A computing device has a storage volume, a file system managing the storage volume, and a file stored on the storage volume and accessed by such file system. The file system receives an open command for the file from an application, notes that the file has been ghosted in that data of the file has been moved to an alternate location, and returns an error. The returned error is intercepted and the file system is commanded to retrieve ghosting information from the ghosted file. A handle corresponding to the ghosted file is delivered to the application, and a read command for the file is received from the application, including the handle, an offset, and a read length. Reconstituting of the ghosted file is initiated based on the data thereof at the alternate location, and after reconstituting the read command is responded to with the data requested.