ReactOS Adds NTFS Partition Install Support in Latest Build

ReactOS integrated an updated NTFS driver that supports formatting and installation on the filesystem used by Windows NT 3.1 through current releases. The change was merged after testing on the project's continuous integration builds. Prior installations required a separate FAT32 boot partition, which limited compatibility testing against Windows Server 2003 binary targets.

Phoronix benchmarks and ReactOS commit logs show the driver lacks write caching, journaling, and ACL enforcement. Installation succeeds on clean partitions but exhibits reduced throughput and no recovery from unexpected power loss. These gaps match the documented limitations in the project's October 2026 status report.

The milestone aligns with ReactOS's incremental approach to reproducing the NT kernel and Win32 subsystem. Earlier milestones included partial USB 3.0 support and NDIS 6.x networking. NTFS write capability removes a practical barrier for dual-boot and migration testing.

Next steps require completion of caching and security descriptors before the project can advance the version string beyond 0.4.x toward a declared beta. No timeline was stated in the commit or announcement.