MFT Corruption and Partition Loss Due to Extensive MFT Fragmentation

As the core component of NTFS (New Technology File System) file system, the MFT (Master File Table) plays a significant role in the composition of NTFS partition and its performance. MFT references the files as system locates data, writes data to disk or read data from disk. But sometimes this important data structure of NTFS file system becomes corrupt due to extensive fragmentation and cause partition loss. In such cases, you need to go for Partition Recovery solutions to solve the problem.

• An index of all the data, which is stored on an NTFS partition, gets created in MFT. This index contains the locations of user files, directory data and the NTFS metadata. MFT is one of the important files which contains a relational database whose records tell the location of each file on a particular partition. A special buffer zone is created around MFT to address potential fragmentation that uses around 12.5% of total disk space.

In spite of the precautions that are taken to prevent MFT fragmentation (like storing MFT on outer tracks of hard drive and creating special MFT buffer zone) the MFT fragmentation does occur because other files are written into MFT buffer zone under certain situations. For instance, if the disk is full, the files are stored into the MFT buffer zone.

Some files can be deleted from the hard drive to free disk space but the files which are stored in MFT buffer zone can not be deleted. Despite having free space on the hard drive; files reside into the MFT buffer zone. The MFT fragmentation may also occur when the size of MFT file becomes more than the default allocation of 12.5% of total disk space.

In such situations, the performance of NTFS file system gets decreased. To overcome this situations, you need to defragment the MFT file. To do so, you need to bypass the Windows NT operating system and special APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to defragment MFT online.

Although, this method can help you to defragment the MFT file, but this approach is dangerous. It may damage the MFT file that ultimately results as partition loss. If you mistakenly use this method, the partition may become inaccessible. To fix such issues, Partition Recovery techniques are required.
It can easily be performed with the help of Partition Recovery Software. These are highly automated third party tools, which use efficient scanning algorithms to thoroughly scan the entire drive. Such software efficiently extracts lost partitions and data from the affected hard drive.

Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery is a comprehensive and easy to use Partition Recovery Software that recovers data from all lost, missing, deleted and formatted Windows partitions and volumes. It supports recovery from FAT16, FAT32, VFAT, NTFS and NTFS5 file systems. The software is compatible with Windows 7 (currently in RC1), Vista, XP, 2003 and 2000.

Author has discussed on mft file work and partition time corruption causes .she suggested to have precautions while doing partition of hard drive and explains her practical experience of data loss. For partition recovery she has used partition recovery software for lost partition data recovery.