What are Master File Table Records?????

[Lael 7621]

I have been preparing to ditch XP in favour of a FAT32 based OS.

I began by using the FREEWARE based ERASER, latest edition to overwrite unused
disk space.

Eraser found a stack of these "Master File Table Records" and took an hour and
a half to erase on excess of 130,000 of these...

What is the purpose of these??

Is this where Micro$oft keeps track of everything that goes on with my
computer??

Do these "Features" of XP so clutter up the Hard Drive that we have to
reinstall XP once a year???

BTW, none of the FAT32 based OS's return similar "Master File Table Records".

For the record, I have acquired two Apples in the last six months, but they
cannot handle the ".MHT" Archive file extension, so I will have to keep a hand
in the Wintel platform at least a little while longer.

If someone could answer the question, I would appreciate it!.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Windows XP Professional provides improved file system performance and features
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_ziqb.asp

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

NTFS System Files
http://www.ntfs.com/ntfs-system-files.htm

What is the MFT (Master File Table) and how can I manage it?
http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBA/tip0400/rh0487.htm

Please read the following:

Benchmarking on Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/sysperf/benchmark.mspx

NTFS Preinstallation and Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/winpreinst/ntfs-preinstall.mspx

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

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

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

:

| I have been preparing to ditch XP in favour of a FAT32 based OS.
|
| I began by using the FREEWARE based ERASER, latest edition to overwrite unused
| disk space.
|
| Eraser found a stack of these "Master File Table Records" and took an hour and
| a half to erase on excess of 130,000 of these...
|
| What is the purpose of these??
|
| Is this where Micro$oft keeps track of everything that goes on with my
| computer??
|
| Do these "Features" of XP so clutter up the Hard Drive that we have to
| reinstall XP once a year???
|
| BTW, none of the FAT32 based OS's return similar "Master File Table Records".
|
| For the record, I have acquired two Apples in the last six months, but they
| cannot handle the ".MHT" Archive file extension, so I will have to keep a hand
| in the Wintel platform at least a little while longer.
|
| If someone could answer the question, I would appreciate it!.

 

[Dave Patrick]

These may help. MFT is a component of NTFS file system. Windows XP *can* be
installed to a fat32 file system however NTFS is the native file system of
Windows XP.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q174619
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/fileio/base/master_file_table.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/.../proddocs/en-us/defrag_faq_move_beginning.asp

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
|I have been preparing to ditch XP in favour of a FAT32 based OS.
|
| I began by using the FREEWARE based ERASER, latest edition to overwrite
unused
| disk space.
|
| Eraser found a stack of these "Master File Table Records" and took an hour
and
| a half to erase on excess of 130,000 of these...
|
| What is the purpose of these??
|
| Is this where Micro$oft keeps track of everything that goes on with my
| computer??
|
| Do these "Features" of XP so clutter up the Hard Drive that we have to
| reinstall XP once a year???
|
| BTW, none of the FAT32 based OS's return similar "Master File Table
Records".
|
| For the record, I have acquired two Apples in the last six months, but
they
| cannot handle the ".MHT" Archive file extension, so I will have to keep a
hand
| in the Wintel platform at least a little while longer.
|
| If someone could answer the question, I would appreciate it!.

 

[Tom]

I have been preparing to ditch XP in favour of a FAT32 based OS.

I began by using the FREEWARE based ERASER, latest edition to overwrite
unused
disk space.

Eraser found a stack of these "Master File Table Records" and took an hour
and
a half to erase on excess of 130,000 of these...

What is the purpose of these??

Is this where Micro$oft keeps track of everything that goes on with my
computer??

Do these "Features" of XP so clutter up the Hard Drive that we have to
reinstall XP once a year???

BTW, none of the FAT32 based OS's return similar "Master File Table
Records".

For the record, I have acquired two Apples in the last six months, but
they
cannot handle the ".MHT" Archive file extension, so I will have to keep a
hand
in the Wintel platform at least a little while longer.

If someone could answer the question, I would appreciate it!.

Read here to understand a bit more:

http://www.ntfs.com/ntfs-mft.htm

 

[Plato]

I have been preparing to ditch XP in favour of a FAT32 based OS.

Try XP. It will run happily on a FAT32 drive.

 

[SlowJet]

Happily? Like a kid on a go cart going down the hi-way.

No DOS, No Fdisk, No Fat


SJ

 

[Michael Stevens]

I have been preparing to ditch XP in favour of a FAT32 based OS.

I began by using the FREEWARE based ERASER, latest edition to
overwrite unused disk space.

Eraser found a stack of these "Master File Table Records" and took an
hour and a half to erase on excess of 130,000 of these...

What is the purpose of these??

Is this where Micro$oft keeps track of everything that goes on with my
computer??

Do these "Features" of XP so clutter up the Hard Drive that we have to
reinstall XP once a year???

BTW, none of the FAT32 based OS's return similar "Master File Table
Records".

For the record, I have acquired two Apples in the last six months,
but they cannot handle the ".MHT" Archive file extension, so I will
have to keep a hand in the Wintel platform at least a little while
longer.

If someone could answer the question, I would appreciate it!.

LOL Good Luck
--
Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm

 

[Wayne McGlinn]

Runs fine, not as well as NTFS, good for smaller partitions where you don't
need security, efs or compression. Yes, there is *a* dos (disk operating
system) prompt, you have diskpart in place of fdisk and you can format a 2Gb
partition as FAT16 if you really need to (as in, dual or triple booting for
older applications)

--
Wayne McGlinn
Brisbane, Oz

"Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a
system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from
the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony" - Dennis

 

[SlowJet]

So, your preception of security is mixed up with permissions, and
reliabilty. Everyone, full control on NTFS, but at least it will have a
gazillion times more entegrity after errors, crashes, and power failures.

Just because you can live in a cave and eat grubs doesn't mean your healthy.


SJ

 

[Wayne McGlinn]

No, my perception of security settings and NTFS permissions is fine. I also
don't question the fact that XP on NTFS will recover better from errors and
abnormal ending of programs/applications. What I do question is your error
in thinking that XP wont run on FAT, it will. Also, while there is no
fdisk.exe there is diskpart.exe which does the same job. There is also a
cmd.exe which opens a command prompt to be able to access a disk operating
system and the non-gui utilities.

 

[JerryMouse]

Do these "Features" of XP so clutter up the Hard Drive that we have to
reinstall XP once a year???

So what? BestBuy is selling 120Gigabyte, 7200rpm drives for $49.95 (after
$50 rebate).

For the record, I have acquired two Apples in the last six months,
but they cannot handle the ".MHT" Archive file extension, so I will
have to keep a hand in the Wintel platform at least a little while
longer.

Have you yet knitted sweaters for your Macs? Do you take them on walks? Some
people have birthday parties for the Macs; do you?

 

[SlowJet]

Yes!
I knew that xp will run on FAT32, and I did not know that diskpart would
create a FAT16 partition of not only 2GB but 4GB.
But you can't create a FAT16 patition from the xp install CD, soooooo maybe
the world is trying to tell ya'll something.

Furtharrrrrmore, like who cares and why would you want run xp on FAT16 in
2004 vs. 1999. There's noooo benefit to 99.999999% of all the computer users
in the world. Twititle dee and twittle away all you like, but please don't
say that it is a good practice, makes sense, or applies to any of the
700,000,000 computer users other than a few hundred thousnad computer nerds.


No DOS, No Fdisk, No FAT12, NO FAT16, No FAT32.
NO Multy boot botloader mubble jubble.

XP SP2 on NTFS with password protested Accounts.
It's the 00's, man.

SJ

 

[Wayne McGlinn]

I've never said, and never will say it is a good practice, don't put words
into my mouth. I know of organisations that *need* dual-booting between
MS-DOS and Windows XP, in one case: an application for checking tracks
(railway) that only runs under MS-DOS, so the laptops dual-boot to either
MS-DOS or Windows XP. Another case: an application that monitors and runs a
heart monitor (health organisation), again, only runs under MS-DOS,
therefore needs a dual-boot. Dual booting does make sense in some cases, the
way you come across in this thread is as an ill-informed fool.

 

[SlowJet]

No!
I'm a very well formed fool.

I couldn't care less about an Ill managed company that's to stupid or cheap
to upgade there critical applications. Let them go out of business, who
cares.

I'm speaking for the majority of end users at Home or in a SOHO that may not
know about the In and Out of file systems or secuitry but come here and see
geeks speaking shit about shit from 2 decades of meaningless out dated
unsafe, unstable computer crap.

If they could code their own, many of them would, and leave you nerds in the
caves tinkering with your tots.

SJ

 

[Plato]

Happily? Like a kid on a go cart going down the hi-way.

Road surfing is WAY more fun.

Tools needed:

1 beatup pickup truck
4 men, 1 driver, 1 surfer, 2 in the back to toss empty beer cans at the
surfer
1 gravel road
2 cases of cheap beer, preferrably PBR
1 50 foot lenth of rope
1 board

For added fun a bag of M-80s

 

[Alex Nichol]

I began by using the FREEWARE based ERASER, latest edition to overwrite unused
disk space.

Eraser found a stack of these "Master File Table Records" and took an hour and
a half to erase on excess of 130,000 of these...

What is the purpose of these??

Is this where Micro$oft keeps track of everything that goes on with my
computer??

THose are the core records of an NTFS file system, recording the basic
information about each file (more than FAT does) and for small files
often storing the fil's data too.

You have screwed the disk up totally. All you can do now is use (eg)
Win98 startup floppy, and FDISK, to 'delete Non-DOS partition' and start
from scratch

 

[Lael 7621]

You have screwed the disk up totally. All you can do now is use (eg)

Win98 startup floppy, and FDISK, to 'delete Non-DOS partition' and start
from scratch

Thank you!

That is just what I've done!

Now, the only issue is drivers for the Sony Vaio...to be solved shortly.

It was either Win 98 SE or I was going to put the D*MN THING out by the curb
for bulk trash pickup.

Like I said...Apple doesn't recognize *.MHT format...even though I use Internet
Explorer on the Apple.

But it IS nice to just have the machine run continuously for MONTHS at a time.

I began using computers in the 1960's, introduced the 8080 based "Color
Computer" from Peachtree Systems to major New York Banks in the '70's, etc, so
I've been there, done that!

I was DRIVEN to the Mac by the whole Wintel thing.

The MALWARE storm of the last two years, seemingly centered on XP and the NTFS
File System, drove me to purchase my first ever Apple product this past July.

BTW, I realize that the EULA practically exempts us mere consumers from getting
redress from MS, but what about the Insurance Companies that have shelled out
over $4 BILLION because said Malware has been so effective???

 

[Lael 7621]

You have screwed the disk up totally. All you can do now is use (eg)

Win98 startup floppy, and FDISK, to 'delete Non-DOS partition' and start
from scratch

Oh! Yes, I failed to mention...FDISK on the Win98 Startup floppy doesn't
recognize NTFS partitions...

I used FDISK from a Win ME Startup Floppy, which does, thanks to some English
chaps who keep the "alt.windows98" Usenet site going.

 

[Alex Nichol]

Oh! Yes, I failed to mention...FDISK on the Win98 Startup floppy doesn't
recognize NTFS partitions...

You can use it to delete NTFS partitions - 'Non-DOS'

 

[Al Dykes]

Try XP. It will run happily on a FAT32 drive.

Don't use DOS utilities unless you've backed up, or really know what you're dowin,
or both.

NTFS if great, and invisible to the normal user. MTF is part of an NTFS file system.