ReactOS can now install directly on NTFS partitions, despite alpha status

ReactOS, an open-source operating system aiming for compatibility with Windows Server 2003, can now be installed directly on an NTFS partition. This removes a longstanding limitation that required users to install it on FAT32, bringing the project closer to reproducing the Windows environment, though it remains far from a ready replacement for Windows.

The new driver follows read-only NTFS support added in 2016 and bootloader support introduced in 2022. It still lacks caching, journaling and security support, which can affect performance and reliability, and the developers warn that undiscovered bugs may remain. ReactOS is still in alpha after decades of volunteer-led development.