Master NTFS in minutes: Essential tips and insights

What is NTFS?

The New Technology File System or NT File System (NTFS) is an alternative to the File Allocation Table (FAT) of early Microsoft Operating systems. It provides the ability to name, store and retrieve files and folders from storage devices or disks. Microsoft updated the original DOS and Windows FAT with NTFS in 1993, with the introduction of Windows 3.1 due to limitations in their original solution that needed to be addressed as disk and file sizes increased and server usage continued to grow to enterprise-wide levels. 

As disk sizes increased, one of the limitations addressed with NTFS is support for larger drives and file partitions. NTFS supports volumes up to 8 petabytes, broken into manageable clusters. Individual file sizes can grow up to 256 Terabytes.

What are the features of NTFS?

Now that you know what is NTFS file system is, let us understand its features. NTFS file system offers several features that are beneficial to administrators and end-users:

1. Expanded attributes: NTFS tracks extensive information about files and folders, not just names and timestamps. Enhanced attribute storage allows administrators to monitor and manage file details more comprehensively.
2. Access management: Using Access Control Lists (ACLs), NTFS lets administrators manage permissions at both file and folder levels. Groups can be created with granular access rights such as read, write, modify, and delete. Users can be added or removed from groups to streamline access management. These capabilities can also be automated through management tools for identity and access control.
3. Encryption: NTFS supports the Encrypting File System (EFS), allowing automatic file or folder-level encryption. Files are encrypted when saved and decrypted for authorized use, enhancing data security even if a drive is lost or stolen. This encryption is transparent to users and protects application data without additional steps.
4. Fault tolerance: NTFS uses journaling to track changes to files and folders, storing this information on disk. In case of a crash or power loss, files can be restored to their last known working state, reducing corruption and improving reliability. 
5. File attributes: NTFS maintains detailed information about each file and folder. Its extensive attribute system contributes to the robustness of the file system and supports a variety of file types.
6. File compression: Files stored in NTFS can be automatically compressed to save disk space. NTFS decompresses them on the fly when accessed, allowing applications to use compressed data without manual intervention. Files as small as 4 KB can be compressed efficiently.
7. Large file and volume support: NTFS can handle extremely large volumes, up to 8 petabytes on servers, with files organized in 4 KB clusters for improved performance.
8. Long file names: Unlike older file systems limited to 8-character names, NTFS supports file names up to 255 characters, allowing natural language naming conventions.
9. Performance and efficiency: By storing data in small clusters across large volumes, NTFS ensures fast access and efficient use of storage, even with large or compressed files.
10. Shadow backup: NTFS allows open files to be backed up using Shadow Copy technology, enabling reliable backups without interrupting operations or risking data loss.
11. Master File Table (MFT): The core database on a volume, holding at least one entry for every file and folder that details its metadata (like name, size, timestamps, and permissions).

Which OS uses NTFS?

NTFS is a modern file system designed to provide advanced features and reliable performance. It is widely used across Windows operating systems to manage files and ensure data security.

• Windows NT and later: NTFS was first introduced with Windows NT and remains the default file system for all modern Windows versions.
• Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, 11: These operating systems natively use NTFS for system and data drives.
• Advanced features support: NTFS provides security, encryption, compression, and fault tolerance optimized for Windows.
• Limited use on other OS: Other operating systems can read or write NTFS with additional software, but it is primarily designed for Windows.

Let us now answer the most common question - how does NTFS work?

How Does NTFS Work?

The computer’s operating system creates and manages the file system used to manage files on storage devices by organizing them into folders. It must be able to store the initial file, manage access permissions and retrieve it when needed. It controls naming conventions and other information stored with the files, as well as ownership and permissions. NTFS is the type of file system that does this in currently supported Windows operating systems for personal computers, servers, and storage devices connected to Windows environments. The NTFS file system is also now supported for Linux and BSD, an open-source Unix OS. macOS can provide read-only support for NTFS. Once established, the NTFS system will divide drives into clusters. Cluster size affects performance, so establishing cluster size requires balancing the number of disk accesses needed to retrieve a file.  

Once the drive is set up during the formatting process, NTFS creates a record for each file created so the file can be easily retrieved across clusters, which may become scattered across a drive during initial storage or subsequent use. The metadata, permissions, activities performed with the file (creation, modification, and deletion), and other information are also stored in NTFS.

To summarize, several activities take place within the operation of NTFS as files are created and used:

• A disk is formatted using NTFS
• Partitions are created on the disk
• As files are created or used, they are divided and stored across partitions and clusters
• The OS and NTFS track the file and its attributes during usage

What is the difference between NTFS and FAT file storage?

NTFS and FAT are widely used file systems, each with distinct features and capabilities. The table below compares their key differences in storage limits, security, and functionality.

What is the difference between NTFS, FAT32, and exFAT?

Understanding their differences between NTFS file system, FAT32, and exFAT helps in choosing the right file system for storage, performance, and compatibility needs.

Additional read: ntfs-vs-fat32

What are the NTFS File Types

File attributes store information about each file and folder within the file system, for example, its name, owner, and timestamp. While other file systems store the file name and date created, NTFS file type attributes offer crucial additional information or metadata, each identified by an attribute type code or name and stored in the Master File Table (MFT) record. 

The MFT is a table that stores information about each file on the NTFS volume. The first record within the Master File Table is a table descriptor, followed by a mirror record for fault tolerance.

The table below lists the file attributes (or metadata) defined in NTFS and their purpose, including the attribute code. 

How does NTFS handle permission and access management?

NTSF offers several capabilities for mitigating the risk of unauthorized access to data by preventing unauthorized users from gaining access to information. Encryption eliminates the possibility of accessing data directly from a drive, either physically or as a result of a network breach. In contrast, access controls prevent access to files without authorization. 

The additional control offered by the security attributes in the NTFS file type has been a game-changer for creating robust data security programs in organizations. NTFS uses access control lists to grant users read, create, modify, move, and delete privileges based on these ACLs, which grant these privileges at the group or user level. This greater control available with NTFS provides better protection for servers in an Internet or cloud-based environment, improved control through access points, and better control over the traffic within an internal network. It also provides more granular control of user permissions.

There are several different types of access control lists:

• Role-based access is granted based on job functions. Using NTFS ACLs with Identity Access Management systems integrated with HR management applications can ensure that only the right people have access to data by fully automating user group maintenance.
• Attribute-based control uses policies that combine corporate attributes like business units, positions, and other information to grant or remove access from individuals. This can be combined with rule-based control, based on rules or policies set by administrators.
• Discretionary access control allows users to grant access to others when they create data. For example, this is frequently used within file folder structures or social media platforms.

What are the benefits of using the NTFS file system?

NTFS offers a wide range of advantages that make it the preferred file system for modern Windows environments. Its features enhance security, reliability, and efficiency while supporting large volumes and files.

• Advanced security: Supports file and folder permissions via Access Control Lists (ACLs) and Encrypting File System (EFS) for enhanced data protection.
• Fault tolerance: Uses journaling to track changes, helping prevent data corruption and enabling recovery after crashes or power failures.
• Large file and volume support: Handles very large files and volumes, making it ideal for modern storage needs.
• File compression: Automatically compresses files to save disk space without impacting application performance.
• Long file names: Supports up to 255-character file names, allowing natural language naming conventions.
• Efficient performance: Small cluster sizes and optimized storage structure ensure fast access to data, even for large or compressed files.
• Shadow copy backup: Allows open files to be backed up without interruption, ensuring data protection during active use.
• Robust management: Supports detailed file attributes, quotas, and indexing for better system organization and monitoring.
  

What are the drawbacks of NTFS?

NTFS features are well-known and utilized, but there are several disadvantages to NTFS that should be considered:

Compatibility: While NTFS is a tremendous tool for compatible operating systems, one of its most significant drawbacks is its limited OS compatibility. Developed by Microsoft, the Windows environment was its primary target for use, but compatibility has expanded to other operating systems like Linux. Notably missing is macOS which only supports read-only use for NTFS volumes. NTFS has limited device support; it is incompatible with many smartphones (mainly the Android OS), DVD players, SmartTVs, and cameras. 

Disk Overhead: While NTFS uses disk space effectively with compression, the system utilizes more disk space to store indexes and attributes. It is estimated that 4 MB per 100 MB partition is granted to NTFS for operations.

Naming Limitations: It may seem like 255 characters provide tremendous leeway when naming files, but several special characters are not recognized, and NTFS does not distinguish between capital and lowercase letters.

Network Performance: While NTFS can manage user and application quotas, it is limited in its ability to protect bandwidth utilization.

When choosing a file system, administrators can weigh the benefits of NTFS file types against these drawbacks. The biggest drawback is likely to be OS compatibility, but where compatibility is not an issue, NTFS offers strong capabilities.

The Bottom Line on the Business Value of NTFS

Since the transition to NTFS, issues managing disk use and size limitations have been removed. Common problems addressed by NTFS include:

• Inability to perform complete backups due to open files, leading to file corruption or data loss.
• Limitations on database size due to file size limitations. Applications can run more effectively without these limitations.
• User limitations on email box size due to file size limitations.
• Inability to manage drive use by end users. With quotas, storage can be limited, or organizations can charge back the cost of higher disk use.
• Naming files is more straightforward, with longer file names and more instinctive, enabling users to manage files more easily.
• Improved security using ACLs and better file resiliency provide more confidence in data integrity.