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Set up NoviFS.

Five short steps, about a minute in total. NoviFS walks you through them too, so you can also just open it and follow along.

1. Install NoviFS

  1. Open the NoviFS .dmg you downloaded.
  2. Drag NoviFS into the Applications folder.
  3. Open NoviFS from Applications. (Don’t run it from the .dmg or from Downloads.)

2. Switch on NoviFS File System (once per Mac)

macOS asks you to allow new file systems once. NoviFS shows you where; here are the exact steps.

  1. On NoviFS’s Permission step, click Open System Settings →. (Or open Apple menu ▸ System Settings ▸ General ▸ Login Items & Extensions.)
  2. Turn on NoviFS File System. If you don’t see it, click ⓘ next to File System Extensions.
  3. Go back to NoviFS. It notices by itself and shows Switched on. Nice. with an ACTIVE stamp.

You can check this later in NoviFS ▸ Settings (⌘ ,) ▸ System.

Switch snaps back off?

Use the “By Category” view.

On some Macs this works straight away. On others, macOS has a bug in the By App view (it affects other file-system apps too). The By Category view works:

  1. In Login Items & Extensions, scroll down to Extensions.
  2. Click the menu that says By App and choose By Category.
  3. Click ⓘ next to File System Extensions.
  4. Turn on NoviFS File System, then click Done.
  5. Go back to NoviFS. It shows Switched on. Nice. by itself.

3. Allow the background helper (macOS 15 only)

  1. In NoviFS, click Allow Helper →.
  2. In System Settings ▸ General ▸ Login Items & Extensions, under Allow in the Background, turn on NoviFS.
  3. Confirm with Touch ID or your password, then go back to NoviFS.

On macOS 26 and later this step doesn’t appear; it isn’t needed.

4. Activate your license

Paste the license key from your purchase (NOVI-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX) into the boxes. Pasting the whole key fills all four. Click Activate. Without a license, NTFS drives stay read-only. You can also activate later in NoviFS ▸ Settings ▸ License. Lost your key? It’s in My Account.

5. Plug in your NTFS drive

Within a few seconds NoviFS shows the drive with the big switch on WRITE. Use it in Finder as usual. Before unplugging, eject it (in Finder, or with Eject in NoviFS) so every write is finished.

Moving NoviFS to a new Mac

A license works on as many Macs at once as your plan includes.

  • You still have the old Mac: on the old Mac, open NoviFS ▸ Settings ▸ License ▸ Move to Another Mac…. Then activate on the new Mac with the same key.
  • The old Mac is broken or lost: sign in to My Account and click Remove next to the old Mac. Then activate on the new Mac. Stuck? Email us and we’ll free it for you.

Troubleshooting

ProblemFix
The NoviFS File System switch won't stay on (it snaps back off, or tapping does nothing)Change the Extensions view from By App to By Category, click ⓘ next to File System Extensions, and turn it on there. See how.
NoviFS File System isn't listed in System SettingsMake sure NoviFS is in the Applications folder and you opened it from there. Wait a few seconds, then quit and reopen System Settings.
System Settings shows two NoviFS entriesThere’s more than one copy of NoviFS on your Mac. Delete every copy except the one in Applications (check Downloads), empty the Trash, and restart the Mac.
A drive shows Read-onlyCheck, in order: your license is activated; NoviFS File System is on (step 2); on macOS 15, the helper is allowed (step 3). Then unplug the drive and plug it in again.
Activation says the key is already in use on another MacFree the old Mac first. See Moving to a new Mac.
NoviFS says the drive is busy when ejectingClose any apps or Finder windows using the drive and try again, or choose Force.
After updating NoviFS, drives are read-only againCheck that NoviFS File System is still on (step 2).

Still stuck?

Email info@novifs.com with your macOS version (Apple menu ▸ About This Mac) and what you see. A screenshot helps. We usually reply within a day.