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Windows XP - Increase the MasterFileTable for optimization

February 9, 2013
Updated: April 14, 2022
Quick overview:

The first file on a hard disk that is created with the NTFS file system is the MFT (Master File Table). It contains all information about all files and folders on the data carrier: file size, file creation and last modification dates, shares, content and file type. Unfortunately, the size of this important system file is limited, which slows down access to the files and folders, as the older information has to be deleted again and again and then re-entered later - which understandably costs computing time. This is equivalent to hard disk fragmentation. So if you have a lot of files on your computer, I recommend enlarging the MFT. Unfortunately, this trick does not work on FAT hard disks, as it would be pointless here due to the different system.

Note: With the help of these instructions, you can also carry out the optimization somewhat more easily via the command line!

1. Click one after the other on Start/Execute and type it into the command line regedit in.

2. After confirming with Enter, you will find yourself in the editor for the Windows registry database. Double-click to navigate through the keys one after the other HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\ Control\FileSystem.

3. You can already see some entries in the right-hand pane. Now click on a free area here and select New > DWORD value. Now call this NtfsMftZoneReservation. Now double-click on NtfsMftZoneReservation and enter a number for the desired setting in the pop-up window:

1 = 12.5% of the data carrier
2 = 25% of the data carrier
3 = 37.5% of the data carrier
4 = 50% of the data carrier

The larger the MFT, the lower the chance of fragmentation, although memory consumption can of course also increase.

Founded Windows Tweaks as a teenager in the 90s. His helpful PC tricks made it Germany's most visited Windows site (at the time Sandro looked like this). He then went on to write elsewhere, for example for PC-Praxis, Computer Bild and PCWorld in the USA. Microsoft also poached him from us. Now Sandro is back, finally sharing his tweaks here again. For a stress-free digital everyday life. You can reach Sandro via e-mail.

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