🗂️ Microsoft NTFS (New Technology File System) is the default file system used by modern Windows operating systems. It’s designed for reliability, security, and scalability—far beyond what older systems like FAT32 could offer.

🧠 Core Features

• Journaling: Keeps a log of changes to prevent data corruption during crashes
• Access Control Lists (ACLs): Fine-grained permissions for files and folders
• Encryption & Compression: Built-in support for securing and shrinking data
• Disk Quotas: Limits how much space users can consume
• Sparse Files & Hard Links: Advanced storage techniques for efficiency

📐 File System Structure

Everything in NTFS is treated as a file—even metadata. Key components include:

• Master File Table (MFT): Central index of all files and directories
• $LogFile: Tracks changes for recovery
• $Bitmap: Maps used and free clusters
• Alternate Data Streams (ADS): Allows multiple data layers in one file

🏢 Enterprise-Ready

🧪 Real-World Example

Say you’re running a server with sensitive data:

• NTFS lets you encrypt files with EFS
• Set ACLs so only certain users can access them
• Use journaling to recover from unexpected shutdowns