If i deleted some files in a certain folder, i can restore them with a quick scan using a tool like GetDataBack NTFS, but folders once deleted cant be restored, and the files within that folder are lost (they can be restored but with data lose and no file names). I just need some info, and how can i store my files in a way so they can be restored easily if deleted?
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i already checked the tags and there was a recovery and ntfs tags, and i think not all question are about developing programs – Tareq Ibrahim Mar 01 '13 at 19:38
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This is not entirely correct. A folder in NTFS is just a normal file but with no `$DATA` attribute, instead it has one `$INDEX_ROOT` attribute (and maybe some `$INDEX_ALLOCATION` attributes). Therefore you **can** recover the name of a folder from its MFT entry. Regarding the contents, these can be restored either directly (from the file record) or indirectly by looking at the records of other files. – Andrea Lazzarotto Apr 17 '16 at 18:23
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On NTFS file systems, a folder is just an index of files. Basically it is an index which maps the name of the file to the desired file entry in the MFT (using a vector for small directories, and a B+ tree for large directories).
This is why you can create more than one name for a file by using, for example, hard links. The name comes from the "pointer" to the file in the directory index.
If you want to be able to restore files easily, you need to not delete them in the first place. Move them to some "archive" location instead.
Billy ONeal
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