Is it safe to delete the System Volume Information folder?

Question

I have a 3 TB external NTFS drive I was originally using on Windows. I'm now using it on a Linux samba fileserver, and there's a folder named "System Volume Information" on the HDD root. Windows wouldn't even let me see the contents of this folder, it consists of only a tracking.log file and a EfaData folder with a single file in it named SYMEFA.DB.

I don't know the purpose of this folder, nor if it is necessary for partition or data integrity This question shows how to delete the folder, but not in which ocasions it should (or shouldn't) be deleted.

Is it always safe to delete this folder? If not, then when?

Solution

That folder is for holding Windows-specific files, like Shadow Copies.

If you're not using the drive on a Windows machine anymore, then feel free to delete it.

Comments

[Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007]

"I don't know the purpose of this folder" then why not look that up? It's not like it's a big mystery. :) About $Recycle.bin, Recycler and System Volume Information Folders in Windows, What's the deal with the System Volume Information folder?, How to gain access to the System Volume Information folder.

[and31415]

Is there a particular reason why you want to delete it?

[That Brazilian Guy]

@and31415 it just annoys me to see the folder there.

[Der_Meister]

SYMEFA.DB is created by Symantec Endpoint Protection.