How to Create Storage Spaces and Volumes in Windows 11
With Storage Spaces in Windows 11, you can combine multiple physical hard drives into one big storage pool. From there, you create virtual drives.
Storage Spaces is a native Windows feature designed to protect your data by pooling drives together, offering resilience against drive failure.
This pooling method means if one of the drives in your Storage Space fails, your data remains safe and accessible on the remaining drives.
You can set up Storage Spaces with as few as two physical disks to leverage its redundancy features.
Open Settings, navigate to System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Storage Spaces. Click Add to create a new storage pool, select your drives, choose a resiliency type, and then format the new volume in File Explorer.
What Is Storage Spaces?
Storage Spaces lets you combine multiple hard drives into one big storage pool, creating virtual drives from that space to keep your data safe.
Steps to Create Storage Spaces and Volumes in 🪟 Windows 11
Before you start: You need at least two separate drives. They can be internal or external, but they must be separate disks.
Step 1Open Windows Settings
Click the Start button, then select Settings.
Step 2Go to System > Storage
In the Settings window, click System on the left side. Then click Storage on the right.
Step 3Open Advanced Storage Settings
Scroll down and click Advanced storage settings. Then select Storage Spaces.
Step 4Create a New Storage Pool
Click the Add button under “Add a new Storage Pool”.
Step 5Name Your Storage Pool and Select Drives
Type a name for your storage pool (like “MyStoragePool”). Then select the drives you want to include. Click Create when done.
Step 6Choose Storage Space Size and Protection Type
Windows 11 Storage Spaces lets you decide how big your new virtual drive will be and how it will protect your files. You can choose between no protection, a two-way mirror that copies data to two drives, or a three-way mirror that uses three drives for maximum safety.
- Simple: No protection. Just combines space. Needs at least 2 drives.
- Two-way mirror: Keeps a copy of your data on two drives. Protects if 1 drive fails. Needs at least 2 drives.
- Three-way mirror: Keeps 3 copies of your data. Protects if 2 drives fail. Needs 5 or more drives.
- Parity: Balances protection and storage space. Needs 3 or more drives.
- Dual parity: Better protection. Can handle 2 drive failures. Needs 7 or more drives.
Click Create to continue.
Step 7Set Volume Name, Drive Letter, and Format ⚠️ Requires Admin
Give your new virtual drive a name (Label). Pick a drive letter. Choose the format:
- NTFS: Best for Windows drives.
- FAT32: Compatible with many devices but limited file size.
Click Format to finish creating your volume.
Step 8Access Your New Drive
After formatting, your new virtual drive will appear in File Explorer like any other drive.
Summary
- Storage Spaces lets you combine multiple drives into one big storage pool.
- You can create virtual drives (volumes) that keep your data safe even if a drive fails.
- Different protection (resiliency) options let you choose how your data is backed up.
- Follow the steps above to create your own Storage Spaces and keep your data safer.
Windows 11 Storage Spaces helps you combine several hard drives into one large pool of storage. You can then create virtual drives from this pool, and choose how your data is protected against drive failures, making your files safer.
Does 🪟 Windows 11 support storage spaces?
Windows Storage Spaces lets you pool multiple drives into one in Windows 11 and 10. You can create virtual spaces from these pools, format them with your chosen resiliency, and use them as regular drives. Simple: A non-resilient space that’s useful for temporary data.
What is taking up so much space on my PC 🪟 Windows 11?
If your Windows 11 PC is running out of space, personal files like videos, music, and photos are often the biggest culprits, so check File Explorer to see what you can move.
How do I delete storage spaces in 🪟 Windows 11?
To delete Storage Spaces in Windows 11, open ‘Manage Storage Spaces’ from the search bar, find the drives in your pool, and prepare them for removal.
Which 🪟 Windows 11 is killing SSD?
A specific Windows 11 update (KB5063878 on version 24H2) may cause SSDs to disappear if they are over 80% full and experience a large write load.
Was this guide helpful?
About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.
No comments yet — be the first to share your thoughts!