What type of information does the $mft file store in an NTFS file system?

The $MFT file, or Master File Table, in an NTFS (New Technology File System) file system serves as a critical database that stores file metadata. The $MFT contains detailed information about every file and directory within the volume, including attributes such as file name, size, creation date, last modification date, and the physical location of the file data on the disk. This comprehensive metadata management is what allows NTFS to efficiently organize and retrieve files.

While user permissions, volume structure data, and directory listings are important aspects of a file system, they are not the primary function of the $MFT. User permissions are stored as part of the file's metadata, but this is just one aspect of the broader metadata that the $MFT manages. Volume structure data pertains to how the file system is organized on a more global scale, and directory listings are often derived from the metadata stored in the $MFT but do not encompass the entirety of its contents. Therefore, the most accurate description of the role of the $MFT is that it stores file metadata.