On Windows 10, you can combine multiple drives to create a larger logical storage using a RAID 5 configuration to improve performance and protect your files from a single drive failure.
While there are many RAID (redundant array of independent disks) levels that you can use, when using a striped volume with parity (RAID 5), the data is spread across three or more drives using parity. In the event of a hardware failure, you can replace the drive, and the data will be created again from the data on the other drives.
Although you can use a hardware-based solution on Windows 10, if you try to set up a software-based RAID 5 with Disk Management, youāll notice that the option is grayed out, because itās only an option available on Windows Server. However, you can use Storage Spaces to create a striped volume with parity that works just like a RAID 5 configuration.
In this guide, youāll learn the steps to set up a RAID 5 storage on Windows 10 using Storage Spaces.
How to create a RAID 5 storage using Storage Spaces
To set up a RAID 5 storage using Storage Spaces, use these steps:
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Open Settings on Windows 10.
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Click on System.
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Click on Storage.
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Under the āMore Storage settingsā section, click the Manage Storage Spaces option.
Storage settings on Windows 10
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Click the Create a new pool and storage space option.
Windows 10 Storage spaces
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Select the drives (at least three) to create a storage pool.
Select drives to create the RAID 5 storage array
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Click the Create pool option.
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Under the āName and drive letterā section, specify a name, letter, and file system for the storage array.
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Under the āResiliencyā section, use the āResiliency typeā drop-down menu and select the Parity option, which is the equivalent to the RAID 5 level.
Storage spaces parity (RAID 5) option
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Under the āSizeā section, specify the maximum size as needed.
Important: Change the size option carefully, because a pool can be larger than the actual physical capacity, and if you run out of space, youāll need to add more drives. You can refer to this Microsoft TechNet page to calculate the parity of a storage space. For the purpose of this guide, Iām dividing the total pool capacity by 3, and multiplying it by 2, because Iām using three drives, and on a RAID 5 configuration, you will always lose 1 drive for parity.
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Click the Create storage space button.
Once you complete the steps, the RAID 5 storage will be created to start storing files with fault tolerance, and if one of the drives fails, the data will still be accessible.
You can technically use any type of drives, but usually, traditional hard drives are not designed for this kind of setup.Ā If youāre building an storage array to store a lot of files, or youāre planning to share the storage in the network with other users, you should try drives designed for storage arrays, such as the 4TB drive from Seagate IronWolf or 4TB Western Digital (Red), which you can get at Amazon.