5 Tools to Access Linux Files on Windows

Windows shows your Linux partition in Disk Management but refuses to open it. Linux distros read NTFS drives out of the box, yet Microsoft ships no driver for the ext4, ext3, or ext2 file systems, so a dual-boot machine leaves every Linux file unreachable until you reboot.

Each option below solves a different part of that problem. If you only need to copy a few documents off an ext4 partition, start with DiskInternals Linux Reader. For full read-write access, or if you already run WSL, jump to the WSL 2 section.

Tools to Access Linux Files on Windows at a Glance

1. DiskInternals Linux Reader

DiskInternals Linux Reader is free for non-commercial use at version 5.2, and it reads ext4, ext3, ext2, ReiserFS, HFS and HFS+, APFS, UFS, XFS, and ZFS partitions. It works on Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11, and access stays strictly read-only, which protects the original files from accidental writes. It also bypasses Linux file permissions, so you can reach root-owned files that would normally be locked down.

Instead of assigning a drive letter, Linux Reader lists your disks and partitions inside its own window. You browse the file tree, preview a file, right-click, and save whatever you need to a Windows folder. If you later want write access, SSH-based remote browsing, or FTP export, those features live in Linux Reader Pro, which starts at $29.95.

2. Mount the Disk with WSL 2

If you already run the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), you do not need third-party software at all. The built-in wsl –mount command attaches a physical disk to your WSL 2 environment, where the Linux kernel mounts ext4 natively with full read-write support. Microsoft documents this feature for Windows 11 and for the Store version of WSL.

wsl --mount <DiskPath>

Attach the disk from an administrator PowerShell window, because mounting needs elevated privileges. List your drives first to find the disk path:

wmic diskdrive list brief

The mounted filesystem appears under /mnt/wsl inside your WSL distribution. Windows exposes it through the \\wsl$ network path in File Explorer, so you can drag files straight into any Windows folder. When you finish, detach the disk cleanly so Linux flushes any pending writes:

wsl --unmount <DiskPath>

One limit matters: you cannot mount the disk Windows is booted from, so this suits secondary Linux drives and external disks rather than a same-disk dual boot. If you have never installed WSL, our guide to installing Debian on Windows with WSL 2 walks through the setup.

3. Linux File Systems by Paragon Software

Linux File Systems by Paragon Software is the paid option for people who want an ext4 partition to behave like a normal Windows drive. It mounts Ext2, Ext3, and Ext4 volumes with full read-write access in File Explorer, and it also opens Btrfs and XFS volumes read-only. Volumes mount automatically at startup, and it deliberately skips Linux swap partitions.

The license costs around $20 for home use after a 10-day trial, so it makes sense when you work with Linux-formatted external drives regularly. For occasional one-off copies, the free Linux Reader above does the same reading job at zero cost.

4. Ext2Fsd

Ext2Fsd is an open-source driver that gives Windows direct access to Ext4, Ext3, and Ext2 volumes, including write support you enable during setup. Once running, it assigns drive letters to your Linux partitions so any Windows application can open the files directly. You control it through the bundled Ext2 Volume Manager, where Tools > Service Management starts the service manually or sets it to launch at boot.

Honest caveat: the last release, version 0.69, dates from 2017, and the project no longer receives updates. It still installs on current Windows builds, but treat write access carefully and keep backups, because an unpatched filesystem driver is exactly the kind of software you want to use with recent copies of anything important.

5. Explore2fs

Explore2fs is a lightweight explorer for Ext2 and Ext3 partitions that runs on essentially every Windows version, including very old ones. It handles floppy disks, CD-ROM drives, and Jaz disks, and it exports files as binary, text, or whole directories. Nobody should pick it for a modern ext4 drive, but for rescuing files from an aging machine that cannot run newer software, it remains a working tool.

If your older machine runs Btrfs instead of ext-family filesystems, we have a separate guide on using WinBtrfs to access Btrfs partitions from Windows.

Which One Should You Use?

For most dual-boot users, DiskInternals Linux Reader answers the actual question: how do I get my files onto the Windows side safely. Choose WSL 2 when you already live in a Linux-on-Windows workflow and want whole-disk read-write mounting without installing anything extra. Pay for Paragon only when frequent read-write access to ext4 drives justifies the license, and keep Ext2Fsd and Explore2fs in reserve for specific compatibility situations.

Whichever tool you pick, avoid writing to a journaled Linux filesystem from a read-write Windows driver while the Linux side is hibernated rather than shut down, because a stale journal can corrupt the partition for both operating systems. A proper shutdown before mounting removes that risk entirely.

FAQs

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about opening Linux partitions from Windows.

Conclusion

Windows cannot read ext4 on its own, but the right tool closes that distance quickly. Start with Linux Reader for safe copies, use WSL 2 for full mounting, and reserve the older drivers for hardware that demands them.