Extract text from Master file tables (MFT)
To convert MFT File tables to another format, you need Microsoft Windows or other System software.
To convert other file formats to the "File System Metadata" file type, you need software like Microsoft Windows or a similar tool.
The .MFT file extension primarily represents the Master File Table used by the Microsoft New Technology File System (NTFS). This hidden system file acts as a massive database that tracks every file, directory, and metafile on an NTFS-formatted hard drive. It stores crucial metadata, including file sizes, creation timestamps, permissions, and exact disk sector locations. Forensic investigators and system recovery tools analyze these files to recover deleted data or map disk activity. Another frequent use for the .MFT extension is as a game mod package manifest for the Frosty Tool Suite or rFactor 2, storing instructions for community game modifications. It is also used by MarketFeeder Pro for automated betting strategies.
Because the NTFS .MFT file is a highly specialized system database, it is heavily restricted and locked by the operating system. It is deeply integrated into the Windows kernel and is never meant to be opened directly by end users. Attempting to open a raw .MFT dump in a standard text editor results in frozen software or unreadable binary garbage. Similarly, .MFT game mod files are strictly tied to specific game engines and require their respective modding utilities to function. This strict proprietary structure means that standard online converters will fail to process these files into document formats like PDF or DOCX.
If you need to analyze an .MFT file, the most practical conversion targets are plain data formats like CSV, TXT, or JSON. Forensic analysts use specialized command-line tools to parse the raw hex data into human-readable spreadsheets. Game mod files can sometimes be viewed as raw text if they utilize standard encodings like UTF-16 LE.
Most .MFT files are extremely difficult to open or convert because only the original software or specialized forensic parsers can properly reconstruct the data structure. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or extracting the contents may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your MFT file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted MHT, $MFT, MTF, PDF, HTML, MFO, PZFX, PUG and CSV files.
If you want to convert MFT file to CSV, INDD, QXP, PUB, PMD, PM6, PM7, PM8, PM9, PM10, PM11 or OMP, you can use Microsoft Windows or similar software from the "NTFS System Metadata Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MDI, PUB, PDP, PM4, P65, COMIC, WEBTEMPLATE, PMD, SPUB, INDD, PM5 or QXP files to MFT, try Microsoft Windows or another comparable tool in the "NTFS System Metadata Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our MFT converter.