Paragon ExtBrowser

Working with EXT2FS or Ext3FS partitions in Windows is not possible just by connecting the hard drive to the PC, unless you use a specialized application that can help you in this matter and grant you access to the partition contents inside Windows Explorer. One relevant example is Paragon ExtBrowser, a software utility that is capable of linking your Windows system to a Linux native file system.

After a smooth installation process, Paragon ExtBrowser prompts you to restart the computer and it is recommended that you do so, since the application makes certain changes to the registry in order to allow the access to the Linux partitions.

The functioning principle of this application is rather simple: it creates an unmapped folder on your system that represents a way of access to the ExtFS partitions. It only requires you to connect the hard disk that stores the Linux partitions to the computer via an eSATA or USB-to-SATA cable.

Relying on the Windows Name Space Shell Extension, Paragon ExtBrowser enables you to view and interact with the files and folders stored on the Ext2FS or Ext3FS partitions just by clicking on them with the mouse.

The newly created directory can be used just like any other folder in Windows. You can create it a shortcut on the desktop for quick access and explore its contents using Windows Explorer or any other file manager. Files and folders can be opened, saved, renamed, copied or deleted using the right-click menu, which also offers you options for viewing their properties. Thereby, you can read documents and multimedia files much easier.

Paragon ExtBrowser offers a convenient method to explore Ext2FS or Ext3FS partitions on your Windows computer. And since it does not require you to install any third-party kernel mode drivers to view Linux partitions or set the hard drive to be shared across the network, your system is more stable and secure.