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Should I use DiskInternals NTFS Reader?

Not disclosed - diskinternals-ntfs-reader.en.softonic.com

Skip. Free legacy tool that gives Windows 95/98/Me read access to NTFS drives — worth grabbing only if you still run one of those. Everyone else should skip it: modern Windows and Linux read NTFS natively.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 14 public sources; mostly download-portal listings plus vendor pages. No independent user reviews found.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo evidence on support found
  • Security posture

Pricing

Free

NTFS Reader

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Windows 95/98/Me machines that must read NTFS drives
  • ReactOS and retro-computing hobbyists
  • Copying files off NTFS disks from legacy PCs

Not for

  • Anyone on Windows 2000 or newer — NTFS is built in
  • Linux or Mac users — ntfs-3g and native support are better
  • Serious data recovery jobs — read-only, no repair
  • Businesses — hobbyist legacy utility, not professional software

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Totally unnecessary unless you run pre-2000 Windows; your current OS reads NTFS already

medium

Guess: vendor's free tools funnel users toward its paid DiskInternals recovery products

low

Softonic shows no security page for this download

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Completely free; no license or payment
  • Never writes to NTFS volumes, protecting damaged data
  • Tiny download, under 1 MB
  • Only route to NTFS read access on Windows 95/98/Me
  • Listed as compatible with ReactOS

Cons

  • Targets Windows 95/98/Me only; useless on modern Windows
  • Read-only — cannot repair or write NTFS volumes
  • Stale: version 2.1 unchanged since at least 2018
  • Vendor's headline product is paid NTFS Recovery, not this reader
  • No meaningful user reviews or ratings found in any source

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/20/2026 - 8 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x2review x4news x2

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 8

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free forever; no paid tier
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Vendor claims easy-to-use; no independent reviews
  • Feature depth: 2/5. Read-only access; no write or repair
  • Support quality. No evidence on support found
  • Security posture: 4/5. Read-only design; no known vulnerabilities
  • Free Price Freeware per vendor site
  • 2.1 Latest version Softpedia listing, 2018
  • ~0.7 MB Download size Puppy Linux forum
  • Win 95/98/Me Supported OS Legacy NTFS read access

Pricing

NTFS Reader

Free

  • Read-only access to NTFS volumes
  • Runs on Windows 95/98/Me

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

No substantive user reviews surfaced; sources are download-portal listings and legacy-OS community mentions.

Full analysis

Based on 14 public sources; mostly download-portal listings plus vendor pages. No independent user reviews found.

Free legacy tool for reading NTFS on Windows 95/98/Me; skip it — modern Windows and Linux already read NTFS.

Methodology

Based on 14 public sources; mostly download-portal listings plus vendor pages. No independent user reviews found.

Sources

  1. NTFS Reader for Windows 95, 98, Mediskinternals.com
    official
  2. DiskInternals NTFS Reader featuresdiskinternals.com
    official
  3. DiskInternals NTFS Reader - Softonicdiskinternals-ntfs-reader.en.softonic.com
    review
  4. DiskInternals NTFS Reader - CNET Downloaddownload.cnet.com
    review
  5. DiskInternals NTFS Reader 2.1 - Softpediasoftpedia.com
    review
  6. Look inside Linux partitions from Windows - Puppy Linux forumoldforum.puppylinux.com
    news
  7. DiskInternals NTFS Recovery - PCMag UKuk.pcmag.com
    review
  8. ReactOS compatible applications listfacebook.com
    news

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