$ATTRIBUTE_LIST

[ff_mfg]

It's a known NTFS feature-bug that after a file gets heavily fragmented and spawns nonresident attribute list, even if the file gets defragmented, the list stays. The only way to remove it is to delete the file (obviously to save the data file needs to be moved to another volume and back, which has a positive side of also defragmenting it given free space has been consolidated).

Now, here's my question:
MyDefrag marks those nonresident attribute lists unmovable. But are they really? Here http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa363911(v=vs.85).aspx ::$ATTRIBUTE_LIST streams are specifically mentioned as supported by FSCTL_MOVE_FILE.
Or is it OS-specific?

[jonib]

Here's Jeroens response when I asked about it.

jonib

[ff_mfg]

Ah, right, now I remember reading it. Thanks.
It least maybe my question will finally cause this info to be added to FAQ?
Two times is frequent, right?

BTW, as MyDefrag doesn't report it, is there an easy way to get a list of files with ::$ATTRIBUTE_LIST on a volume? Since it's not data stream, usual tools that work with streams do not see it.
Jeroen said there 'See the "MyDefrag.log" file', but as they are not listed in unmovables, I'm not sure what he meant. Debuglog?

[jonib]

BTW, as MyDefrag doesn't report it, is there an easy way to get a list of files with ::$ATTRIBUTE_LIST on a volume?

I have not seen any tool that lists the $ATTRIBUTE_LIST so would be interested too. Actually I have been interested in making a tool for that but it's been a long time since I studied the NTFS filesystem and I have many more interesting projects, so I don't know if that will happen.

Jeroen said there 'See the "MyDefrag.log" file', but as they are not listed in unmovables, I'm not sure what he meant. Debuglog?

Only time I have seen the $ATTRIBUTE_LIST listed in the .log file is when they are fragmented.

jonib