Windows XP (SP2) - Defragment the Master File Table (MFT)

With the help of this tips convert FAT32 data carriers to the much more secure NTFS file system. To ensure that your PC reacts as quickly as possible after this conversion, we recommend using the /cvtarea parameter to create a contiguous MFT.

Unfortunately, this is not always saved in a continuous free space on the hard disk, but is stored in a criss-cross pattern. The fragmentation phenomenon sets in (read more here to understand the issue). Therefore, create an (empty) placebo file that takes up approx. 1/8 of your data carrier:

This is how it works: Adjust the Master File Table (MFT) to the hard disk size

1. Click on Start/Execute and type cmd on. Change via cd.. (Enter) back to the drive C:\ or your system drive:

2. Now enter the command fsutil file createnew emptyfile.txt 10000000000 in. Replace the large number with 1/8 of your hard disk size in bytes. With 40 GB, for example, this is approx. 5,000,000,000 bytes. This means that the empty 5 GB file is written to the hard disk in one piece. Now delete this empty file.txt and perform the conversion using the cvtarea command (see instructions). In this way, Windows writes the MFT in one piece to the empty space that was previously reserved for the emptyfile.txt.

NOTE FOR NEW PUBLICATION: This article was produced by Sandro Villinger and comes from the Windows Tweaks archive, which has been built up since the late 1990s.