How to Upgrade Storage Pool for Storage Spaces in Windows 10


Storage Spaces helps protect your data from drive failures and extend storage over time as you add drives to your PC. You can use Storage Spaces to group two or more drives together in a storage pool and then use capacity from that pool to create virtual drives called storage spaces. These storage spaces typically store two copies of your data so if one of your drives fails, you still have an intact copy of your data. If you run low on capacity, just add more drives to the storage pool.

If you created a storage pool in Windows 8.1 and either upgraded to Windows 10 or moved (connected) the storage pool drives to Windows 10, it is recommend that you upgrade your existing pools for Windows 10. With an upgraded pool, you can optimize drive usage and remove drives from pools without affecting the pool's protection from drive failure.

This tutorial will show you how to upgrade a storage pool created in Windows 8.1 for Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to upgrade a storage pool.

Upgraded storage pools aren't compatible with previous versions of Windows (ex: Windows 8.1).
Upgrade Storage Pool for Storage Spaces in Windows 10-drives_unrecognized.jpg


Issue with some Storage Spaces configurations after updating to Windows 10, version 2004 and Windows Server, version 2004 | Microsoft Support

Workaround and recovery steps for issue with some Parity Storage Spaces after updating to Windows 10, version 2004 and Windows Server, version 2004 | Microsoft Support



Contents

  • Option One: To Upgrade a Storage Pool in Storage Spaces Settings
  • Option Two: To Upgrade a Storage Pool in PowerShell






OPTION ONE

To Upgrade a Storage Pool in Storage Spaces Settings


1 Open Settings, click/tap on the System icon, click/tap on Storage on the left side, and click/tap on the Manage Storage Spaces link on the right side. (see screenshot below)

You can also open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Storage Spaces icon instead.

Upgrade Storage Pool for Storage Spaces in Windows 10-storage_spaces.jpg

2 Click/tap on the Change settings button, click/tap on Yes if prompted by UAC, and click/tap on the Upgrade pool link for the storage pool you want to upgrade. (see screenshot below)

Upgrade Storage Pool for Storage Spaces in Windows 10-upgrade_storage_pool-1.jpg

3 Click/tap on Upgrade pool to confirm. (see screenshot below)

Upgrade Storage Pool for Storage Spaces in Windows 10-upgrade_storage_pool-2.jpg

4 The storage pool will now be upgraded for Windows 10. (see screenshot below)

Upgrade Storage Pool for Storage Spaces in Windows 10-upgrade_storage_pool-3.jpg






OPTION TWO

To Upgrade a Storage Pool in PowerShell


1 Open an elevated PowerShell.

2 Type the command below into the elevated PowerShell, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

Get-StoragePool

Upgrade Storage Pool for Storage Spaces in Windows 10-upgrade_storage_pool_powershell-1.jpg

3 Make note of the friendly name (ex: "Storage pool") of the storage pool you want to upgrade. (see screenshot above)

4 Type the command below into the elevated PowerShell, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

For more Upgrade-StoragePool command usage options, see: Upgrade-StoragePool | Microsoft Docs


Upgrade-StoragePool -FriendlyName "Name"

Substitute Name in the command above with the actual name (ex: "Storage pool") of the storage pool from step 3 above.

For example: Upgrade-StoragePool -FriendlyName "Storage pool"

Upgrade Storage Pool for Storage Spaces in Windows 10-upgrade_storage_pool_powershell-2.jpg


5 When prompted in PowerShell, type Y and press Enter to confirm. (see screenshot above)

6 When finished, you can close the elevated PowerShell.


That's it,
Shawn