ReFS Archives

Winsage

April 26, 2025

3 reasons you shouldn’t use Btrfs, ReFS, or ZFS on Windows

Windows has relied on the NTFS file system for many years, while alternatives like Microsoft's ReFS, ZFS, and Btrfs have emerged. ZFS and Btrfs are not officially supported on Windows, leading users to depend on community-developed drivers that can cause stability issues, including crashes and blue screens of death. Performance tests show that ReFS underperforms compared to NTFS, with significant declines in disk performance across various metrics. Similar performance issues have been reported for Btrfs. Additionally, ReFS lacks certain features available in NTFS, such as support for portable media, specific encryption options, extended file attributes, and disk quotas. Currently, Windows is not fully equipped to support these newer file systems, and while ReFS is under development, the future of ZFS and Btrfs on Windows remains uncertain.

Winsage

April 23, 2025

I tried installing Windows on an ReFS drive, and I actually don’t hate it

Microsoft has been developing a new file system called ReFS (Resilient File System) to eventually replace NTFS. Users can boot Windows 11 from an ReFS drive, but the setup process is complex and requires formatting the drive using the Command Prompt. After installation, Windows 11 operates normally on ReFS, offering advantages in data resiliency and durability, especially for virtual hard disks and Storage Spaces. However, performance tests show that ReFS is slower than NTFS across various metrics, indicating it may not provide speed enhancements for general use. ReFS is seen as a promising alternative to NTFS, with potential future improvements in performance, particularly for specialized workloads.

Winsage

April 16, 2025

What does Microsoft’s new ReFS file system mean for Windows?

The NTFS file system has been the default for Windows operating systems for decades, but Microsoft is developing the Resilient File System (ReFS), which has been in use primarily in Windows Server environments since its introduction in 2012. ReFS is designed to enhance system and data resilience, featuring error detection and correction capabilities, a data integrity scanner, and the ability to repair detected corruption using another volume. It supports file and volume sizes up to 35 petabytes and includes advanced features like Block Clone and Sparse VDL, which improve performance in specific scenarios. However, ReFS is not a full replacement for NTFS, as it lacks several critical features such as file system compression, encryption, bootable media support, and support for removable media. Its current limitations make it unsuitable for typical home PC use, and while it may eventually replace NTFS, this transition is not expected to happen soon. ReFS is primarily designed for specialized applications involving large data sets and environments with multiple drives.

Winsage

April 9, 2025

4 reasons I use virtual hard disks in Windows, and you should too

Creating virtual hard disks (VHD or VHDX) in Windows 11 23H2 and later is straightforward through the Settings app. Users can create a VHD by navigating to Settings -> System -> Storage -> Advanced storage settings -> Disks and volumes, where they can choose to create a VHD or Dev Drive. The VHD format supports up to 2040GB, while VHDX supports up to 64TB and offers resilience during power failures. VHDX can be encrypted with BitLocker for password protection. Virtual disks can be shared over a network, enhancing efficiency by eliminating the need for physical media. They are cost-effective compared to physical drives, reducing hardware costs and potential points of failure. The Hyper-V hypervisor provides a versatile platform for these virtual drives, which offer portability, flexibility, ease of sharing, efficient backups, and robust security, though they may have slower performance than SSDs and limited native boot support for Windows.

Winsage

March 28, 2025

Microsoft’s ReFS file system resurfaces in latest Windows 11 build

Microsoft's Resilient File System (ReFS) was introduced in 2012 with Windows Server 2012 and has been relatively obscure compared to NTFS. It has recently emerged as an optional feature in a preview build of Windows 11 (Build 27823), allowing users to format partitions with a "Flexible Storage" option, offering a choice between NTFS and ReFS. ReFS is designed for larger storage capacities, can format partitions up to 35 petabytes, and supports single files as large as the entire volume. It includes advanced features like block cloning and file-level snapshots but lacks support for certain NTFS functionalities such as bootable volumes and file compression. Currently, ReFS is primarily aimed at enterprise and server environments, but its inclusion in Windows 11 may indicate plans for broader consumer access. The open-source community is developing unofficial documentation for ReFS, and Paragon Software has created a closed-source ReFS driver.

Winsage

December 11, 2024

Microsoft Fixes Zero-Day, Critical RCEs in Patch Tuesday

A Windows zero-day security vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-49138 (CVSS 7.8), exists in the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) Driver, allowing privilege escalation. This vulnerability can be exploited by manipulating log files or corrupting log data, potentially leading to SYSTEM-level privileges on Windows Server. Microsoft’s December 2024 Patch Tuesday update includes 71 patches, bringing the total for the year to 1,020, with 16 classified as critical. Among these, CVE-2024-49112 (CVSS 9.8) is a critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in Windows LDAP, which can compromise Domain Controllers. CVE-2024-49117 (CVSS 8.8) affects Windows Hyper-V, allowing code execution on the host OS from a guest VM. Additionally, CVE-2024-49132 (CVSS 8.1) impacts Windows Remote Desktop Services, enabling RCE through a use-after-free memory condition. Other vulnerabilities include CVE-2024-49093 (CVSS 8.8), an elevation of privilege flaw in Windows Resilient File System (ReFS), and CVE-2024-49063, an RCE issue in the Musik project related to AI-generated music.

Winsage

November 4, 2024

Windows Server 2025 now generally available, with advanced security, improved performance, and cloud agility – Microsoft Windows Server Blog

Windows Server 2025 is now generally available, featuring enhanced security capabilities such as improvements to Active Directory, SMB hardening with SMB over QUIC, and Delegate Managed Service Accounts for automated password management. It also introduces hybrid cloud capabilities like hotpatching enabled by Azure Arc, easy Azure Arc onboarding, and unified network policy management. The platform supports demanding workloads with built-in GPU partitioning, NVMe storage performance improvements, and significant enhancements in Hyper-V performance and scalability. System Center 2025 has been released alongside Windows Server 2025, offering improved management capabilities. Microsoft Ignite 2024 will showcase these features, and existing Windows Server customers can access Azure management tools at no extra cost.

Winsage

November 4, 2024

Windows Server 2025 released—here are the new features

Microsoft has launched Windows Server 2025, which will be generally available starting November 1, 2024. The new version includes features such as hotpatching, next-gen Active Directory, and SMB over QUIC alternative ports. Windows Server is available through the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) and the Annual Channel (AC). Key enhancements include: - Hotpatching enabled by Azure Arc for automatic updates and backup options. - NVMe storage performance improvements, offering up to 60% more IOPs compared to Windows Server 2022. - Block cloning support using the ReFS file system. - New Active Directory functionalities, including AD object repair and improved security. - Credential Guard for safeguarding against credential theft. - SMB hardening with secure access to file shares over the Internet. - Delegate Managed Service Accounts (dMSA) for automated password management. - Accelerated Networking (AccelNet) for reduced latency and CPU utilization. - DTrace for real-time system performance monitoring. - Virtualization-based security (VBS) enclaves for enhanced security. - Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) for unique password generation and management. Microsoft is investigating known issues, including installation failures and BSOD errors for systems with more than 256 logical processors, boot issues in iSCSI environments, and language display problems during setup. Windows Server 2025 will reach its end of support on October 10, 2029, with extended support ending on October 10, 2034. A free 180-day trial is available through the Microsoft Evaluation Center.

Winsage

October 19, 2024

The gamepad of portable consoles has become more convenient for typing in Windows 11

Microsoft has introduced enhancements in Windows 11, focusing on gamers and developers. Key features include an on-screen keyboard for gamepad users, currently available for testing in Windows 11 Preview Build 22631.4387, which allows text entry and navigation using Xbox controllers. Other updates include a refined messaging system, quick access to Phone Link from the Start menu, and customizable Copilot key remapping. The Windows 11 24H2 update also adds support for the ReFS (Resilient File System) on desktop computers, previously limited to server versions. ReFS offers block cloning for faster file copying, with claims of up to 94% speed improvement over NTFS for transferring large files. It is designed for server applications and large file storage, featuring integrity checking and automatic backup mechanisms. ReFS is presented in the Dev Drive format for developers and professionals, optimizing file management and performance for storage operations, while not intended for operating system installations. Its practicality for everyday home users may be limited.

Winsage

October 16, 2024

Dev boasts “tiny” Windows 11 24H2 that you can run off a DVD

Microsoft unveiled Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024, generating interest in the tech community. NTDEV released an update to tiny11, based on Windows 11 LTSC 2024, with a size of 3.54 GB that fits on a standard DVD. This compression is achieved using LZX delta compression. Tiny11 can operate on as little as 176 MB of RAM, and a "text-only" version has been created that requires only 100 MB of RAM.