A new Windows 11 update allows files to be copied up to 94 percent faster. That’s due to two specific improvements called ReFS and block cloning.
In the 24H2 update to Windows 11, developers working with large numbers of files will have access to two improvements: the ReFS (Resilient File System) file system and block cloning technology.
ReFS, Resilient File System, is an alternative to NTFS, New Technology File System. Until recently, that technology was only available for Windows Server. It is aimed at developers and server operators who use multiple drives and therefore need the most stable storage possible. Those options are packed into the Dev Drive, Tom’s Hardware knows. That drive is in the developer dashboard Dev Home.
Why is block cloning so much faster?
Block cloning provides a much faster and more efficient transfer of files. Instead of having to read and rewrite all the data, only a reference to the original data is created. Effective copying occurs only when the data in that file is modified. There would be at least an eighteen percent improvement in copy speed for a one megabyte file. For files of one gigabyte, the speed increases by 94 percent and for ten gigabytes by 92 percent.
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ReFS also offers numerous advantages. Notable features include automatic backups and integrity checks, eliminating the need to perform manual disk checks. ReFS divides different HDDs and SSDs into performance tiers and capacity tiers. This allows you to easily see which drives are faster, and which have the largest capacity. A requirement for this feature is that your drives are connected to a server.
Microsoft is rolling out the Windows 24H2 update in phases. Microsoft is doing this to avoid major problems, although the update quickly made chunks.