Stream Loss : Extra information attached

[Patrick Whittle]

We received a message while copying a file from an NTFS partition to FAT32.
Is this type of message due directly to file system differences?


The file 'wmp11-windowsxp-x86-enu[1].exe' has extra information attached to
it that might be lost if you continue copying. The contents of the file will
not be affected. Information that might be lost includes:
:Zone.Identifier:$DATA

[William Stacey [C# MVP]]

An NTFS file can have multiple streams inside the same file (i.e. meta-data,
etc). FAT has not support for multiple streams, so you will loose the
alternate streams.

--
William Stacey [C# MVP]
PCR concurrency library: www.codeplex.com/pcr
PSH Scripts Project www.codeplex.com/psobject


"Patrick Whittle" > wrote in message
...
| We received a message while copying a file from an NTFS partition to
FAT32.
| Is this type of message due directly to file system differences?
|
|
| The file 'wmp11-windowsxp-x86-enu[1].exe' has extra information attached
to
| it that might be lost if you continue copying. The contents of the file
will
| not be affected. Information that might be lost includes:
| :Zone.Identifier:$DATA
|
|
|

[Wesley Vogel]

-----------------------
Confirm Stream Loss
-----------------------
The file 'xxxxxxxxxxxxx.zzz' has extra information
attached to it that might be lost if you continue copying. The
contents of the file will not be affected. Information that might be
lost includes:
Summary Info
Document Summary Info

Do you want to proceed anyway?
-----------------------

Click YES because there is nothing you can do about it.

Any file on an NTFS formatted drive can have ADS, Alternate Data Streams.

On NTFS alternate data streams can be created by using the Summary tab.

[[A data stream is a sequence of bytes. An application populates the stream
by writing data at specific offsets within the stream. The application can
then read the data by reading the same offsets in the read path. Every file
has a main, unnamed stream associated with it, regardless of the file system
used. However, NTFS supports additional named data streams in which each
data stream is an alternate sequence of bytes as illustrated in Figure x.
Applications can create additional named streams and access the streams by
referring to their names. This feature permits related data to be managed as
a single unit. For example, a graphics program can store a thumbnail image
of a bitmap in a named data stream within the NTFS file containing the
image.]]

[[FAT volumes support only the main, unnamed stream, so if you try to copy
or move a file to a FAT volume or floppy disk, you receive an
error message as shown below. If you copy the file, all named data
streams and other attributes not supported by FAT are lost.]]
from...
Multiple Data Streams
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/reskit/c13621675.mspx

Link has changed.

Working with File Systems
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/reskit/c13621675.mspx

Click on...
Using the NTFS File System
and scroll down to...
Multiple Data Streams

Or do a Ctrl + F for Multiple Data Streams.

-----------------------
Confirm Stream Loss
-----------------------
The file 'xxxxxxxxxxxxx.zzz' has extra information
attached to it that might be lost if you continue copying. The
contents of the file will not be affected. Information that might be
lost includes:
Summary Info
Document Summary Info

Do you want to proceed anyway?
-----------------------

Click YES because there is nothing you can do about it.

With a Word .doc you can access Summary info from the File Properties
without opening the file or you can access that info by opening the file,
clicking File and then Properties.

If you add Comments to a .txt file, for example, the only way to access that
info is from File Properties on the Context menu.

If you send that same .txt file with Comments to a floppy you will get the
Confirm Stream Loss warning. If you zip that same .txt file with Comments
and then send it to a floppy you do not get the Confirm Stream Loss warning,
you just lose the Summary info.

With .txt files the Summary info is stored as an Alternate Data Stream.
With a .doc file the Summary info is stored in the file itself.
---------

NTFS Alternate (Multiple) Data Streams articles

The first four are short and to the point.

NTFS Data Streams - Windows Alternate Data Stream, NP.EXE
http://www.auditmypc.com/freescan/readingroom/ntfsstreams.asp

Windows Alternate Data Streams
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/tutorial25.html

Windows NTFS Alternate Data Streams
http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1822

NTFS Streams
http://www.alcpress.com/articles/ads.html

-----

Alternate Data Streams Threat or Menace Why Alternate Data Streams
http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=413685&rl=1

FAQ Alternate Data Streams in NTFS
http://www.heysoft.de/nt/ntfs-ads.htm

Fork (filesystem)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_data_stream

Hidden NTFS Alternate Data Streams (ADS) Explained - Are You At Risk?
http://www.diamondcs.com.au/web/streams/streams.htm

Hidden Threat Alternate Data Streams
http://www.windowsecurity.com/articles/Alternate_Data_Streams.html

NTFS Alternate Data Streams » Girl Geekette dotNet
http://www.girlgeekette.net/2005/09/16/ntfs-alternate-data-streams/

NTFS Data Streams
http://www.relsoft.net/datastreams.html

NTFS Streams - Everything you need to know (demos and tests included)
http://www.diamondcs.com.au/index.php?page=archive&id=ntfs-streams

Practical Guide to Alternative Data Streams in NTFS
http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=security/altds


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In ,
Patrick Whittle > hunted and pecked:
> We received a message while copying a file from an NTFS partition to
> FAT32. Is this type of message due directly to file system differences?
>
>
> The file 'wmp11-windowsxp-x86-enu[1].exe' has extra information attached
> to it that might be lost if you continue copying. The contents of the
> file will not be affected. Information that might be lost includes:
>> Zone.Identifier:$DATA