Where is the data for the file properties stored? You can find out when a file was created, when it was edited, and you can also keep descriptions of the file. However, this data does not seem to show up as hard drive space that is taken. If you create a text file with one character, it will still have all the file properties listed but only be 1 byte in size. Also, when you open the file in any type of text editor you will not see the property data.

 

Are all of the file properties hidden within the file, or are they stored in a central location within the operating system?

File properties are stored in the file system itself.

in *nix-based systems they use inodes but I'm not sure about Windows

 

capn beat me

File properties are stored in the file system[/url'] itself.

 

That's interesting. I always thought the file system was just a format for storing data. I didn't know that it actually contained data.

 

How can I see the data that is contained within the file system? Is it in the Windows directory, the hard drive root directory, or another location?

It's not actually a file.

How can I see the data that is contained within the file system? Is it in the Windows directory, the hard drive root directory, or another location?

You can't. Windows shows you that data in the Properties window, but that's the best you can get.

I did some research, and I read that the data is contained in the hidden file: C:\$Mft

 

I don't see this file, even when I enable all hidden and system files. No matter how I try to open it, it says that the file can't be found. However, you can prove that the file exists. If you create a blank text file, and name it "$Mft" without the .txt extension, try to copy it to the C:\ root directory. It will bring up an error message that says the file already exists.

 

If the file exists, isn't there some way that it can be opened? The system restored directory, "C:\System Volume Information" is also hidden and locked, but people have found a way to open that.

http://www.ntfs.com/ntfs-mft.htm

 

It is not a file in the traditional sense, and you probably cannot open it.

As I understand it there are programmatic ways to access and utilize NTFS information. I recommend running some searches in the MSDN library at msdn.microsoft.com.

That makes me wonder if ntfs support in non-windows platforms lets you access this file. Windows obviously wont let you, I wouldn't be supprised if somewhere in their messy code there's a switch statement that wont allow you to open that (along with several other things).

Better not to mess with that file

 

I tried googling C:\$Mft and i found forum posts complaining that their OS is not starting and has an error message "C:\$Mft File Not Found:

I'd say that if you know what the hell you're doing then there's no reason why you shouldn't muck about with any file. But file systems are rather complicated things and the type of people who would know about them probably make back ups before they break stuff, or only break redudant machines anyway.