The latest Windows 11 Build 27823 introduces extended support for the new ReFS (Resilient File System) file system, which will offer some advantages over the currently common NTFS. ReFS is still in development, and its capabilities are limited.
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It is noteworthy that the option to “Format a disk with flexible storage” when installing a preview version of Windows 11 is called by clicking an invisible button in the disk selection window. ReFS support in Windows 11 was first announced last fall – the new file system accelerated file copying; now the set of functions promises to expand.
ReFS is “designed to maximize data availability, scale efficiently to large data sets across a variety of workloads, and provide data integrity with resiliency to corruption,” Microsoft says. It improves performance and scalability, supporting files and volumes up to 32 petabytes in size, compared to NTFS’s 256 terabyte maximum. ReFS is more reliable because it handles metadata checksums, helps recover from corruption, and performs proactive error correction; the new file system moves frequently accessed data to faster storage.
But ReFS still has some significant shortcomings. It can’t be used in boot disks, and it doesn’t support file system compression, removable media, or disk quotas—all of which are taken for granted in NTFS. These features aren’t available “at this time,” Microsoft says, meaning the company is likely working to add them.