Abstract: A file management system and method for implementing special handling of files, useful for such applications as migration, compression, encryption, and logging access to files. A layer is superimposed between an underlying file system and programs' requests to access files. The layer initiates special handling in response to a file's normal attributes or information in the contents of the file and then passes the request to the underlying file system for normal proceeding. In the preferred embodiment, a file is recognized as a representation of a migrated file if the length attribute has a predetermined value and the file contains a unique pattern of bits.