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The new Windows installation setup doesn’t support automatic drive formatting to ReFS
Only certain Windows versions support the format.
3 min. read
Published onJanuary 30, 2024
published onJanuary 30, 2024
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Last week, Microsoft debuteda new Windows installation setupwith a new UI, with the release of the Build 26040to the Canary Channel.
The build was one of the largest of its kind in a long while and it debuted instant access to new photos from mobile devices connected to Windows 11, andLAPSreceivednew paraphrases and better readability capabilities. The80GB USB supportalso made its way to the operating system.
However, the build also came with hidden and undocumented features and changes. For instance, it was discovered that theLive captions were moved directly to the forefront of Quick Settings, allowing users to enable them with just a couple of clicks.
But the new Windows installation setup also comes with a change. It doesn’t support drive formatting to ReFS, according to Windows Insider enthusiast,@XenoPanther, who first spotted it. Users who want to assign Windows to a ReFS drive will need to manually format that drive first.
ReFS is a relatively new format, and it stands for Resilient File System. It debuted sometime around the release of Windows 8, back in 2011-2012, and installing Windows on such a drive can be quite beneficial for you, as you can see inthis article, as it can improve performance, support scalability, and, as its name suggests, it’s much more resilient to corruptions of any kind.
So, for those who choose to install Windows on such a drive, you’ll need to format it to ReFS first.
How to format a drive to ReFS?
You can format a drive to ReFS through Disk Management, or File Explorer. Both options should be fairly easy to follow.
If you choose to go through Disk Management, you’ll need to:
If you choose to go through File Explorer, you’ll need to:
It’s worth mentioning that the ReFS format is available only on certain editions of Windows 10/Windows 11, as Microsoft states:
Applies to: Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012
So, if you can’t find the ReFS format option while following the steps above, it means your Windows version does not support the format. For you to be able to format your drives to ReFS, you’ll need to enlist your device with the Windows versions mentioned above.
More about the topics:Windows 11,Windows Update
Flavius Floare
Tech Journalist
Flavius is a writer and a media content producer with a particular interest in technology, gaming, media, film and storytelling.
He’s always curious and ready to take on everything new in the tech world, covering Microsoft’s products on a daily basis. The passion for gaming and hardware feeds his journalistic approach, making him a great researcher and news writer that’s always ready to bring you the bleeding edge!
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Flavius Floare
Tech Journalist
Flavius is a writer and a media content producer with a particular interest in technology, gaming, media, film and storytelling.
