NTFS Tools and Settings
Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2
NTFS Tools and Settings
In this section
NTFS Tools
NTFS Registry Entries
NTFS Group Policy Settings
NTFS WMI Classes
The following tools, registry settings, Group Policy settings, and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) classes are associated with NTFS volumes running Microsoft Windows Server 2003.
NTFS Tools
NTFS Tools describes the tools installed with Windows Server 2003 as well as downloadable support tools. The tools in this list are those used to create and maintain NTFS volumes.
Cacls.exe: Set Access Control List
Category
Operating system tool.
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. Cacls.exe runs only on an NTFS volume.
Cacls.exe displays and modifies ACLs of files or folders.
For more information about Cacls, see Command Line References in Tools and Settings Collection.
Chkdsk.exe: Check Disk
Category
Operating system tool.
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. Chkdsk.exe works on both NTFS and FAT volumes.
Chkdsk is a command-line tool that verifies the logical integrity of a file system on a Windows Server 2003 volume. Setting parameters on the command line will list and fix any errors.
For more information about Chkdsk, see Command Line References in Tools and Settings Collection.
Chklnks.exe: Link Check Wizard
Category
Resource Kit tool.
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. Chklnks.exe works only on an NTFS volume.
Chklnks.exe is a command-line tool that scans all the link (shortcut) files on a computer to determine whether or not the shortcuts point to existing applications or documents.
For more information about Chklnks, see Resource Kit Tools in Tools and Settings Collection.
Chkntfs.exe: Chkntfs
Category
Operating system tool.
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. Chkntfs.exe works on both NTFS and FAT volumes.
Displays or specifies whether automatic system checking is schedule to be run on an NTFS volume when the computer is started.
For more information about Chkntfs, see Command Line References in Tools and Settings Collection.
Cipher.exe: Cipher
Category
Operating system tool.
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. Cipher.exe works only on an NTFS volume.
Displays or alters the encryption of folders and files on NTFS volumes.
For more information about Cipher, see Command Line References in Tools and Settings Collection.
Compact.exe: Compact
Category
Operating system tool.
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. Compact.exe works only on an NTFS volume.
Displays and alters the compression of files or directories on NTFS volumes.
For more information about Compact, see Command Line References in Tools and Settings Collection.
Compress.exe: Compress Files
Category
Resource Kit tool.
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. Compress.exe works only on an NTFS volume.
Compress.exe is a command-line tool to create compressed copies of one or more files.
For more information about Compress, see Resource Kit Tools in Tools and Settings Collection.
Convert.exe: Convert
Category
Operating system tool.
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. Convert.exe works on both NTFS and FAT volumes.
Converts a FAT16 or FAT32 volume to NTFS. Conversion is a one-way process. You can convert a FAT file system to NTFS, but you cannot convert an NTFS volume to a FAT file system.
For more information about Convert , see Command Line References in Tools and Settings Collection.
Defrag.exe: Defragmentation
Category
Operating system tool.
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. Defrag.exe runs on both NTFS and FAT volumes.
Arranges clusters on a disk in an optimized order.
For more information about Defrag, see Command Line References in Tools and Settings Collection.
DiskPart.exe: Disk Partition
Disk Partition is a command-line tool that allows you to manage disks and partitions by using scripts or direct input from a command prompt.
Category
Operating system tool.
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. DiskPart includes a few 64-bit parameters that are only available on Itanium-based computers.
Locates and consolidates fragmented boot files, data files, and folders on local or remote volumes.
For more information about DiskPart, see Command Line References in Tools and Settings Collection.
Expand.exe: Expand Compressed Files
Category
Operating system tool.
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. Expand.exe works only on NTFS volumes.
Extracts a file from a cabinet (.CAB) or compressed file.
For more information about Expand, see Command Line References in Tools and Settings Collection.
Format.exe: Format
Category
Operating system tool
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. Works on both NTFS and FAT volumes.
Format prepares a volume on the specified disk to accept Windows files.
For more information about Format, see Command Line References in Tools and Settings Collection.
Fsutil.exe: File Systems Utilities
Category
Operating System tool.
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. Runs on both NTFS and FAT file systems.
Perform file system tasks such as disabling long file names, checking whether a volume is flagged as dirty, viewing NTFS-related information about a volume, creating hard links, and managing quotas and sparse files.
For more information about Fsutil, see Command Line References in Tools and Settings Collection.
Hlscan.exe: Hard Link Display Tool
Category
Resource Kit tool.
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. Hlscan.exe works only on an NTFS volume.
Hlscan.exe is a command-line tool that displays hard links on an NTFS volume or in specified files or directories of the volume.
For more information about Compress, see Resource Kit Tools in Tools and Settings Collection.
Mountvol.exe: Mount Volume
Category
Operating system tool.
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. Mountvol.exe works only on an NTFS volume.
Creates, deletes, or lists a mounted drive.
For more information about Mountvol, see Command Line References in Tools and Settings Collection.
Recovery Console
Category
Operating system tool.
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. Recovery Console works on both NTFS and FAT volumes.
The Recovery Console is a text-mode command-line interpreter that you can use for basic troubleshooting and maintenance. It is separate from the Windows Server 2003 command prompt and grants limited local hard disk access for both FAT and NTFS volumes.
Vrfydsk.exe: Verify Disk
Category
Resource Kit tool.
Version compatibility
Windows Server 2003. Vrfydsk.exe works on both NTFS and FAT volumes.
Vrfydsk is a command-line tool that is a command-line tool that checks the consistency and integrity of the file system (FAT or NTFS) on a specified volume.
For more information about DmDiag, see Resource Kit Tools in Tools and Settings Collection.
NTFS Registry Entries
The following registry entries are associated with NTFS.
The information here is provided as a reference for use in troubleshooting or verifying that the required settings are applied. It is recommended that you do not directly edit the registry unless there is no other alternative. Modifications to the registry are not validated by the registry editor or by Windows before they are applied, and as a result, incorrect values can be stored. This can result in unrecoverable errors in the system. When possible, use Group Policy or other Windows tools, such as Microsoft Management Console (MMC), to accomplish tasks rather than editing the registry directly. If you must edit the registry, use extreme caution.
FileSystem
The following registry entries are located under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\FileSystem.
NtfsAllowExtendedCharacterIn8dot3Name
Registry Path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
Version
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server and Windows NT 4.0 Workstation and later.
Allows generation of short (8-character name, 3-character extension) file names on NTFS file systems.
For more information about this registry entry, see the Registry Reference in Tools and Settings Collection.
NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation
Registry Path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
Version
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server and Windows NT 4.0 Workstation and later.
Disables generation of short (8-character name, 3-character extension) file names on NTFS file systems.
For more information about this registry entry, see the Registry Reference in Tools and Settings Collection.
NTFSDisableLastAccessUpdate
Registry Path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem.
Version
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server and Windows NT 4.0 Workstation and later.
Disables last accessed timestamp of a file.
For more information about this registry entry, see the Registry Reference in Tools and Settings Collection.
NTFSEncryptionService
Registry Path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
Version
Used in Windows 2000 only.
Specifies which encryption service the NTFS file system used. Encrypting File System (EFS) is the encryption service built into Windows Server 2003.
For more information about this registry entry, see the Registry Reference in Tools and Settings Collection.
NtfsMftZoneReservation
Registry Path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
Version
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server and Windows NT 4.0 Workstation and later.
Reserves the amount of space allocated to the MFT. This registry entry is not automatically created. You must manually add this key to the registry entry.
Because this is an optional entry that you must add, this registry entry is not documented in the Registry Reference for Windows Server 2003.
System
The following registry entry is located under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\
MountedDevices
Registry Path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\
Version
Windows Server 2003.
Stores database information for all NTFS partitions on a volume. This allows NTFS to maintain the persistent names of volumes.
For more information about this registry entry, see the Registry Reference in Tools and Settings Collection.
NTFS Group Policy Settings
The following table lists and describes the Group Policy settings that are associated with NTFS.
Group Policy Settings Associated with NTFS
| Group Policy Setting | Description |
|---|---|
DLT_AllowDomainMode |
Enables programs to track linked files that are moved within an NTFS volume, to another NTFS volume on the same computer, or to an NTFS volume on another computer. |
DiskQuotaEnable |
Enables disk quotas on an NTFS volume. This policy is not used on FAT volumes. |
DiskQuotaLimit |
Specifies the disk quota limit and warning level. This policy is not used on FAT volumes. |
DiskQuotaLogEventOverThreshold |
Specifies whether an application log event will be created when a user exceeds his or her disk quota limit. This policy is not used on FAT volumes. |
DiskQuotaApplyToRemovableMedia |
Specifies whether disk quotas policies are to be applied to removable media. This policy is not used on FAT volumes. |
ExplorerNoResolveSearch |
Prevents the system from conducting a comprehensive search of the target drive to resolve a shortcut. FAT volumes do not use tracking features. |
ExplorerNoResolveTrack |
Prevents the system from using NTFS tracking features to resolve a shortcut. FAT volumes do not use tracking features. |
For more information about Group Policy settings, see Group Policy Settings Reference in Tools and Settings Collection.
NTFS WMI Classes
The following table lists and describes the WMI classes that are associated with NTFS.
WMI Classes Associated with NTFS
| Class Name | Namespace | Version Compatibility |
|---|---|---|
Win32_DiskDriveToDiskPartition |
//root/cimv2 |
Windows 2000 and later |
Win32_DiskPartition |
//root/cimv2 |
Windows 2000 and later |
Win32_LogicalDisk |
//root/cimv2 |
Windows 2000 and later |
Win32_LogicalDiskRootDirectory |
//root/cimv2 |
Windows 2000 and later |
Win32_LogicalDiskToPartition |
//root/cimv2 |
Windows 2000 and later |
Win32_DiskDrivePhyiscalMedia |
//root/cimv2 |
Windows 2000 and later |
Win32_Volume |
//root/cimv2 |
Windows Server 2003 |
For more information about these WMI classes, see the WMI SDK documentation on MSDN.