To scan a whole NTFS drive quickly in WizTree, run the program as an administrator, select the drive, and start the scan. WizTree’s high-speed NTFS path reads the Master File Table (MFT); it is not a universal setting for every drive or folder scan.
Scan a whole NTFS drive with WizTree’s MFT path
WizTree says it reads the NTFS Master File Table directly for its high-speed full-drive scan, instead of relying on a conventional file-by-file walk. The vendor’s FAQ says, “Note that high speed NTFS scanning is only possible when running with admin rights.” See the WizTree FAQ and WizTree guide.
- Start WizTree with administrator rights. If prompted by Windows, approve the elevation request.
- Select the NTFS drive you want to analyze.
- Start the scan and allow WizTree to read the drive’s file information.
You do not need to look for a separate “MFT mode” checkbox to enable the documented high-speed path for a full NTFS drive. Running without administrator rights means WizTree cannot use that high-speed NTFS scan method.
Whole-drive and folder scans use different paths
When you analyze a selected folder, WizTree normally uses the Windows API rather than the whole-drive MFT method. The release history documents an optional MFT scan for a selected folder. That option may help with a very large folder, but WizTree says the normal API method is generally faster for small-to-medium folders. The WizTree release history describes the behavior.
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Try the folder MFT option only when it fits
If the folder is very large and its ordinary scan is slow, check whether your installed version offers the selected-folder MFT option. The release note describes holding Ctrl while starting a new scan to force that option; Ctrl must be held when the scan starts. The note does not establish that the control or default is identical in every current version, so check the option wording in your installation rather than assuming a particular menu path.
Why WizTree may still seem slow
- It is a folder scan: folder analysis ordinarily uses the Windows API; the full-drive NTFS MFT path is a different case.
- WizTree is not elevated: administrator rights are required for its high-speed NTFS scanning path.
- The target is not NTFS: the MFT advantage is specific to NTFS. Do not expect the same behavior for FAT, network locations, or other non-NTFS targets.
- The drive and system affect elapsed time: the official material does not establish a guaranteed duration or controlled speedup for a particular drive, record count, hardware, or system state.
WizTree 4.28 release notes, published 24 November 2025, report “up to 2x” improvement for certain non-admin and non-NTFS, network-drive, or folder-scanning cases. That version-specific statement is not a benchmark promise for a full-drive NTFS MFT scan; see the release notes.
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Why WizTree’s total may differ from Windows’ used space
A small difference between WizTree’s displayed file totals and Windows’ used-space figure does not by itself indicate a damaged filesystem. NTFS directory indexes, file security information, and other filesystem data use space without appearing as ordinary files in WizTree’s results. WizTree explains this accounting difference in its FAQ.
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