How to linux partition from windows

How to Create EXT2/EXT3 Based Linux Partition from Windows

Two ways are available to help: 1. Format partition to EXT2/EXT3; 2. Create an EXT2/EXT3 Linux partition on Windows disk, USB flash drive, or memory card.

How to Create EXT2/EXT3 Partitions in Windows

Although, Windows has taken over the market of Linux operating system which is fading away from our sight. Still, many people are holding to it due to work or personal interest.

To make the internal hard drive or other external removable drives being recognized by Linux operating system,В or to create a dual boot partition for Linux OS on Windows computer, they have to come with EXT2/EXT3 and Linux Swap file system.

Do you know how to create Linux partitions from Windows operating system? Some experienced Linux developers or professional administrators may tend to boot Windows computers using a Linux based live CD and create partitions from there. However, this is too complex for most average ordinary Windows uses.

In the following, you will uncover a third-party Linux partition manager that can help you generate an EXT2/EXT3 file system partition.

Preparations

Before you start creating the EXT2 or EXT3 partition, here are some preparation tips for you to follow:

#1. Download Linux Partition Manager Software

There’s plenty of free partition software such as Paragon Partition Manager that offers «Format Partition» or «Create Partition» features. However, most of these software don’t support Linux based file systems such as EXT 2, EXT3, etc.

Luckily, powerful partition manager software — EaseUS Partition Master supports all the Linux based file systems (EXT2/EXT3/Swap). It enables you to format hard drive or to create a partition into the former two file systems: EXT2 & EXT3.

#2. Back Up Partition Data

If you tend to format an existing Windows partition to EXT2 or EXT3 Linux partition, remember to create a back up of valuable files saved there to another secure location, such as an external hard drive.

If the data is less than 20GB, copy & paste will be the fastest way to back up them. If your files are more than 30GB or you need to back up the whole partition, professional file backup software can help.

Method 1. Format Partition to EXT2/EXT3 Format

Applies to: Format existing partition to EXT2/EXT3 on Windows 11/10/8/7.

As you can tell that formatting a drive into the file system that Linux requires is much easier than creating one. So, what’s the most recommended EXT2/EXT3 format tool that runs on Windows?

It’s definitely not the Windows Disk Management as it doesn’t support all Linux file system. Follow the guide below, EaseUS Partition Master will format FAT32/NTFS hard drive, USB flash drive & memory card to EXT2/EXT3 with ease:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, right-click the partition you intend to format and choose «Format».

Step 2. In the new window, enter the Partition label, choose the FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4В file system, and set the cluster size according to your needs, then click «OK».

Step 3. Then you will see a warning window, click «OK» in it to continue.

Step 4.В Click the «Execute Operation» button in the top-left corner to review the changes, then click «Apply» to start formatting the partition to FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4.

Method 2. Create EXT2/EXT3 Linux Partitions in Windows

Applies to: Create EXT2/EXT3 based Linux partition from unlimited space on Windows 11/10/8/7.

Another practical way that you can try is to create an EXT2 or EXT3 Linux partition on Windows 11/10/8/7. Also, as Windows Disk Management doesn’t support the Linux file system, you will need professional partition manager software like EaseUS Partition Master for help.

If you have unallocated free space on your computer or external storage device, follow steps below to create a Linux based partition using EaseUS partition manager. Remember to set the file system as EXT2 or EXT3 during the partition creating process:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master. On the main window, right-click on the unallocated space on your hard drive or external storage device and select «Create».

Step 2. Adjust the partition size, file system (Choose the file system based on your need), label, etc. for the new partition and click «OK» to continue.В

Step 3. Click on the «Execute Operation» button and create a new partition by clicking «Apply».

Watch the following video tutotial and learn how to create a partition in NTFS, FAT, or EXT file system.

After creating the Linux EXT2/EXT3 partition on your Windows computer or external hard drive, USB, SD card, you can then use the partition to install Linux OS, Linux based applications, or use the external Linux storage device to save Linux based data, etc.

Further Readings

This page covers two practical ways to help all levels of Windows users to create or format a Linux EXT2/EXT3 partition with free partition manager — EaseUS Partition Master.

Besides creating an EXT partition or formatting an existing partition to the EXT2/EXT3 file system, some people may have further questions about EXT2/EXT3. If you have the same doubts as the listed questions here, follow and check the answers below:

1. How do I format EXT2/EXT3 partition to NTFS?

When you want to remove the EXT2 or EXT3 file system from your partition or storage device, you can try the following two ways to format EXT2/EXT3 partition to NTFS or other file systems:

Way 1. Format EXT2/EXT3 partition in Disk Management:
Open Disk Management > Locate and right-click the RAW partition (Linux based EXT2/EXT3 partition will be recognized as RAW) > Select Format Volume and reset the file system to NTFS or FAT32.

Way 2. Format EXT2/EXT3 partition using EaseUS Partition Master:
Launch EaseUS Partition Master > Right-click the EXT2 or EXT3 partition and select Format > Reset a drive letter, the file system (NTFS or FAT32, etc.) for the partition > Click OK and Execute the Operation.

2. Which is better EXT2 or EXT3?

Some users may don’t know the difference between Ext2 and Ext3 and want to know which is better. Here is a brief comparison between EXT2 & EXT3:

• EXT2: The second extended file system which is introduced in 1993. EXT2 doesn’t have journaling feature and supports 16GB — 2TB individual file size.
• EXT3: The third extended file system that is introduced in 2001. It allows journaling, supporting 16GB — 2TB individual file size.

To sum up, EXT3 is a newer file system than EXT2. It performs better than EXT2 in journaling.

3. How do I partition Linux?

On a Windows computer, both Windows File Explorer and Disk Management cannot recognize a Linux based partition with EXT2 or EXT3 file system. Therefore, you cannot count on a normal way to partition Linux drive on Windows 11/10/8/7.

Fortunately, partition manager software — EaseUS Partition Master can support ext2 and ext3 file systems under Windows Operating System. It can create, format, delete, wipe ext2/ext3 partition and recover lost ext2/ext3 partition. For a detailed guide, refer to Linux Partition Manager for help.

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Access Linux filesystems in Windows and WSL 2

September 10th, 2020

Starting with Windows Insiders preview build 20211, WSL 2 will be offering a new feature: wsl —mount . This new parameter allows a physical disk to be attached and mounted inside WSL 2, which enables you to access filesystems that aren’t natively supported by Windows (such as ext4).

So, if you’re dual booting with Windows & Linux using different disks, you can now access your Linux files from Windows!

Getting started

To mount a disk, open a PowerShell window with administrator privileges and run:

To list the available disks in Windows, run:

To unmount and detach the disk from WSL 2, run

The disks paths are available under the ‘DeviceID’ columns. Usually under the \\.\\\.\PHYSICALDRIVE* format. Below is an example of mounting a specific partition of a given hard disk into WSL and browsing its files.

Accessing these files with File Explorer

Once mounted, it’s also possible to access these disks through the Windows explorer by navigating to \wsl$ and then to the mount folder.

Limitations

By default, wsl —mount attempts to mount the disk as ext4. To specify a filesystem, or for more advanced scenarios, check out Mount a disk in WSL 2.

Also please note that this feature comes with the limitation that only physical disks can be attached to WSL 2. At this time, it’s not possible to attach a single partition. More details on the limitations here.

Give us your feedback!

If you run into any issues, or have feedback for our team please file an issue on our Github , and if you have general questions about WSL you can find all of our team members that are on Twitter on this twitter list.

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How to Access Linux EXT4 Partition and Data on Windows 11/10/8/7 in 2021

On this page, you’ll unveil 6 practical methods to access EXT4 partition from Windows 11/10/8/7 in two parts. Follow to learn how to access and read Linux EXT4 partition data on Windows with ease:

If you are dual-booting Windows and Linux on your laptop or desktop computer, you may probably want to access files on your Linux partition like EXT4 on Windows at some point. Check out how to access and open EXT4 partition files on your Windows PC with ease.

Part 1. Can I Read EXT4 on Windows

«Hi, I recently moved my old Linux computer hard drive to my current Windows 10 laptop. I’m thinking about using the Linux hard drive as a data drive. Does anyone know how to read and access EXT4 partition from Windows 10?»

Are you having a similar issue that you can’t access nor mount a Linux EXT4 partition to Windows 11/10/8/7? To do so, you’ll need first to figure out the following two questions:

1. What is EXT4?

EXT4, known as the fourth extended file system, the successor to EXT3, is one of the most recent file system used by Linux users. It is the default file system for many Linux distributions, including Debian and Ununtu.

2. Can Windows 10 or Windows 8/7 read EXT4?

Although EXT4 is the most common Linux file system, it’s not supported on Windows by default. Therefore, the answer to «can Windows read EXT4» is no. You may easily visit a Windows NTFS partition from Linux. However, Windows cannot read Linux partitions directly.

But it doesn’t mean there is no way to open or access EXT4 from Windows. To do so, you’ll need third-party tools and resolutions for help.

Continue reading andВ follow provided methods in Part 2 and Part 3, you will learn how to access and read Linux EXT4 partition data on Windows.

Part 2. How to access Ext4 from Windows 11/10/8/7

In this part, you will learn:

1. 1. A quick way to view EXT4 partition content;
2. 2. How to access EXT4 partition data and make it accessible by Windows.

To use the Linux hard drive as a data disk on Windows, making EXT4 partition accessible on Windows, you will need first to check if there is important data saved on the drive by using an EXT4 viewer tool.

If you have saved important data, you can apply a reliable EXT4 reader to access and restore data from the partition. Then you can format and convert EXT4 partition to NTFS with a professional EXT4 formatter. No data loss will occur.

Go through the following complete process, and you’ll make EXT4 accessible on Windows 11/10/8/7:

Note that, if you don’t care about the data, jump to EXT4 formatter in #2 for help.

#1. View and Read EXT4 Partition Content

Applies to: View EXT4 partition content and data on Windows

Important Tool: Linux EXT4 partition manager software — EaseUS Partition Master

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Before you start converting or accessing EXT4 partition from Windows, it’s essential to view and check the saved content in the volume. Here, we would like to recommend you try reliable EXT4 partition manager software — EaseUS Partition Master.

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, locate the EXT4 partition.

Step 2. Right-click on the EXT4 partition and select «Properties».

Step 3. Open and expand the folders on the left pane to check the content of EXT4 partition.

If the Linux EXT4 partition contains some valuable files, move to the next phase, and you’ll learn how to access and regain data from a Linux partition on Windows.

#2. Access EXT4 Partition Data from Windows 11/10/8/7

Applies to: Read and access EXT partition data on Windows, making EXT4 partition accessible by formatting EXT4 to NTFS.

Important Tools: 1. EXT4 reader; 2. EXT4 formatter tool.

To avoid unnecessary data loss issue, before converting EXT4 partition, we suggest you apply reliable EXT4 reader to access the saved data in advance. Follow to make EXT4 partition accessible without losing any data:

First. Use EXT4 Reader to Read and Restore EXT4 Partition Data

So how to regain data from the inaccessible EXT4 partition on Windows? You’ll need a reliable EXT4 reader for help. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, as a professional hard drive data recovery software, is capable of helping.

Note that if you lost or deleted data on other types of storage devices, such as EXT2/EXT3 partitions, FAT32 USB drive, or exFAT external hard drive, this software will quickly scan and restore everything you lost immediately.

Here, you can apply this software to scan, preview and restore everything saved in the EXT4 partition in only 3 steps:

Now please watch this video tutorial to see how to recover data with EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard.

• Step 1. Select a location to scan.
• Step 2. Select files to recover.
• Step 3. Recover lost data.

Remember to save the restored EXT4 partition data to another secure location on your Windows hard drive.

Next. Use EXT4 Formatter to Make EXT4 Partition Accessible on Windows

As you’ve known that Windows doesn’t support accessing Linux based file system partitions, which as a result, Windows users can neither view nor make any changes to the EXT4/3/2 partitions on Windows PC.

The easiest way that you can try is to change the file system ofВ Linux partition from EXT4/3/2 to a Windows supported one — NTFS or FAT32, making an EXT4/3/2 partition accessible on Windows. Here, we would like to recommend you try a reliable EXT4 formatter — EaseUS Partition Master for help.

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You can easily convert an EXT4 partition to NTFS in only a few simple clicks by formatting:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, right-click the partition you intend to format and choose «Format».

Step 2. In the new window, enter the Partition label, choose the FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4В file system, and set the cluster size according to your needs, then click «OK».

Step 3. Then you will see a warning window, click «OK» in it to continue.

Step 4.В Click the «Execute Operation» button in the top-left corner to review the changes, then click «Apply» to start formatting the partition to FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4.

You May Also Like:

After formatting the EXT4 partition to a normal file system, you may also like to repartition the volume. Follow to learn how to partition a hard drive on your own.В

Part 3. How to Mount EXT4 on Windows 11/10/8/7

In this part, you will learn: How to mount EXT4 partition on Windows, accessing EXT4 files from Windows using third-party software.

If you intend to keep Linux with Windows on the computer, accessing EXT4 files from Windows, you can try to mount EXT4 partition on Windows 11/10/8/7. But how do I mount a Linux drive in Windows 10?

If you are having the same question on your mind, stay here. In this part, we’ll introduce to you 3 relaible Linux readers, helping you to mount EXT4 on Windows 11/10/8/7:

Pick up one tool and follow the tutorials below to mount EXT4 on your Windows computer now:

#1. Mount EXT4 on Windows using Ext2Fsd

Ext2Fsd is a Windows file system driver, designed for EXT4/3/2 file systems. It enables Windows users to read and access Linux file systems like EXT4 by mounting the EXT4 partition on Windows.

Here are the steps:

Step 1. Install and launch Ext2Fsd driver on your Windows PC.

Step 2. Go to Tools > Service Management > Start Ext2Fsd service before accessing Linux files.

Step 3. Check «Mount all volumes in read-only mode» and «Assign drive letter automatically» boxes, and click «Apply».

After this, you can find your EXT4 partitions with its own drive letters in Windows Explorer. You can even directly access files on the EXT4 partition.

#2. Mount EXT4 Partition on Windows 10 via DiskInternals Linux Reader

DiskInternals Linux Reader supports EXT4, ReFS, HFS and HFS+ file systems. Unlike Ext2Fsd, DiskInternals Linux Reader enables Windows users to visit and browse Linux partitions within this application.

Step 1. Install and launch DiskInternals Linux Reader on Windows PC.

Step 2. Locate the EXT4 partition on this application.

Step 3. Double-click to open EXT4 partition, view, and check the saved data on the partition.

Step 4. To make use of the files on EXT4 partition, select files and click «Save» to store them to another secure location on your Windows PC.

#3. Mount EXT4 on Windows using Ext2explore

Ext2explore is an open-source application that works similarly to DiskInternals Linux Reader. It enables users to access EXT4 partition content only in this application.

Here are the steps that you can apply to access EXT4 from Windows via Ext2explore:

Step 1. Download Ext2explore.ext and run this program on Windows PC.

Step 2. Once launched, right-click on it and select to «Run as administrator».

You can also right-click on ext2explore.exe and select «Properties» > Compatibility > Check «Run this program as an administrator» > «OK».

Step 3. After this, you can then browse the Linux EXT4 partition and its content.

To make use of the files, right-click on files and select «Save» > Navigate another secure location to save the files on Windows computer.

Part 4. Conclusion

On this page, you’ve learnt what is EXT4 is and two different ways to access and open EXT4 partition on Windows.

To make use of Linux EXT4 partition as a data drive on Windows, you’ll need to export and restore EXT4 partitino data first using EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. Then convert the EXT4 partitoin to a Windows recognized file system — NTFS or FAT32 by formatting via EaseUS Partition Master.

To keep Linux and Windows on your computer, and access EXT4 files from Windows, you’ll need to mount the Linux partition on Windows. To do so, you can try the recommended tools for help. For the most direct way, we suggest you try Ext2Fsd.

If you have further questions about EXT4 or Linux file systems, check the FAQs below, you may get the desired answer.

FAQs about EXT4

1. Can Windows read ext4?

Windows Operating Systems don’t support the Linux file system, including EXT4. As a result, Windows cannot directly read or detect an EXT4 partition or device. But if you want to access EXT4 from Windows, try the listed methods on this page. You’ll make it possible.

2. Which is better NTFS or EXT4?

As NTFS and EXT4 are two different file systems designed for two operating systems, to test the performance, you’ll need to do it in the native OS.

As tested, NTFS is much faster than EXT4 in Windows. Also, if it’s in Linux, EXT4 is faster than NTFS.

3. Can Windows write to EXT4?

As a matter of fact, if you are running Windows and Linux on the same PC, it’s impossible to access EXT4 under Windows, which as a result, you can’t do anything to an EXT4 partition or storage device.

In a word, Windows cannot write to EXT4. If you really need to write things on EXT4 on Windows OS, you’ll need to convert EXT4 to an NTFS or FAT32 file system based device first. You can run EaseUS Partition Master with its Format feature for help, as shown on this page in Part 2.

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4. How do I open a Linux drive in Windows?

Being similar to the ways shown on this page, to open a Linux drive in Windows, you can either try to change its file system to NTFS/FAT32 or mount the Linux drive to Windows.

If you prefer to change the Linux drive file system so as to make it readable and writable, format it into NTFS or FAT32 with solutions in Part 2 on this page.

If you only want to visit or access files saved on the Linux drive from Windows, mount it on Windows using applications recommended in Part 3.

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