Disk Spaces in Windows 11 — What They Are and How to Set Them Up

In the Windows 11 operating system, there's a handy and powerful feature called Disk Spaces, which allows you to combine multiple physical disks into a single logical volume. This greatly simplifies data management and increases flexibility when setting up storage. In this article, we'll explain what disk spaces are in Windows 11, how they work, and how to properly set them up for your PC.

What Are Disk Spaces?

Disk spaces are a technology that lets you combine several hard drives or SSDs into one logical unit. It allows you to configure different modes of operation, such as mirroring (RAID 1), expanding volume (RAID 0), or creating a simple space without redundancy. This is especially useful for those who want to improve performance or data reliability without resorting to complex hardware solutions.

How to Set Up Disk Spaces in Windows 11?

Setting up disk spaces in Windows 11 is fairly simple, and no additional software is required. Follow this step-by-step guide to create a new disk space:

  1. Open Settings: Right-click on the Start menu and select "Disk Management," or type "diskmgmt.msc" into the search bar.
  2. Launch the Disk Spaces Setup Wizard: In the disk management window, select "Storage Spaces" and click "Create a new pool and storage space." The system will then prompt you to choose which disks to use for the new logical volume.
  3. Select Disks and Mode: Choose the physical disks you want to combine and pick one of the available modes: simple space, mirroring, or RAID 5.
  4. Format and Create: Set up partition parameters (like formatting) and finish the process by following the wizard’s prompts. Windows 11 will automatically configure the combined disks as one logical volume.

Disk Space Modes

Windows 11 offers several configuration options for disk spaces, each with its own characteristics:

  • Simple Space — This is the basic setup, where multiple disks are simply combined into a single logical volume. It increases the total storage size but doesn't provide redundancy.
  • Mirroring (RAID 1) — In this mode, data is written to two disks simultaneously. This increases reliability, as data is duplicated. If one disk fails, the data remains available on the other disk.
  • RAID 5 — Combines mirroring and data distribution. This ensures a balance between reliability and performance, but it requires at least three disks.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages:

  • Convenience of managing multiple disks as one logical unit.
  • Flexibility — you can choose the configuration that best suits your needs (performance, reliability, or simply expanding capacity).
  • Automatic data recovery in case of disk failure (with mirroring or RAID 5).

Disadvantages:

  • Mirroring and RAID 5 require at least two or three disks, respectively.
  • Risks involved if the setup is not done correctly or if system failures occur — data could be lost if not configured properly.
  • It may take more time to set up and manage compared to using standard disks.