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MikeLabatt's avatar
MikeLabatt
Brass Contributor
Jan 12, 2022
Solved

ReFS volume appears RAW (version doesn't match expected value) after Windows Update

After Windows Update last night, Windows Server 2019 wouldn't mount a storage space volume as ReFS (it appears as RAW). The error in the ReFS event log is "ReFS failed to mount the volume. Version 1....
refs
storage
windows server
  • MikeLabatt's avatar
    MikeLabatt
    Jan 13, 2022

    I solved this by uninstalling KB5009557. The ReFS volume came back working as it should, instead of appearing as RAW.

     

    Update: since even the February 2022 Windows Update bricks ReFS in the same way, and hints from Microsoft are that ReFS 1.x is no longer supported, we copied everything to new disks, upgrading ReFS from 1.2 to 3.4 in the process. Such a (manual) ReFS upgrade should be the solution that everyone needs, allowing to re-enable Windows Update.

SebCerazy's avatar
SebCerazy
Iron Contributor
Sep 05, 2023
Just Operational & it is blank
stephc_msft's avatar
stephc_msft
Icon for Microsoft rankMicrosoft
Sep 05, 2023
And since you cant easily boot from alternate med0a (usb/dvd/sio) there is no way to tempoarily boot ws2012r2 to see if that still recognises it [of was possible then would boot the install disk and exut setup into recovery, and the necessary spaces drive etc would be working].
So what is the actual set up of any hdd / spaces that the refs volume lives on?
And chance of adding a dumb 2TB disk as we could 'copy over' the raw refs volume to that to see if that recognises it.
  • SebCerazy's avatar
    SebCerazy
    Iron Contributor
    Sep 05, 2023

    Booting from MBR WinPE USB created by ADK 8.100.26020 can see the Storage Spaces volume & access it just fine. So just (as per https://superuser.com/questions/696004/copying-a-directory-by-retaining-its-permission )
    xcopy c:\source_folder_name e:\destination_folder_name /O /X /E /H /K /C

    robocopy F:\ H:\ /MIR /LOG:c:\temp\ReFS-mirror-log.txt
    to USB 3 attached 2Tb drive does the job of saving the data.

    And once rebooted FreeFileSync back onto newly formatted ReFS 3.x

     

    But is is INSANE that WinPE from (by now) abandonware version Win 8.1 CAN read ReFS 1.2, but full Server 2022 cannot do that

    At least provide RO capability!!! in worse case

    Seb

  • SebCerazy's avatar
    SebCerazy
    Iron Contributor
    Sep 05, 2023
    I am sure the filesystem is fine, just not being read. In worse case I will swap the SSD to previous one (with Windows 2012 R2), but wanted to avoid it (fuff going up the ladder to the high cabinet - this is where I have the server)
    First I will try to boot to USB made with WinPE from ADK 8.100.26020

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