[Bug 57543] New: Give a fatal error when installing files on a EXFAT or NTFS filesystem

[WineHQ Bugzilla]

https://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=57543

Bug ID: 57543
           Summary: Give a fatal error when installing files on a EXFAT or
                    NTFS filesystem
           Product: Wine
           Version: unspecified
          Hardware: x86-64
                OS: Linux
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: -unknown
          Assignee: [e-mail]
          Reporter: [e-mail]
      Distribution: ---

Hello Wine,

Please give a fatal error when installing files or Windows programs on an EXFAT
or NTFS filesystem.

EXFAT and NTFS do not support the colon character in filenames and do not
support symbolic links.

I spent 2 days trying to install world of warcraft on Linux on an EXFAT
formatted drive.

It failed while mentioning that the AppData environment variable was empty.

Luckily, while investigating this AppData error message, a note on the
filesystem format came to my attention. The requirement for Windows
applications to be installed on EXT4 filesystems.

Now World of Warcraft executes properly <3! I can migrate from Windows 10 to
Linux.

Thank you for providing Wine for Linux!

Marcel

[Bug 57543] Give a fatal error when installing files on an EXFAT or NTFS filesystem

[WineHQ Bugzilla]

https://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=57543

Marcel  changed:

What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Summary|Give a fatal error when     |Give a fatal error when
                   |installing files on a EXFAT |installing files on an
                   |or NTFS filesystem          |EXFAT or NTFS filesystem

[Bug 57543] Give a fatal error when installing files on an EXFAT or NTFS filesystem

[WineHQ Bugzilla]

https://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=57543

F H  changed:

What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 CC|                            |francisco278herrera@gmail.c
                   |                            |om

--- Comment #1 from F H  ---
 Installing files is just like copying files, so maybe it could throw a fatal
error if symlinks or colons are attempted to be used in one of those
filesystems

[Bug 57543] Give a fatal error when installing files on an EXFAT or NTFS filesystem

[WineHQ Bugzilla]

https://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=57543

Austin English  changed:

What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 CC|                            |[e-mail]

[Bug 57543] Give a fatal error when installing files on an EXFAT or NTFS filesystem

[WineHQ Bugzilla]

https://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=57543

Damjan Jovanovic  changed:

What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Ever confirmed|0                           |1
             Status|UNCONFIRMED                 |NEW
                 CC|                            |[e-mail]

--- Comment #2 from Damjan Jovanovic  ---
Yes, the WINEPREFIX must be on a *nix filesystem, NTFS or FAT cannot be used.

In bug 56267 another user had the same problem.

This is an important usability issue, we should have better error reporting.

[Bug 57543] Give a fatal error when installing files on an EXFAT or NTFS filesystem

[WineHQ Bugzilla]

https://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=57543

--- Comment #3 from Marcel  ---
Urgence of this feature request

October 2025 Windows 10 support is ended by Microsoft.

Personally by then I move all my remaining machines to Linux and start using
Wine more.

I expect more people will move to Linux starting October 2025.

They will often want to run a Windows binary for games and rare apps they
already have installed on an NTFS disk.

So a proper error message that NTFS execution is not supported seems helpful
for those people migrating to Linux from Windows 10.

I recommend adding this fatal error message when either running or installing a
game or app on an EXFAT os NTFS file system before October 2025.