NL_Info: Content plugin showing information about NTFS links

[Flint]

I wrote a new plugin: NL_Info.
It shows information about hard links and reparse points on NTFS volumes. It allows to display number of hard links for every file, and also the type and the target for reparse points (junctions and mount points; the other name is symbolic links). The detailed description of all plugin's fields is in the ReadMe-file in the archive.

Download the latest version:
x32+x64 / mirror (43 Kb)
Source code (C++) / mirror (14 Kb)

[icfu]

Very useful, thanks.

Icfu

[Symlink]

Thank you for making your plugin available. Unfortunately I have a problem using it. When I try loading it (either via automatic installation or via the plugin configuration interface dialog) it tells me: "Error loading plugin file! The plugin probably needs some DLLs missing on your system." What DLLs could these be? I am using Windows 2000 SP4 so I guessed junction support should be included already.

Thanks for any help.
Regards,
Sym

[Lefteous]

2Symlink
Is there a file MFC42U.DLL in your System32 directory? It's required by the plugin.

[Flint]

MFC42U.DLL can be found on this address:
http://wincmd.ru/files/mfc42u.rar
I have not seen any system without this file, that's why I thought it is present everywhere...

I added the link in the first post.

[franck8244]

From fileinfo.wlx, there is a function missing in Kernel32.dll :

GetVolumePathNameForVolumeNameW

[Flint]

franck8244
Oh, you are right... This function appeared in WinXP, not in Win2000...
Can you try please the file http://webfile.ru/193993 - will it work?

[franck8244]

2Flint

FileInfo.wlx said that is was OK .... (no missing functions)

I can't tell you more because I have no "junction"... but it should work

[Flint]

I tried on some other machine that works under Win2000 and it works correctly... So, version 1.01.
The download link remains the same: http://wincmd.ru/download.php?id=nl_info

[Lefteous]

2Flint
Hi,

I have some little requests for your nice plugin:
1) The term junction is not used correctly in your plugin. "Reparse point" would be correct.
2) For the junction type it would be nice to have an additional entry to choose from "No reparse point" or "ordinary directory". When I want to select everything what is not a junction in a directory I have to select the junctions and then invert the selection.
3) An additional field "Valid target" (Yes/no) would be nice. I would like to find junctions pointing to deleted directories. Currently I have to do this manually...

Thanks in advance!

[Flint]

Lefteous

1) The term junction is not used correctly in your plugin. "Reparse point" would be correct.

I took the terms from the source code of the program "junction.exe" (and also from its name ) by Mark Russinovich who is a very qualified specialist in Windows. I think, he use the correct terminology.

2) For the junction type it would be nice to have an additional entry to choose from "No reparse point" or "ordinary directory". When I want to select everything what is not a junction in a directory I have to select the junctions and then invert the selection.

Hm... Maybe, I will add this as an additional field type, because when I use the plugin by myself, the empty fields near the usual folders help me very much to quickly distinguish them from the reparse points.

3) An additional field "Valid target" (Yes/no) would be nice. I would like to find junctions pointing to deleted directories. Currently I have to do this manually...

A very good idea! I'll surely add this in the next version, thanks!

[Lefteous]

2Flint

took the terms from the source code of the program "junction.exe" (and also from its name Smile ) by Mark Russinovich who is a very qualified specialist in Windows. I think, he use the correct terminology.

Here is another trusted source.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/fileio/fs/hard_links_and_junctions.asp

A junction (also called a soft link) differs from a hard link in that the storage objects it references are separate directories, and a junction can link directories located on different local volumes on the same computer. Otherwise, junctions operate identically to hard links. Soft links are implemented through reparse points.

So it means a junction point is a kind of reparse point. It doesn't sound logical to me that a junction should be a junction type.

Hm... Maybe, I will add this as an additional field type, because when I use the plugin by myself, the empty fields near the usual folders help me very much to quickly distinguish them from the reparse points.

Yes that's true in general but it doesn't help if I want to select based on a user-defined selection.

A very good idea! I'll surely add this in the next version, thanks!

Thanks in advance.

[Flint]

Lefteous

So it means a junction point is a kind of reparse point. It doesn't sound logical to me that a junction is a type of a junction.

Ah, I didn't understand what you meant in the previous message. I thought you were speaking about the "Junction" that is present in the list of possible types (along with "Mount Point", "Symbolic Link" and so on). But you speak about the "Junction Type" field name, don't you? In this case you are right. Thank you for pointing to that, I'll correct it.

[Flint]

So it means a junction point is a kind of reparse point. It doesn't sound logical to me that a junction should be a junction type.

Thanks in advance.

Are you thanking yourself?

[Lefteous]

2Flint

Ah, I didn't understand what you meant in the previous message. I thought you were speaking about the "Junction" that is present in the list of possible types (along with "Mount Point", "Symbolic Link" and so on). But you speak about the "Junction Type" field name, don't you? In this case you are right. Thank you for pointing to that, I'll correct it.

Exactly. Nothing to add. Thanks you!