Open-source Windows alternative ReactOS has reached a major milestone: users can now install the operating system directly onto an NTFS drive partition. According to a report from Phoronix, adding NTFS support clears a longstanding hurdle for the project and brings ReactOS one step closer to reaching beta status.

ReactOS Previously Required a FAT32 Partition

Before this update, ReactOS required users to maintain a FAT32 partition for installation. NTFS is a proprietary file system developed by Microsoft that traces its roots to the Windows NT family, beginning with Windows NT 3.1 in 1993. It was also introduced in Windows XP in 2001 and remains the standard file system used by most Windows systems today.

Because ReactOS aims to achieve binary compatibility with Windows Server 2003, requiring a FAT32 partition was a practical limitation for a project focused on recreating the Windows environment.

NTFS Support Still Has Important Limitations

Users hoping to leave Windows behind should still proceed with caution. ReactOS says its new NTFS driver currently lacks caching, which causes performance degradation, as well as journaling and security support.

In a presentation shared on X, the ReactOS team also warned that the driver may contain “possibly undiscovered bugs.” Until further driver improvements arrive, NTFS installation support should be viewed as an important development milestone rather than a sign that ReactOS is ready for everyday use.