DOCUMENT:Q297268 15-AUG-2002 [winnt] TITLE :Data Fragmentation Occurs When You Restore Data to Clean Volume PRODUCT :Microsoft Windows NT PROD/VER::4.0 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS:kbtool kbOSWin2000fix kbWinNT400PreSP7Fix kbWin2000sp3fix ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 - Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition version 4.0 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SYMPTOMS ======== After you restore data from a tape to a clean NTFS file system volume, many of the restored files may be fragmented on the disk. CAUSE ===== This behavior occurs because Ntbackup.exe does not give NTFS any information about how big the file that is being restored is. Because of this, NTFS must pre-allocate standard size runs of clusters to hold the file. This means that it typically allocates too much space that is later returned to the free cluster pool when the file is fully restored. These small runs are then used again for restoring later files, and this caused file fragmentation to occur. STATUS ====== This behavior is by design. This problem was first corrected in Windows 2000 Service Pack 3. RESOLUTION ========== To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows 2000. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Q260910 How to Obtain the Latest Windows 2000 Service Pack MORE INFORMATION ================ To reduce the affect of this fragmentation, you may want to defragment your disks at regular intervals. To change this functionality requires a design change request, but design change requests are no longer accepted for Windows NT 4.0. Additional query words: kbBaseOS ====================================================================== Keywords : kbtool kbOSWin2000fix kbWinNT400PreSP7Fix kbWin2000sp3fix Technology : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTSEntSearch kbWinNTSEnt400 kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 Version : :4.0 Hardware : ALPHA x86 Issue type : kbbug Solution Type : kbfix ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2002.