command line, but it does not require you to disable System Integrity Protection.

Note: Being an experimental feature, this might not work well, it might corrupt your data, your disk, or cause data loss. Proceed with caution, and at your own risk.

The steps you need to take, in order to enable this feature are given below:

1. Fire up Terminal on your Mac.

2. Type the following command:

sudo nano /etc/fstab

  • You need to add the following line to the file:
    LABEL=DRIVE_NAME none ntfs rw,auto,nobrowse
  • Replace the DRIVE_NAME with the name of your disk.
  • Make sure the DRIVE_NAME you are using does not contain any spaces as this might cause issues.

3. This will enable write support for your drive.

If your drive has a complex name with spaces and the like, you can use the device UUID to enable write support for that drive as well. To find the UUID for your disk, you need to run the following command on the Terminal:
diskutil info /Volumes/DRIVENAME | grep UUID

Replace the “DRIVENAME” with the name of your disk.

Once you have the UUID for your disk, you need to follow these steps:

1. Open Terminal on your Mac

  • Type the following command:
    sudo nano /etc/fstab
  • Add the following line to the file:
    UUID=DEVICEUUID none ntfs rw,auto,nobrowse
  • Replace “DEVICEUUID” with the UUID for your disk.

The limitation with this experimental method, is exactly that; it’s experimental. There is no guarantee that it will work properly. It might corrupt your data, or even corrupt your entire disk. Also, this method requires you to add one line “per disk” for it to work. So if you have more than one disk that you want to write to using this method, it’ll be unnecessarily tedious.

Future Possibilities

The fact that Apple has an experimental feature to enable writing capabilities for NTFS disks hints a little bit at a possible native support for NTFS writing. That is good news, but it is also unconfirmed. For all we know, Apple might completely remove NTFS writing support from the OS, leaving users with no choice but to use third party applications.

If you have the option, we suggest that you format your disks using exFAT. exFAT is a format that is supported by both Windows and OS X and it does not have the 4GB file size restriction that FAT does.

However, like almost everything in technology, exFAT too has a caveat in that it might not be supported by older versions of OS X and by Windows machines running Windows XP and older. This means that if you constantly find yourself sitting in front of a computer running Windows XP or older, then exFAT is not the best choice for you as it might not even get detected by the older operating systems.

Start Using NTFS on Your Mac

You have been armed with the essential knowledge that you need in order to make writing to NTFS files on your Mac a reality. Try out the methods we have outlined in this article and let us know about your experience with the tools you use to achieve these results on your computers.

Make sure you create backups of important data before trying out things that you are not entirely sure about. Better safe than sorry.

Let us know about your experience with NTFS on Mac in the comments below.


Personal Computers / Laptops don't have an endless life, with time, both software and hardware wear out. This leads to slower PC performance and overall bad experience. You may not be able to achieve same PC performance as when you bought it, but that doesn't mean you can't get a significant increase in performance. With some simple tweaks or may be some upgrades, you can easily get a boost in performance.

Furthermore, if you don't maintain your PC properly, there might be tons of obsolete data, viruses or hardware issues that may be slowing down the system. All this can be easily fixed, if you just dedicate some time to your PC and follow our Tips.

Below you will find some simple tips and tricks that can be easily followed to get a significant increase in performance. Just follow all the tips that you can easily follow, and you will definitely see some positive results.

Here is How To Speed up Your PC /Laptop

1. Restart your PC

Before we start playing around with PC’s hardware or software, it is best to just give your PC a fresh start. While running, your PC goes through many processes, and some just keep working in the background even if you close the program. 

Restarting the PC is  a good way to get rid of the processes and have a fresh start. When your PC will boot, there will be no additional process until you start opening and closing applications. 

2. Cool it down

If your PC is running straight for past 3 days (that MMORPG farming is important, but not worth the damage), then the poor thing deserves a rest. PCs slow down when they heat up, just turn it completely off for 2-3 hours and start using again.

If your PC heats up quite quickly, make sure its fan is clean and use a cooling pad for your laptop (if required).

3. Adjust Computer’s Visuals for Best Performance

The default option for your Windows is set to use animations and attractive themes. You can set a basic theme and disable all fancy visuals effects to get a better performance. You can do so from the “Personalize” option of your Windows, which should be in the context menu when you right-click on the desktop.

You can either customize it manually or use AVG PC Tune Up to let the software select the optimum performance settings for you.

4. Use a Simple Desktop Background

If your PC is having a performance issue, then never use live wallpapers or screen savers. For all the visual effects, these wallpapers use your PC resources. Windows default background is quite light, just use that.

5. Disable Windows 10 Update Bandwidth Distribution (If you are on Windows 10)

By default Windows 10 uploads all the Windows 10 updates downloaded on your PC to other Windows 10 users, which uses your Bandwidth and PC resources leading to slower speed and browsing. Fortunately, you have the option to turn off this distribution.

To turn off  bandwidth distribution, click on "Settings” in the Start menu, and in there, click on "Update & Security".

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Now click on "Advanced options" in "Windows Update" option, and click on "Choose how updates are delivered" on the next page.

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Here, just click on the blue slider button to turn off this feature.

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6. Scan your PC for Malware and Viruses

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If your PC contains Viruses, Malware, Spyware, and other such bad programs, then you may see a decrease in performance. They may work hidden in the background to damage or expose your data, and in the process they also use your PC's valuable resources.

Use a good antivirus and anti-malware program to make sure your PC is clean. For this purpose, Avast Antivirus and Malwarebytes (anti-malware) are great tools.

7. Clean Registry

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Windows keeps all the system and application changes in the registry, and with time some entries may obsolete and slow down Windows processes. Thankfully, there are many registry cleaning tools that will clean the registry for you.

The most simple and free to use tool for this will be Wise Registry Cleaner. It has one-click operation, and it is extremely light and powerful tool.

8. Defrag the Hard Drive

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As you add data in your PC, the data gets scattered all over the hard drive and makes it hard for the system to search for files. You can defrag the hard drive to arrange data in a sequence so the system could easily find the specified file.

Windows comes with this feature built-in, just type "Disk Defragmenter" in the start menu search and you will find the tool. Run it on all your drives and you should see a slightly smooth performance. You can also try a Third-party defragmentation tool that may also offer some added features. For this purpose, you can use IObit's Smart Defrag, which is a feature rich.

9. Disable Startup Programs

Startup programs can slow down your PC boot time and leave processes in the background that slow down your PC performance. To disable startup programs, press Windows+R and type in "msconfig" in "Run" dialog.

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Now, navigate to the "Startup" tab and you will find all the programs that startup with your PC. Just uncheck all the programs you don't want to start with the PC and click on "OK" to apply changes.

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10. Clean up your Browser Data

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While browsing, your browser stores all the temporary data in your PC that will not get automatically deleted. It will slow down your PC, your browsing and take unrequired space on your hard drive. You can use a dedicated tool to clean your PC and the browser to get some performance boost.

For this purpose, CCleaner is a renowned tool that will get the job done for free. Just download the tool and scan your PC to find and delete all the unrequired data. Furthermore, if you are facing slow speed while browsing, then you should also delete all the unwanted add-ons and extensions.

11. Don't use Google Chrome

Although, Google Chrome is one of the best browsers, but it is also very resource hungry. Your PC might not be able to handle Google Chrome, which leads to slower browsing. Fortunately, there are many light Google Chrome alternatives that are very resource friendly and offer the similar features as Chrome.

You can use browsers such as, Firefox, Opera or Safari (if you are a Mac user), instead of Chrome.   

12. Delete Duplicate Files

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With time, your PC may build-up duplicate files like media files, documents or even system files due to copy/pasting between device or any other similar reasons. These files are useless to the PC, and just take up space and get in the way of system while find other data.

You can use a good third-party duplicate file deleter to view and get rid of all duplicate files. A good tool for this would be Duplicate Cleaner, which will let you filter and delete duplicate files. However, check each and every file you are about to delete as you may delete a duplicate system file that may be required by the system.

13. Use a PC Performance boosting Software

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There are many PC performance booster tool available both free and paid that will optimize your PC for best performance. These tools don't swing a magic wand to increase performance, they just get rid of all the junk and tweak your system settings for optimum performance. So don't expect unrealistic results, if your PC is messed up you may get a huge performance boost and vice versa.

The best free tools for this purpose are IObit Advanced System Care Free and Glary Utilities. If you are looking for a paid tool with more features then you might like to try out iolo System Mechanic.

14. Get rid of Unrequired Programs/Softwares

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There is a chance you or any other app might have installed different programs that you may never need. These programs take up precious space and also get in the way of system while it is searching for other data. There is no automatic process, you will have to manually check the programs you don't need and delete them.

In Windows, just type "Uninstall Programs" in the Start menu search and select "Uninstall programs". You will see all the programs installed in your PC, double-click on the program you want to uninstall.

Furthermore, make sure your "Recycle bin" is empty, as deleted programs still take space as long as they are in the "Recycle bin".

15. Turn off background process

If there are any programs that are working in the background, such as cloud storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, One Drive, etc), updaters, uploaders and monitoring software, etc., turn them off. Background processes eat up your PC’s resources while you are working on an important task, so it is better to turn them off when you don't need them.

16. Upgrade to Latest OS Version

Make sure you have the latest Version of the OS you are using. For example, if you are a Windows user, then make sure you Upgrade to Windows 10 (which is free, actually). New versions of OS are more stable and offer better security, features and performance.

Although, do check the system requirements for a particular OS before upgrading. If your PC can't handle it, it may lead to decrease in performance.

17. Upgrade RAM

All of the running programs in your PC use PC's RAM to run. So, the more programs you want to run, the more RAM you will need. You can increase the RAM by purchasing more RAM and adding it to your PC. However, if you don't know which RAM to get and how to add it, then go to your near computer shop and let them handle it or get advice.

18. Use ReadyBoost

There is also a way to get more RAM using one of your USB flash drives. The free space in a USB flash drive (compatible one) can be turned into RAM for your PC using the "ReadyBoost" feature of USB drives.

Just insert a USB drive with some empty space (at least 256 MB), and go to its properties by right-clicking on it. If the USB is compatible, you will see a "ReadyBoost" tab in properties, navigate to it. Now, select the option "Use this device" and set how much RAM you want to use from the below slider. Your PC will immediately accept it and use all the specified space as PC RAM, leading to big boost in performance.

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19. Use a Bigger hard drive or SSD

If you are low on storage space, then you might see some slow performance. either free up a lot of space by deleting data or buy bigger hard drive and move all the data to it. If you can afford to buy an SSD, then it is a far better option when it comes to speed.

SSDs use chips to store data, not physical parts. This is why they are very fast as compared to standard hard drives. But they are almost double the price of a hard drive, so make your decision accordingly.

20. Reinstall Windows

If you think your PC is just too much bloated and full of bad softwares, then you might like to get rid of everything and start over again. Reinstalling Windows will delete all the data inside it, so make sure you have backup of all your important data before reinstalling.

You can reinstall Windows from the "Backup and Restore" option of Windows. This will factory reset your Windows and make it same as it came when you bought it.

21. Remove Bloatware

Bloatware are built-in programs added by software companies when you buy the PC. They are there to reduce the cost of the machine you are buying by profiting from the software companies.  These softwares just startup with your PC and keep eating up resource in the background and also take up precious space.

However, you are not bound to have them installed in your PC to use Windows. Just uninstall all the bloatware programs using the standard uninstall process, if you don’t need them, of course.

If you will factory reset afterwards, all the bloatware will again get installed. So it is recommended that you create a custom image after deleting all the bloatware.

Conclusion

Most of the above mentioned methods are completely free to use and very effective. However, you are free to checkout paid alternatives as well to gain the best results. You should also know the limits of your PC while following the above tips. If your PC is not powerful enough, it may not be able to handle the tasks you want it to do.

You can checkout your PC specifications by pressing Windows+R keys and typing "Dxdiag" in the "Run" dialog. This will show all your PC hardware and software specifications, keep them in mind while trying to run multiple or resource hungry programs.

Note: Whether you are running Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 or XP, these tips will definitely help you to speed up your slow PC.

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