Microsoft KB Archive/196071

{|
 * width="100%"|

BUG: File Creation Time Increases as Files Are Added to a Volume

 * }

Q196071

-

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0

-

SYMPTOMS
As more and more files are created on an NTFS volume, the amount of time it takes to create new files increases linearly with the number of files existing on the volume. This slowdown becomes more noticeable when creating many new files when there are already millions of preexisting files on the volume.

CAUSE
Each time a file is created, a file record is allocated from the MFT (Master File Table). As more files are created on a volume, the MFT grows larger and the amount of time it takes to allocate a free file record from the MFT increases.

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.