Slow Performance on NTFS with Long Filenames
Article ID: 120363
Article Last Modified on 10/31/2006
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.1
- Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1
This article was previously published under Q120363
SYMPTOMS
Using similar long filenames on NTFS volumes may cause some I/O operations
to slow dramatically. For example, if a directory on an NTFS volume has
10,000 files, each 32 characters long, with the first eight characters
identical, file operations such as the DIR command can slow to a crawl.
CAUSE
This is a result of the algorithm used to generate 8.3 filenames (8-
character names with 3-character suffixes). There is no specific number of
similar files that downgrades performance. It varies.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT and Windows NT
Advanced Server version 3.10. We are researching this problem and will
post new information in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes
available.
Keywords: KB120363