How can I efficiently detect file changes on an NTFS volume using the FSCTL_ENUM_USN_DATA function?

Detecting Changes on a Volume: A Detailed Solution

To effectively detect file deletions, modifications, and creations on an NTFS volume, you can utilize the FSCTL_ENUM_USN_DATA function. This approach offers several advantages:

• Fast Enumeration: It efficiently scans the volume, retrieving only existing files with a performance of over 6000 records per second.
• Detailed Information: It provides comprehensive data, including file flags and USNs, enabling precise change detection methods.
• Hierarchical File Data: By matching parent IDs with file IDs, you can reconstruct the complete file path for each detected file.

Implementation Steps:

1. Enumerate Files: Use FSCTL_ENUM_USN_DATA to retrieve records for all existing files.
2. Identify Changes: Analyze the file flags and USNs to determine which files have been modified, created, or deleted.
3. Reconstruct File Paths: Match parent IDs with file IDs to obtain the full paths of the affected files.

An example C program demonstrating this approach is provided below, searching for files named "test.txt" and displaying information about their changes and parent directories:

<code class="c++">#include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>

#define BUFFER_SIZE (1024 * 1024)

int main() {
  HANDLE drive = CreateFileW(L"\\?\c:", GENERIC_READ, FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE, NULL, OPEN_ALWAYS, FILE_FLAG_NO_BUFFERING, NULL);

  MFT_ENUM_DATA mft_enum_data;
  USN maxusn;
  USN_RECORD *record;

  // Query USN journal for information
  if (DeviceIoControl(drive, FSCTL_QUERY_USN_JOURNAL, NULL, 0, &maxusn, sizeof(USN), NULL, NULL)) {
    mft_enum_data.StartFileReferenceNumber = 0;
    mft_enum_data.LowUsn = 0;
    mft_enum_data.HighUsn = maxusn;
    
    DWORDLONG nextid, filecount = 0;

    for (;;) {
      void *buffer = VirtualAlloc(NULL, BUFFER_SIZE, MEM_RESERVE | MEM_COMMIT, PAGE_READWRITE);

      if (DeviceIoControl(drive, FSCTL_ENUM_USN_DATA, &mft_enum_data, sizeof(mft_enum_data), buffer, BUFFER_SIZE, NULL, NULL)) {
        nextid = *((DWORDLONG *)buffer);

        record = (USN_RECORD *)((USN *)buffer + 1);
        while (record FileNameOffset);
          if (wcsncmp(filename, L"test.txt", 8) == 0) {
            printf("=================================================================\n");
            printf("RecordLength: %u\n", record->RecordLength);
            printf("MajorVersion: %u\n", (DWORD)record->MajorVersion);
            printf("MinorVersion: %u\n", (DWORD)record->MinorVersion);
            printf("FileReferenceNumber: %lu\n", record->FileReferenceNumber);
            printf("ParentFRN: %lu\n", record->ParentFileReferenceNumber);
            printf("USN: %lu\n", record->Usn);
            printf("Timestamp: %lu\n", record->TimeStamp);
            printf("Reason: %u\n", record->Reason);
            printf("SourceInfo: %u\n", record->SourceInfo);
            printf("SecurityId: %u\n", record->SecurityId);
            printf("FileAttributes: %x\n", record->FileAttributes);
            printf("FileNameLength: %u\n", (DWORD)record->FileNameLength);
            printf("FileName: %.*ls\n", record->FileNameLength, filename);
            
            // Reconstruct file path by matching parent file reference numbers
            DWORD bytecount;
            if (DeviceIoControl(drive, FSCTL_ENUM_USN_DATA, &mft_enum_data, sizeof(mft_enum_data), buffer, BUFFER_SIZE, &bytecount, NULL)) {
              USN_RECORD *parent_record = (USN_RECORD *)((USN *)buffer + 1);
              if (parent_record->FileReferenceNumber == record->ParentFileReferenceNumber) {
                printf("Parent File:\n");
                printf("=================================================================\n");
                printf("FileName: %.*ls\n", parent_record->FileNameLength, (WCHAR *)(((BYTE *)parent_record) + parent_record->FileNameOffset));
              }
            }
          }
          record = (USN_RECORD *)(((BYTE *)record) + record->RecordLength);
        }
        mft_enum_data.StartFileReferenceNumber = nextid;
      } else {
        printf("FSCTL_ENUM_USN_DATA failed\n");
        break;
      }
      if (nextid == 0) break;
    }
    printf("Total Files: %lu\n", filecount);
  } else {
    printf("FSCTL_QUERY_USN_JOURNAL failed\n");
  }

  if (drive != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
    CloseHandle(drive);

  return 0;
}</stdio.h></windows.h></code>

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