Master File Table (MFT)??

[Dij]

Hi,

After perfoming the De-fragmentation in my local disk C:\
i viewed the report and curious: what is Master File Table (MFT)?
what does : **total MFT size=82Mb and percentage in use is 86%? **
OS Win XP SP2 C:\ 20 gigs, used 8 gigs.

TIA
Dij

 

[Tom Porterfield]

Hi,

After perfoming the De-fragmentation in my local disk C:\
i viewed the report and curious: what is Master File Table (MFT)?
what does : **total MFT size=82Mb and percentage in use is 86%? **
OS Win XP SP2 C:\ 20 gigs, used 8 gigs.

The MFT (Master File Table) is a relational database that consists of
rows of file records and columns of file attributes. It contains at
least one entry for every file on an NTFS volume, including itself.
These file and folder records are 1 KB each. Besides file attributes,
each file record contains information about the position of the file
record in the MFT.

Typically, each file uses one file record. However, if a file has a
large number of attributes or becomes highly fragmented, it might need
more than one file record. If this is the case, the first record for
the file, the base file record, stores the location of the other file
records required by the file.

Folder records contain index information. Small folder records reside
entirely within the MFT structure, while large folders are organized
into B-tree structures and have records with pointers to external
clusters that contain folder entries that cannot be contained within the
MFT structure.

To prevent the MFT from becoming fragmented, NTFS reserves 12.5 percent
of volume by default for exclusive use of the MFT. This space, known as
the MFT zone, is not used to store data unless the remainder of the
volume becomes full.

More info available in the following articles:

Master File Table and Metadata Files
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_rpjv.asp

MFT Zone
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_xhpo.asp
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP MCE
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

NTFS Master File Table (MFT)
http://www.ntfs.com/ntfs-mft.htm

PerfectDisk defragments the entire disk, including Master File Table (MFT)
and all related NTFS metadata, paging files, hibernate files and directories.
This gives users total enterprise-wide defragmentation of all files on
Windows 2003/2000 and XP systems. Being able to defragment the MFT
is important because it is the first place a request searches to find a file.

Ref: http://www.raxco.com/products/perfectdisk2k/perfectdisk2k_features.cfm

PerfectDisk Web Fragmentation Analyzer
http://www.raxco.com/analyze/

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

----------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| Hi,
|
| After perfoming the De-fragmentation in my local disk C:\
| i viewed the report and curious: what is Master File Table (MFT)?
| what does : **total MFT size=82Mb and percentage in use is 86%? **
| OS Win XP SP2 C:\ 20 gigs, used 8 gigs.
|
| TIA
| Dij

 

[Dij]

Dij the satisfied and well informed wrote:

Thank you Tom and thank you Carey.

 

[Alex Nichol]

After perfoming the De-fragmentation in my local disk C:\
i viewed the report and curious: what is Master File Table (MFT)?
what does : **total MFT size=82Mb and percentage in use is 86%? **
OS Win XP SP2 C:\ 20 gigs, used 8 gigs.

The NTFS file system is built round this table, which has a block in it
for every file, holding much more info about it than the simple
directory entry can. Indeed for really small files, the data of the
file itself can be fitted in. For efficient access there needs to be a
certain amount of headroom; at the same time it will not be made bigger
than needed and will expand as necessary (into 'MFT area' which is kept
as unused until things really fill up)