How to Create a Dev Drive (ReFS) File System in Windows 11

If you want to create a Dev Drive storage volume in your Windows 11 device using Microsoft’s Resilient File System (ReFS), this article will help you. You’ll be able to create a new Dev Drive partition or convert an existing had disk partition into Dev Drive with the help of this article.

What is Dev Drive Storage in Windows 11?

Dev Drive is a new storage type introduced in newer versions of Windows 11 operating system. Dev Drive feature is present in the recently released Windows 11 23H2 (2023 Update) and later versions. Microsoft was testing Dev Drive storage feature in Windows 11 Insider Preview builds and now the feature is ready for public use. Microsoft first added Dev Drive storage type to Windows 11 testing build 23466. More details can be found in our exclusive Windows 11 Dev Insider Preview builds changelog article.

Dev Drive is a new form of storage volume or hard disk partition which has been developed to improve performance and security for key developer workloads. Dev Drive is built upon Microsoft’s own Resilient File System (ReFS) technology which provides file system optimizations and features that enable developers to better manage their performance and security profile. Dev Drive storage has been developed to assist developers in hosting project source code, working folders, and package caches.

In other words, Dev Drive storage has been designed specifically for developers to deliver both performance and security. It’ll help developers working with repositories containing thousands of files and directories and working on heavy I/O operations such as builds. Dev Drive builds on Microsoft’s new ReFS technology to employ targeted file system optimizations and provide more control over storage volume settings and security.

Limitations of Dev Drive Storage in Windows 11

Although Dev Drive storage type provides better performance and security but there are certain limitations as mentioned below:

• The main C: system drive can not be converted or switched to Dev Drive.
• Dev Drive should not be used to install software programs or store general files and folders.
• The ReFS file system used by Dev Drive uses more memory (RAM) than the default NTFS (New Technology File System).
• Developer tools, such as Visual Studio, MSBuild, .NET SDK, Windows SDK, etc, should not be stored on a Dev Drive.
• Dev Drive partition must be at least 50GB or higher in size.
• The Windows 11 device must contain 8GB or higher RAM. Microsoft recommends at least 16GB RAM.

How to Create and Set up a Dev Drive in Windows 11?

If you want to create a new Dev Drive in your Windows 11 device, following steps will help you:

STEP 1: Open Settings app from Start Menu. Alternatively, you can press WIN+I keys together to directly launch Settings app.

STEP 2: Now click on System section present in left-side pane.

STEP 3: In right-side pane, click on Storage option.

STEP 4: Again click on Advanced Storage Settings option. Scroll down and click on Disks & Volumes option.

STEP 5: Now click on Create Dev Drive button present next to “Create a Dev Drive” option.

It’ll open Dev Drive setup window which allows you to create a new Dev Drive volume built on virtual hard disk (VHD), resize an existing partition or drive to create unallocated space for Dev Drive or create new Dev Drive using existing unallocated space on your hard disk drive.

That’s it. Select desired option and Windows 11 will create a new Dev Drive storage volume in your computer system.

How to Delete a Dev Drive Storage in Windows 11?

If you want to delete or remove a Dev Drive partition in your Windows 11 device, following steps will help you:

STEP 1: Open Settings app from Start Menu or by pressing WIN+I keys together.

STEP 2: Now go to System -> Storage -> Advanced Storage Settings -> Disks & Volumes page.

STEP 3: You’ll see Dev Drive partition listed on the page. Click on Properties button given next to the Dev Drive partition.

STEP 4: Now you can delete or format Dev Drive by clicking on the Format or Delete buttons given on the Properties page.

It’ll delete or format the Dev Drive volume in your device.

Creating Dev Drive Storage Volume Using Command-Line in Windows 11

If you want to convert an existing hard disk partition into Dev Drive via command-line, you can format the existing partition as Dev Drive using following steps:

STEP 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator using a way mentioned here or open PowerShell as Administrator.

STEP 2: Now run following command in Command line tool:

Where E: is the existing hard disk partition which you want to convert into Dev Drive. Replace E: with the correct drive character according to your device.

It’ll format and convert existing hard disk partition into Dev Drive.

PS: PowerShell users can also use following command to format existing partition into Dev Drive:

Replace E with the correct drive character according to your device.

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