Here are several question-based titles that fit your article, focusing on the core problem and solution: Direct & Concise: * How Can FSCTL_ENUM_USN_DATA Be Used to Detect NTFS File Changes Effic

How to Detect File Changes on an NTFS Volume

In the quest for an efficient file backup solution, a developer encounters a challenge in detecting file changes on an NTFS volume without relying on time-consuming methods. This article delves into a solution using FSCTL_ENUM_USN_DATA, providing insights into file change detection and path retrieval.

FSCTL_ENUM_USN_DATA for File Change Detection

FSCTL_ENUM_USN_DATA offers a rapid way to enumerate all files on a volume, returning file flags and USNs for easy change detection. However, accessing full file paths requires some additional work.

Matching Parent IDs for Path Retrieval

One approach to retrieving full paths is to match parent IDs with the file IDs of directories. This can be achieved by searching through all file records simultaneously or by reading records for parent directories as needed.

Code Demonstration

The provided C code illustrates how to use FSCTL_ENUM_USN_DATA to search for specific files and display information about them and their parent directories. The code allocates a buffer for record storage, opens the volume, obtains journal data, and iterates through records, filtering for files of interest and displaying details.

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