Enable or Disable ReFS File System in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10  

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    Enable or Disable ReFS File System in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10

    Enable or Disable ReFS File System in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10

    How to Enable or Disable to Format with ReFS File System in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10
    Published by Category: Hardware & Drivers
    18 Jun 2022
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Enable or Disable to Format with ReFS File System in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10


    Resilient File System (ReFS) is a new local file system supported by Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. It maximizes data availability, despite errors that would historically cause data loss or downtime. Data integrity ensures that business critical data is protected from errors and available when needed. Its architecture is designed to provide scalability and performance in an era of constantly growing data set sizes and dynamic workloads.

    While Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 natively supports ReFS drives, you are not able to format a drive with ReFS by default unless manually enabled.

    The key features of ReFS are:
    • Integrity: ReFS stores data so that it is protected from many of the common errors that can cause data loss. File system metadata is always protected. Optionally, user data can be protected on a per-volume, per-directory, or per-file basis. If corruption occurs, ReFS can detect and, when configured with Storage Spaces, automatically correct the corruption. In the event of a system error, ReFS is designed to recover from that error rapidly, with no loss of user data.
    • Availability: ReFS is designed to prioritize the availability of data. With ReFS, if corruption occurs, and it cannot be repaired automatically, the online salvage process is localized to the area of corruption, requiring no volume down-time. In short, if corruption occurs, ReFS will stay online.
    • Scalability: ReFS is designed for the data set sizes of today and the data set sizes of tomorrow; it’s optimized for high scalability.
    • App Compatibility: To maximize AppCompat, ReFS supports a subset of NTFS features plus Win32 APIs that are widely adopted.
    • Proactive Error Identification: The integrity capabilities of ReFS are leveraged by a data integrity scanner (a “scrubber”) that periodically scans the volume, attempts to identify latent corruption, and then proactively triggers a repair of that corrupt data.

    Resilient File System (ReFS)

    Creation ability to format with ReFS will only be available in the following editions: Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Pro for Workstations.

    Creation ability will be removed from all other editions. All other editions will have Read and Write ability.

    For more details about ReFS, see:

    This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the ability to format drives with ReFS (Resilient File System) in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.

    You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to enable or disable formatting with ReFS.

    You will not be able to format the Windows drive with ReFS.


    Some people have reported having issues with Windows after enabling ReFS. The main issue being reported is anything using VSS will not work until ReFS is disabled again. This includes DISM, file history, system restore, Windows backup, and system images.

    It is recommended to disable formatting with ReFS after you have formatted the drive with ReFS to avoid the issues above and still be able to use the ReFS drive.

    To be extra safe, you should also create a restore point before enabling ReFS to be safe. If you have an issue afterwards, you will then be able to do a system restore at boot and select the restore point to undo.



    EXAMPLE: Format Drive with ReFS
    Enable or Disable ReFS File System in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10-format_drive_with_refs.png



    Here's How:

    The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD values in the registry keys below.

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\MiniNT

    AllowRefsFormatOverNonmirrorVolume DWORD

    (delete MiniNT key) = disable
    1 = enable

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem

    RefsDisableLastAccessUpdate
    DWORD

    0 = Enable
    1 = Disable


    1 Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


    2 To Enable Formatting with ReFS

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Enable_formatting_with_ReFS.reg

    Download


    3 To Disable Formatting with ReFS

    This is the default setting.


    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Disable_formatting_with_ReFS.reg

    Download

    4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

    5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

    6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

    7 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


    That's it,
    Shawn






  1. Posts : 9
    Windows 10
       #1

    Doesn't works for me... Windows 10 build 14295.
    Diskpart gives me this:
    DISKPART> format fs=refs

    0 pour cent effectués

    Erreur du service de disque virtuel :
    Le système de fichiers est incompatible.
    While format gives:
    Le système de fichiers ReFS n’est pas pris en charge sur ce périphérique.
    Le formatage a échoué.
    Also not visible in format tool



    Applied following exactly the instructions, rebooted. The File System Driver isn't even loaded:
    Enable or Disable ReFS File System in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10-capture.png
    If the driver was loaded "refsv1.sys" should appear in that list.


    Why is it not working?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 68,652
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2

    Hello Charles, :)

    The error message says that ReFS is not supported on that device.

    Please go ahead and post a screenshot showing the full layout of your Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc) along with which drive you are trying to format with ReFS. This may help determine what the issue could be.

    https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1...en-forums.html
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 9
    Windows 10
       #3

    Found it... I can't format my external USB stick because it is treated as "external", but I can with my external USB hard disk, because the disk is treated as "internal" because WD apparently decided to.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 68,652
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #4

    I'm glad you found the cause of the issue, but sorry you won't be able to format it with ReFS.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 3
    Windows 10 EDU 64bit
       #5

    Hello,

    I proceeded as shown, but when I restart the computer, I only see the windows loader "gif" and nothing happens. Then I have to restart until I see the options for repairing windows. When I repair it, windows starts again and made registry changes are disappeared. Haven't I wait long enough when there was the windows loader gif? I waited an "eternity". Or what is the reason?

    I need ReFs or the possibility of more than 255 characters. I also installed Anniversary Update and tried to activate long paths, but this also didn't work, because in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy Objects\, that should be changed aren't available. When I create it, it becomes ignored. I didn't see any error messages when installing Redstone Update and there is no error when I carried out SFC Scannow. But in local group policies I have seen, that there are missing some administrative templates. But till now I couldn't change it or install the missing parts. Is there a way to reinstall it easily?

    Or do you have an answer to the origin topic of my try to enable ReFS?

    Until I got an answer, I will also test Windows 10 install on vmware player and hope that one of the tried operations will work there..

    Thanks!

    Best regards
    Nils
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 68,652
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Hello Nils, and welcome to Ten Forums. :)

    This tutorial will only enable you to be able to format drives (other than Windows system drives) with ReFS. You shouldn't need to restart the computer to apply once enabled.

    It would be best to create a new thread in the forum for your other issue to see what we can do to help with it there since it's not related to this tutorial.
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 3
    Windows 10 EDU 64bit
       #7

    Dear Brink,


    thanks for the welcome greetings and answer.



    But I didn't try to format system drive! I only made changes in registry. I only restarted PC because often changes in registry are only applied system wide until system rebooted. But this wasn't possible. I just want to format a second hdd without installed Windows systems.



    Best regards
    Nils
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 68,652
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Nils,

    It sounds like you may have some other issue at hand since the registry changes made by this don't affect anything other than being able to format with ReFS afterards.

    You might see if doing a system restore using a restore point dated before this started may help.
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 3
    Windows 10 EDU 64bit
       #9

    Hi Brink,

    I tried it on a virtual machine. There are the same entries missing in a fresh installed windows 10.

    But now it worked in the normal (not virtual) Windows 10 to to the changes and to restart. Now I can format as ReFS. But when I choose ReFS for formatting an error message occurs that formatting cannot be finished.

    Is the ReFS formatting only possible for whole drives or for one partition (beside other NTFS partitions), too?

    Best regards
    Nils
      My Computer


 

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