Interference with ext2fsd

[PRN183]

(Just to be sure, I suppose ext2fsd (https://sf.net/projects/ext2fsd/) is known here as a Windows driver for ext2/ext3/ext4 volumes.)

If ext2fsd's Volume manager is active, winbtrfs (1.7.9) isn't able to use or assign drive letters "higher" (say, N) than the lowest one used by ext2fsd (say, K). If one assigns a drive letter for an ext partition using ext2fsd that is lower (say, H) than one previously assigned with winbtrfs for a btrfs partiton (say, R), the latter is effectively "shielded". One can't assign drive letters to it anymore and in windows's diskmgmt.msc most options for the btrfs partition are greyed-out. The solution is to change ext2fsd's and winbtrfs' drive letters so that all ext2fsd drive letters alphabetically follow all btrfs drive letters.
Also, when ext2fsd's Volume manger is active (i.e., it has assigned a drive letter to some ext partition), trying to assign a drive letter with winbtrfs by RMB on a file name and clicking Properties | btrfs tab, a popup shows up telling me "The parameter is incorrect". Clicking it away allows me to assign a drive letter anyway, the popup is merely a slight annoyance.

I suppose this obviously follows from some interference between these two linux file system drivers, I'll neither blame ext2fsd nor winbtrfs; this issue is primarily meant as a heads up for other users hitting this issue in some form.

AFAIK extfsd isn't fully supported these days and works only (but quite well) for 32-bit ext3 and (maybe) ext4 partitions. There are one or two forks a.o. meant for 64-bit ext4 but in my experience v. 0.69-1039-02.22 is still the most reliable one.

Anyway, thanks for winbtrfs. Works flawlessly and fast (-enough for me) and the on-line docs are terse but very complete. Nice!

[maharmstone]

That's odd. It's been a long time since I looked at ext2fsd, but IIRC it doesn't handle drive letters correctly - it relies on a hack rather than letting Windows take care of it itself, as my driver does. So I'm fairly sure the problem will be with ext2fsd - not that helps you all that much if it's abandonware nowadays.

[PRN183]

the problem will be with ext2fsd

Could be, I find winbtrfs more "smooth" and better integrated with Windows' own stuff, as you say.
I'm unsure if ex2fsd is completely abandoned (yet) - I also tried an ext4fsd fork but that didn't work well. A sad state as there are just a few working ext drivers for Windows and, once you get it working, ext2fsd is one of the easiest and unobtrusive ones to use.

not that helps you all that much

For me it's just a minor nuissance, easily dealt with with a little thinking over in advance w.r.t. drive letter planning.
Again, my post isn't so much meant a complaint but rather to aid others in the same situation.

[necrose99]

Ext4fs drives are unsigned , thus the ext2fsd/) fails
However https://github.com/bobranten/Ext4Fsd fork has ben marginally updated vs-community 2019
you can sign the drivers with local admin key and ddk , it's a pain...
[ but each nt/win user gets a local system key on act creation anyways... ]

likewise Drive L = Linux root btrfs , perm via gui would be a plus.. even a fork of the gui for winbtrfs/WinMD etc ...
or via pull requested ..

or a script to set the drive letter etc... in readme....md etc..

[PRN183]

Thanks for the comments.

In my experience ext4fsd didn't work so well, but I probably didn't explore all its options and features.
I've made my Linux /home partition effectively ext3 (I don't need the extra ext4 features) and ext2fsd works fairly well there. After each reboot I'd have to start ext2fsd File Manager first to get the ext3 drive letters, no matter what mount options I tried, but I don't need direct access that often anyway. The files I need to share between Linux and Windows on a daily basis are all on a btrfs partition.

As to winbtrfs permissions, ISTR someone, somewhere has amended it to make it possible to mount btrfs partitions read-only. I'd also like such an option - after all, one can set such options on the Linux side as well, e.g., in fstab.

[maharmstone]

Closing old issues