The Windows 11 2024 Update (24H2) brought support for the ReFS (Resilient File System) file system and the Block Cloning function for block file cloning to the consumer OS for the first time, which significantly speeds up copy operations. Initially, these features were only available to Windows Server users.
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The ReFS file system, which debuted in 2012, is an alternative to NTFS (New Technology File System), which has been in use since 1993. ReFS, unlike NTFS, cannot be used on the disk from which the OS boots. It is designed for workstations and servers that have multiple storage media and need the most stable and scalable storage possible.
Block cloning is not the only useful feature of ReFS. Other important features of this file system include built-in data backup and file integrity checking, eliminating the need for manual disk verification as ReFS does this automatically. ReFS is also more resilient to data corruption. If there are problems with data integrity, it isolates and deletes only the damaged areas, allowing you to save most (if not all) of them if the problem is not too serious.
ReFS can also further improve performance in a variety of other ways, particularly when using multiple SSDs and HDDs. However, ReFS is aimed at enterprise use and does not support many of the features of NTFS, such as encryption or file compression.
Overall, the addition of ReFS support to the consumer version of Windows 11, which has traditionally only been found in Windows Server versions, looks very promising. But to benefit from this file system, you need a computer with multiple physical drives. In addition, even if several disks are installed in the PC, they cannot be converted from NTFS to ReFS directly – to activate ReFS you will have to completely reformat the drives.