Solution for Netgear's 3TB external Hard Drive issue

[anakin1138]

First, a FYI to those who aren't aware. The Netgear ntv550 does NOT support external hard drives over 2TB. The following are 2 solutions to make these drives readable on the ntv550.

Solution 1: Format your drive under the HFS+ format (this is Apple's file system format) and use MacDrive to read/write from windows.

Solution 2: Format your drive under the EXT3 format (this is Linux's file system format) and use EXT2FSD to read/write from windows. You can find it at ext2fsd.com Once installed, run the service in Tools/Service Management by clicking the Start button. Also, on the same page, select "Enable writing support for ext3 volume". Make sure the "Mount all volumes in read-only mode" is unchecked.

I have implemented solution #2 with a recently purchased WD My Book Essential 3TB drive and I can confirm it works flawlessly. You can read and write onto the drive no problem with Windows Explorer.

After searching for awhile, I've never found a post for anyone actually attempting solution #2. So I decided to try it myself. Hope this helps someone.