File creation time increases as files are added to a volume (196071)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
This article was previously published under Q196071

SYMPTOMS

As more and more files are created on an NTFS volume, the amount of time it takes to create new files increases linearly with the number of files existing on the volume. This slowdown becomes more noticeable when creating many new files when there are already millions of preexisting files on the volume.

CAUSE

Each time a file is created, a file record is allocated from the MFT (Master File Table). As more files are created on a volume, the MFT grows larger and the amount of time it takes to allocate a free file record from the MFT increases.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

REFERENCES

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

120363 Slow Performance on NTFS with Long Filenames

174619 How NTFS Reserves Space for its Master File Table (MFT)

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:3/22/2005
Keywords:kbbug kbFileIO kbfix kbKernBase KB196071 kbAudEndUser
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