How to create mirror volume on Windows 11
Here are two ways to create mirror storage to protect your files from a hardware failure on Windows 11.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
OnWindows 11, you have multiple ways to create a mirror volume to protect your data from drive failure, and in this guide, you will learn how.
Usually, we store files on the system’s installation drive or external storage. Although this is a typical scenario, the problem with this approach is that the data has no redundancy. If the storage dies (unless you have a backup), you will also lose your files.
However, on Windows 11, you can use Disk Management or Storage Spaces to create a mirror configuration using two drives to protect your files in case of physical or logical problems with one of the drives.
The “mirror” reference comes from the “RAID” (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) levels, which is the standard that defines the different ways you can use to combine drives for redundancy, performance, or speed.
On RAID, “mirror” is defined in level one, and this array consists of two physical drives that have the exact copy of the data. If one drive fails, you will still have seamless access to the data from the other drive. The mirror array has a minimum requirement of two drives, but you can always have more as long as you add them in pairs.
Thisguidewill teach you the ways to create mirror volume on Windows 11.
How to create mirror volume with Disk Management
To create a mirror volume on Windows 11 with the Disk Management tool, use these steps:
Get the Windows Central Newsletter
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
Once you complete the steps, the mirror drive will appear on File Explorer, and any data you store in this location will be duplicated on both drives for redundancy.
Create mirror volume from existing drive with data
If you already have a drive with data, it’s still possible to make storage redundant using mirroring.
To create a mirror volume with a drive with data on Windows 11, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, the existing data on the drive will replicate across the new storage forming a mirror volume.
Recreate mirror volume after driver failure
To replace a failed drive on a mirror volume, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the mirror volume will be recreated on Windows 11.
How to create mirror volume with Storage Spaces
To create a mirror volume with Storage Spaces on Windows 11, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, the mirror volume will create and appear in File Explorer with the letter and name you specified.
Recreate mirror volume after driver failure
To repair a volume with a damaged drive with Storage Spaces, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the mirror will recreate, but this process may take a long time depending on the amount of data.
Since Storage Spaces require cleaning the drives before adding them to the pool, you can not mirror a drive that already has data. If you want to create a new volume with this drive, you first need to create a file backup, create the two-way mirror volume, and then restore the data from the backup.
This guide covers the steps to create a redundant volume to store files on a secondary drive. If you want to install Windows 11 on a mirror configuration, you may want to create a mirror on the device’s UEFI firmware. However, since firmware are different per manufacturer and even per computer model, it’s best to consult your manufacturer for more specific instructions.
More resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:
Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.
