Microsoft’s new ReFS file system was originally introduced on Windows Server 2012. It’s included on Windows 10, where it can only be used as part of the drive-poolingStorage Spaces feature. ReFS will be improved in Windows Server 2016, and will be part of Windows 10 Pro for Workstations.
But what is ReFS, and how does it compare to the currently-used NTFS?
What Is ReFS?
RELATED: What's the Difference Between FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS?
Short for “Resilient File System”, ReFS is a new file system built using code from the current NTFS file system. At the moment, ReFS is not just a replacement for NTFS. It has its own advantages and disadvantages. You can’t just use ReFS instead of NTFS on your system drive.
As ReFS is Microsoft’s newest file system,it’s designed to address a few major issues with NTFS. ReFS is designed to be more resilient against data corruption, perform better for certain workloads, and scale betterfor very large file systems. We’ll look at exactly what that means.
ReFS Protects Against Data Corruption
The “Resilient” part is highlighted in the name. ReFS uses checksums for metadata—and it can optionally use checksums for file data, too. Whenever it reads or writes a file, ReFS examines the checksum to ensure it’s correct. This means the file system itself has a built-in way to detect data corruption on the fly.
RELATED: How to Use Windows 10's Storage Spaces to Mirror and Combine Drives
ReFS is integrated with the Storage Spaces feature.If you set up a mirrored Storage Space using ReFS, Windows can easily detect file system corruption and automatically repair problems by copying the alternate copy of the data on another drive. This feature is available on both Windows 10 and Windows 8.1.
If ReFS detects corrupted data and doesn’t have an alternate copy it can restore from, the file system can immediately remove the corrupted data from the drive. It doesn’t require you reboot your system or take the drive offline, as NTFS does.
ReFS doesn’t just check files for corruption when reading and writing them. An automated data integrity scanner regularly checks all files on the drive to identify and fix data corruption, too. It’s an auto-correcting file system. You don’t need to use chkdsk at all.
The new file system is also resistant to data corruption in other ways, too. For example, when you update a file’s metadata—the file name, for example—the NTFS file system will directly modify the file’s metadata. If your computer fails or the power goes out during this process, there may be data corruption. When you update a file’s metadata, the ReFS file system will create a new copy of the metadata. ReFS points the file at the new metadata only after the new metadata is written. There’s no risk of the file’s metadata being corrupted. This is known as “copy-on-write”. Copy-on-write is also available on other modern file systems, like ZFS and BtrFS on Linux as well as Apple’s new APFS file system.
ReFS Drops Some Old NTFS Limitations
ReFS is more modern than NTFS, and supports much larger volumes and longer file names. In the long term, these are important improvements.
On an NTFS file system, file paths are limited to 255 characters. With ReFS, a file name can be up to 32768 characters long. Windows 10 now allows you to disable this short character limit for NTFS file systems, but it’s always disabled on ReFS volumes.
ReFS also discards the DOS-style 8.3 filenames. On an NTFS volume, you can still access C:\Program Files\ atC:\PROGRA~1\ for compatibility purposes with old software. These legacy file names are gone on ReFS.
NTFS has a theoretical maximum volume size of 16 exabytes, while ReFS has a theoretical maximum volume size of 262144 exabytes. That doesn’t matter much right now, but it will one day.
ReFS Can BeFaster, Sometimes
ReFS isn’t just designed to improve all performance over NTFS. Instead, Microsoft is focusing on a few important optimizations that make ReFS perform much better in certain cases.
For example, when used with Storage Spaces, ReFS supports “real-time tier optimization”. You could have a drive poolwith both drives optimized for performance and drives optimized for capacity. ReFS will always write to the drives in the performance tier, maximizing performance. In the background, ReFS will automatically move large chunks of data to the slower drives for long term storage.
On Windows Server 2016, Microsoft improved ReFS to offer better performance with certain virtual machine features. Microsoft’s own Hyper-V virtual machine software takes advantage of these (and in theory, other virtual machine software could support them if they wanted to).
For example, ReFS supports block cloning, which accelerates virtual machinecloning and checkpoint-merging operations. To create a cloned copy of a virtual machine, ReFS only needs to create a new copy of metadata on the drive and point it at an existing data on the drive.That’s because, with ReFS, multiple files can point to the same underlying data on disk. When the virtual machine changes and new data is written to the drive, it’s written to a different location and the original virtual machine data is left on the drive. This makes the cloning process much faster and requires much less disk throughput.
ReFS also offers a new “sparse VDL” feature that allows ReFS to quickly write zeros to a large file. This makes it much faster to create a new, empty, fixed-sized virtual hard disk (VHD) file. Whereas this might take 10 minutes with NTFS, it can take just a few seconds with ReFS.
ReFSCan’t Replace NTFS (Yet)
All these features sound pretty good, but you can’t just switch to ReFS from NTFS. Windows cannot boot from a ReFS file system, and requires NTFS.
ReFS also omits other features NTFS includes, including file system compression and encryption, hard links, extended attributes, data deduplication, and disk quotas. However, ReFS is compatible with a variety of features. For example, while you can’t perform encryption of specific data at the file system level, ReFS is compatible with full-disk BitLocker encryption.
Windows 10 does not allow you to format any old partition as ReFS, either. You can currently only use ReFS with Storage Spaces, where its reliability features help protect against data corruption. On Windows Server 2016, you can choose to format volumes with ReFS instead of NTFS. You might want to do this for a volume you plan on storing virtual machines on, for example. However, you still can’t use ReFS on your boot volume. Windows can only boot from an NTFS drive.
It’s unclear what the future holds for ReFS. Microsoft may one day improve it until it can fully take the place of NTFS on all versions of Windows. It’s unclear when this may happen. But, for now, ReFS can only be used for specific tasks.
You’ll find more details about ReFS and the specific features it supports on Microsoft’s website.
How to Use ReFS
On a typical Windows 10 PC, you can only use ReFS through the Storage Spaces feature. Be sure to format your Storage Spaces as ReFS and not NTFS when you see the file system option. You’ll automatically benefit from the data integrity features in the ReFS file system if you choose it.
On Windows Server, you can choose to format some volumes as ReFS using the normal disk management tools, which may be particularly useful if you’re using virtual machines on those drives. But you can’t format your boot drive as ReFS, and you’ll lose access to some NTFS features.
ReFS functionality is now available as part of Windows 10 Pro for Workstationsas well as Windows 10 Enterprise.
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FAQs
Is ReFS a valid file system for Windows? ›
The Resilient File System (ReFS) is Microsoft's newest file system, designed to maximize data availability, scale efficiently to large data sets across diverse workloads, and provide data integrity with resiliency to corruption.
Is ReFS any good? ›ReFS is a more modern file system than NTFS with some amazing data resiliency benefits when used with Storage Spaces Direct, as well as performance benefits in specific circumstances, which is why it's the preferred file system for Hyper-V cluster deployments.
What uses ReFS file system? ›Resilient File System (ReFS) is a file system developed by Microsoft for use on the Windows operating system (OS) that's designed to overcome some of the limitations in the New Technology File System (NTFS).
How do I use Windows ReFS? ›On a regular PC with Windows 10 you can only use ReFS through the Disk Management feature. Be sure to format your storage spaces as ReFS, not NTFS, when you select the file system option. You can automatically use the data integrity functions in the ReFS file system if you select it.
Whats the meaning of ReFS? ›Word forms: plural refs. 1. Ref. is an abbreviation for reference. It is written in front of a code at the top of business letters and documents. The code refers to a file where all the letters and documents about the same matter are kept.
What are the advantages of ReFS? ›The key design advantages of ReFS include automatic integrity checking and data scrubbing, elimination of the need for running chkdsk, protection against data degradation, built-in handling of hard disk drive failure and redundancy, integration of RAID functionality, a switch to copy/allocate on write for data and ...
Why did Microsoft remove ReFS? ›Limited Compression & Encryption Support
In it's current version, ReFS doesn't support file-level compression and encryption and it's support for Windows Bit-locker is little finicky, unlike NTFS which is fully compatible.
The main purpose of ReFS is to improve resilience and reliability to ensure data corruption is prevented. In the CSV configuration, NTFS is the preferred file system. In contrast, with Storage Spaces Direct (S2D), ReFS is the preferred file system. Meanwhile, ReFS supports both 4K and 64K cluster sizes.
What is difference between NTFS and ReFS? ›NTFS edits a file's metadata directly, which risks data damage or loss in the event of a power or operating system failure. In contrast, ReFS creates a copy when editing the metadata, and only links the data to its corresponding file after the metadata has been written to the disk.
How do I enable ReFS file system? ›- Running the registry editor (Win+R and enter regedit);
- Go to this branch: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem;
- In the right part of the window, create a 32-bit DWORD parameter, with the name RefsDisableLastAccessUpdate;
- Enter 1 as a value.
Can Windows boot from ReFS file system? ›
ReFS cannot be used for the system drive/boot drive of the Windows operating system. In fact, you do not see an option to format your boot drive with ReFS during Windows installation, as NTFS is still the way to go for the operating system.
Can I use ReFS on Windows 10? ›Unless you are running Windows 10 Enterprise or Windows 10 Professional for Workstations you won't be able to create a new ReFS volume. Supported versions of Windows Server obviously also natively support the creation of ReFS volumes.
What is the difference between fat32 NTFS and ReFS? ›NTFS supports up to 256TB file size and volume size (64KB cluster size), while ReFS supports up to 35PB file size and volume size. ReFS is designed to support extremely large data sets without negatively impacting performance, achieving greater scale than prior file systems.
Which storage type is highly resilient to corruption? ›The ReFS file system (Resilient File System) is the Microsoft latest file system, designed to optimize data availability, efficiently manage scalability for large amounts of data, and to ensure data integrity through so-called “resilience” to file corruption.
Which of the following features isn't supported by ReFS? ›Some NTFS features are not implemented in ReFS. These include object IDs, 8.3 filename, NTFS-compression, Encrypting File System (EFS), transactional NTFS, hard links, extended attributes, and disk quotas.
What is the meaning of ref number? ›A reference number is a unique identifier assigned to any financial transaction including those made using a credit or debit card. The reference number is created technologically and designated for a single transaction.
What is ref React? ›Refs is the shorthand used for references in React. It is similar to keys in React. It is an attribute which makes it possible to store a reference to particular DOM nodes or React elements. It provides a way to access React DOM nodes or React elements and how to interact with it.
What does ref mean discord? ›REF means "Refugee."
What is file system and file type? ›In a computer, a file system -- sometimes written filesystem -- is the way in which files are named and where they are placed logically for storage and retrieval. Without a file system, stored information wouldn't be isolated into individual files and would be difficult to identify and retrieve.
What are Windows storage spaces? ›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.
Which of the following file system provides security? ›
Encrypting File System provides an added layer of protection by encrypting files or folders on various versions of the Microsoft Windows OS. EFS is a functionality of New Technology File System (NTFS) and is built into a device via the OS.
Can you install Windows 11 on ReFS? ›Win 11 can read an ReFS volume, but you cannot create one. The only exception is the Pro for Workstations and Enterprise editions of Windows. There are simply too many limitations to ReFS.
Are ReFS abandoned? ›ReFS is a poor man's version of btrfs much in the same way btrfs is a poor man's version of ZFS. It's also apparent that ReFS is basically abandoned.
What file system is NTFS? ›NTFS—the primary file system for recent versions of Windows and Windows Server—provides a full set of features including security descriptors, encryption, disk quotas, and rich metadata, and can be used with Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV) to provide continuously available volumes that can be accessed simultaneously from ...
Is exFAT better than NTFS? ›In a debate regarding exFAT vs NTFS vs FAT32, NTFS is the best format for storage devices with Windows operating system. However, exFAT is best for portable storage devices due to more efficient power and memory management. It also allows you to use a storage device on both Windows and macOS.
What is exFAT vs FAT32? ›FAT32 is for transferring smaller files from device to device. exFAT is for storing large files on external drives and flash storage devices. Their use isn't limited, but you may find your experience with formatting easier with these two rules.
What is NTFS permissions and share permissions? ›NTFS permissions apply to users who are logged on to the server locally; share permissions don't. Unlike NTFS permissions, share permissions allow you to restrict the number of concurrent connections to a shared folder. Share permissions are configured in the “Advanced Sharing” properties in the “Permissions” settings.
What is cluster size in NTFS? ›By default, the maximum cluster size for NTFS under Windows NT 4.0 and later versions of Windows is 4 kilobytes (KB). This is because NTFS file compression is not possible on drives that have a larger cluster size.
What file systems are supported by Windows Server 2016? ›They are NTFS and ReFS.
Should I use ReFS or NTFS? ›The main purpose of ReFS is to improve resilience and reliability to ensure data corruption is prevented. In the CSV configuration, NTFS is the preferred file system. In contrast, with Storage Spaces Direct (S2D), ReFS is the preferred file system. Meanwhile, ReFS supports both 4K and 64K cluster sizes.
Can Windows boot from ReFS file system? ›
ReFS cannot be used for the system drive/boot drive of the Windows operating system. In fact, you do not see an option to format your boot drive with ReFS during Windows installation, as NTFS is still the way to go for the operating system.
Why did Microsoft remove ReFS? ›Limited Compression & Encryption Support
In it's current version, ReFS doesn't support file-level compression and encryption and it's support for Windows Bit-locker is little finicky, unlike NTFS which is fully compatible.
Current Windows 10 Pro already supports ReFS and can be used to create ReFS volumes on Storage Spaces. However, Windows machines must still use the traditional NTFS file system for certain roles, as ReFS is not yet bootable even in Windows 10 Pro for Workstations.
What is the difference between FAT32 NTFS and ReFS? ›NTFS supports up to 256TB file size and volume size (64KB cluster size), while ReFS supports up to 35PB file size and volume size. ReFS is designed to support extremely large data sets without negatively impacting performance, achieving greater scale than prior file systems.
Are ReFS NTFS compatible? ›ReFS structures are designed to be highly compatible with NTFS and also include a number of features to ensure reliable and secure data storage. ReFS is notable for its use of checksums for both metadata and file data.
What does NTFS stand for? ›NT file system (NTFS), which is also sometimes called the New Technology File System, is a process that the Windows NT operating system uses for storing, organizing, and finding files on a hard disk efficiently. NTFS was first introduced in 1993, as apart of the Windows NT 3.1 release.
Can you install Windows 11 on ReFS? ›Win 11 can read an ReFS volume, but you cannot create one. The only exception is the Pro for Workstations and Enterprise editions of Windows. There are simply too many limitations to ReFS.
How do I enable ReFS in Windows 10? ›- Running the registry editor (Win+R and enter regedit);
- Go to this branch: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem;
- In the right part of the window, create a 32-bit DWORD parameter, with the name RefsDisableLastAccessUpdate;
- Enter 1 as a value.
ReFS is designed to support extremely large data sets – millions of terabytes – without affecting performance, resulting in greater scalability than previous file systems.
Are ReFS abandoned? ›ReFS is a poor man's version of btrfs much in the same way btrfs is a poor man's version of ZFS. It's also apparent that ReFS is basically abandoned.
Which of the following features isn't supported by ReFS? ›
Some NTFS features are not implemented in ReFS. These include object IDs, 8.3 filename, NTFS-compression, Encrypting File System (EFS), transactional NTFS, hard links, extended attributes, and disk quotas.
What are Windows Storage spaces? ›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.
What file system is best for Windows 10? ›NTFS (New Technology File System)
NTFS is the best file system to date when it comes to performance and security. But since it is proprietary to Microsoft, it is not compatible with all operating systems.
The Windows Server line of the operating system mainly uses NTFS. It is used in Microsoft's Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 10, Windows NT, and Windows 2000 operating systems. It's also supported in other OS like BSD and Linus. Mac OS only offers read-only support for NTFS.
What file system does Windows 10 use? ›Windows 10 uses the default file system NTFS, as does Windows 8 and 8.1. Although a complete change to the new ReFS file system was rumored by professionals in recent months, the last technical build released by Microsoft resulted in no dramatic changes and Windows 10 continuing to use NTFS as the standard file system.