Master File Table configuration (MFT)

spinna · 28 Dec 2006 at 16:07

ive got diskeeper 10 installed and there is a option to change the size of my MFT , is it ok to do this of should i just leave it on the default setting?

testa12 · 28 Dec 2006 at 16:24

i also installed DiskKeeper recently. You can increase the size of the MFT so it pre-allocates all the space you are ever likely to need.

For example, with the default setting if you reach the maximum size for the MFT, extra space will be allocated but it will be in a different location on the disk (most likely that space is already been used)

By allowing DiskKeeper to pre-allocate you extra space, you end up with no fragmentation of the MFT.

So in other words, yes it's a good idea to do this. The help file explains this quite nicely though,. It's quite a cool program

Curiosityx · 28 Dec 2006 at 17:27

Dont touch the MFT there is no need, let Windows handle its allocation.

testa12 · 28 Dec 2006 at 19:40

Why not?

5tephen · 30 Dec 2006 at 14:51

Curiosityx said:
Dont touch the MFT there is no need, let Windows handle its allocation.

You are so wrong, and I can't be bothered to explain why; as testa12 said above, read the help file within Diskeeper as it explains it very well.
The MFT in its default configuration overflows within a week or two of setting up a new system. i.e. as more files get created, MFT records get scattered all over the disk.

Just watch to see what Diskeeper recommends the size to be; on an empty drive I've seen it recommending an MFT size of 9Gb. One of my friends went by this and effectively wasted 9Gb of his new drive

No need for that size, less than 1Gb should do. Bear this in mind because you cannot shrink the size of the MFT, only expand it.

Curiosityx · 31 Dec 2006 at 18:51

5tephen said:
You are so wrong, and I can't be bothered to explain why; as testa12 said above, read the help file within Diskeeper as it explains it very well.
The MFT in its default configuration overflows within a week or two of setting up a new system. i.e. as more files get created, MFT records get scattered all over the disk.

Sorry im not my friend.

NTFS reserves a block of space for the MFT in an effort to keep it contiguous as it grows. To gain more control over new volumes (can't effect existing MFTs only those being created)

It can be controlled through the registry

Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Conrol\FileSystem
Name: NtfsMftZoneReservation
Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 1 12.5% of free space, default
Value: 2 25% of free space
Value: 3 37.5% of free space
Value: 4 50% of free space

and Microsoft recommends boot time defragmentation only, but there is little performance increase gained in combination with a standard defragmentation of the disk. Windows takes care of the MFT just fine,