Why can’t Windows read EXT4?
EXT4 is a Linux-based file system that is not natively supported by either Windows or Mac. This incompatibility is caused by a variety of factors, including:
Difference in link functionality: File systems contain two types of links – Hard Links and Symbolic or “Soft” Links. Essentially, hard links connect file names with the actual data on the storage device, while soft links connect file names with other file names. Both types of links work fundamentally differently on Windows and Linux.
Access Control List: This is a set of rules that controls user access to specific objects or resources. Linux handles ACLs differently than Windows, opting for more flexibility in exchange for stability. To be more specific, NTFS file systems utilize NT ACLs, while EXT4 adopts an older UNIX model that’s known for classifying permissions as “owner”, “group”, and “other” in that order.