Microsoft KB Archive/103657

= NTFS System Files =

Article ID: 103657

Article Last Modified on 10/31/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.1
 * Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1

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This article was previously published under Q103657



SUMMARY
When a volume is formatted with the NT file system (NTFS), multiple NTFS system files are created in the root directory of the NTFS volume. These system files can be stored at any location on the NTFS volume. Consequently, damage to certain locations on the volume will not as likely render the entire volume inaccessible. Listed below is a description of the ten NTFS system files currently implemented in the retail version of Windows NT.



MORE INFORMATION
$attrdef, Attribute Definitions Table: Contains the definition of all system and user-defined attributes on the volume.

$badclus, Bad Cluster File: Contains all the bad clusters on the volume.

$bitmap, Cluster Allocation Bitmap: Contains the bitmap for the entire volume, showing which clusters are used.

$boot, Boot File: Contains the volume's bootstrap if the volume is bootable.

$logfile, Log File: Used for recoverability purposes.

$mft, Master File Table (MFT): Contains a record for every file on the NTFS volume in its Data attribute.

$mftmirr, Master File Table2 (MFT2): Mirror of the MFT used for recoverability purposes.

$quota, Quota Table: Table used to indicate disk quota usage for each user on a volume.

$upcase, Upcase Table: Table used for converting uppercase and lowercase characters to the matching uppercase Unicode characters.

$volume, Volume: Contains volume information such as volume name and version.

Additional query words: prodnt

Keywords: kbother KB103657

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