The Master File Table (MFT) is a crucial component of the NTFS file system used by Windows operating systems. It acts as a directory that stores all the information about files and folders on a drive, including their:
- File name
- Size
- Date and time stamps
- Permissions
- Location on the drive
- Data content (for small files)
For larger files, the MFT only stores pointers to their data, which is located in separate data blocks on the disk.
Practical Insights and Examples:
- Imagine the MFT as a giant spreadsheet. Each row represents a file or folder, and each column contains different attributes about that file or folder.
- When you create a new file, the NTFS file system adds a new entry to the MFT, allocating space on the drive for the file's data.
- When you delete a file, its entry in the MFT is marked as deleted, but the data remains on the disk until it's overwritten.
Understanding the MFT is essential for comprehending how NTFS works and how data is stored and managed on a Windows drive.
