Microsoft Win11 Build 25324 Preview Enhances ReFS Support

Microsoft has released the Win11 Build 25324 preview update for members of the Windows Insider project in the Canary channel. This update comes with several new features, including ReFS support and an upgrade to version 3.10. In this article, we'll take a closer look at what ReFS is, the benefits it brings, and what changes have been made in the latest update.

ReFS Overview

ReFS (Resilient File System) is a relatively new file system introduced by Microsoft in Windows Server 2012. It's designed to address some of the limitations of NTFS, the file system that has been the standard for Windows for decades. ReFS is designed to be more resilient, scalable, and efficient in handling large amounts of data.

One of the main benefits of ReFS is its resilience. It has built-in features to detect and repair data corruption and other issues. Additionally, it can work in tandem with Storage Spaces, a Windows feature that allows for the creation of storage pools and virtual drives. This makes it easier to manage large amounts of data and ensures that your data is always available.

ReFS also has a higher maximum file size limit than NTFS. While NTFS supports file sizes of up to 256TB, ReFS can handle up to 35PB (petabytes). This makes it an ideal choice for enterprise-level applications that need to handle large amounts of data.

Win11 Build 25324 Preview Update

The latest update to Windows 11 Build 25324 preview adds support for SHA-3, a new hashing algorithm that's designed to be more secure than SHA-2, the current standard. But, the most significant change in this update is the upgrade of ReFS to version 3.10.

The upgrade brings several new features, including improved performance and better handling of metadata. Additionally, it fixes some of the issues that were present in earlier versions of ReFS. For example, it addresses a bug that caused issues when copying large files to ReFS volumes.

Dev Drive (devvol)

Another new feature that's been hidden in the Win11 Build 25309 preview update is Dev Drive, also known as devvol. Dev Drive is a new feature that's based on ReFS and is designed for developers. It allows developers to create a virtual drive that can be used for testing and debugging purposes. The drive is designed to be more resilient and efficient than traditional virtual drives, making it easier to manage and work with large amounts of data.