Except the format problem, Windows 8.1 seems to have all the capabilities to handle refs disks. I built a refs parity storage pool with 8 disks in Server 2012 R2 and then put in into Win 8.1 and the OS handled it flawlessly as if it were his own Baby.
In W8-1 Client ReFS support is located elsewhere (not in ReFS.sys and uReFS.dll). Here is my thought: IMHO this support has to be disabled, because it doesn't handle formatting. When ReFS.sys and uReFS.dll are added to clean W8-1, the "internal" support (located elsewhere) is still consulted, when user does format. According this scenario W8-1 should have another sys file for "internal" ReFS support not present in W2012 R2 or WinRE... Happy hunting...
i would still go with license ^^ as this is exactly the way ms crippels features for every sku. you could do again a compare but with the other tool i posted you over pm. and than export as txt instead of pictures. this methode makes it a lot easier to compare and also provides complete information about the values.
Of course ReFS doesn't need CHKDSK. And most rationally thinking people don't miss 8+3 filenames and similar deprecated things. Why you don't keep your stupid opinions for yourself? @All: This thread isn't to be meant as place to arguing about ReFS x NTFS. It is intended to solve format problem only.
+1 I just created a 3TB dynamic striped volume formatted with ReFS from the Windows 8.1 setup screen using diskpart. The volume was recognised and functions correctly in Windows 8.1. @ moderate - when you say ReFS support is crippled are you referring the creation of volumes formatted with ReFS? or is there something more to it?
Problematic issue is as follows: When you try to format drive (which isn't mirrored in RAID1) to ReFS directly in Windows v8-1 b9600 by: Code: format d: /u /fs:refs /i:enable Windows v8-1 will f*** on the that command instead of servicing it. Output will be: Code: ReFS file system isn't supported on that device. Yep, you can pre-format it in WinRE or WinSetupE (generally in every WinPE type), but in case of formatting for example Truecrypt crypted mounted drive (and another similar cases), this will be useful to you as canoe on Sahara desert...
I made some progress here. Key is to install ReFS just exactly, how it is installed in 2012 R2 Server (x64) and various b9600 WinPEs (x64 and x32) For that I've completed STEP 1 - retrieved all files of ReFS (I even added ADK's WinPE LP to WinPEs to get all of the files natively.): Code: amd64_microsoft-windows-f..mutilityrefslibrary_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.16384_none_ecb7354b230db670\uReFS.dll amd64_microsoft-windows-refs.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.16384_cs-cz_6037216b08f7a6bf\refs.sys.mui amd64_microsoft-windows-refs.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.16384_en-us_a38d6cc6eff2031d\refs.sys.mui amd64_microsoft-windows-refs_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.16384_none_9734e0a7f0dd84f4\refs.sys amd64_microsoft-windows-refs-mof_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.16384_none_de1808f901b58411\refs.mof x86_microsoft-windows-f..mutilityrefslibrary_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.16384_none_909899c76ab0453a\uReFS.dll x86_microsoft-windows-refs.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.16384_cs-cz_041885e7509a3589\refs.sys.mui x86_microsoft-windows-refs.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.16384_en-us_476ed143379491e7\refs.sys.mui x86_microsoft-windows-refs_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.16384_none_3b164524388013be\refs.sys x86_microsoft-windows-refs-mof_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.16384_none_81f96d75495812db\refs.mof Note 1: Maybe error message is just caused because MUIs are missing in original distribution, so format just doesn't find some text string. Note 2: I've to extract the info about refs.mof from W2012 R2 registry, I've skipped it last time. The STEP 2 will be to capture all settings (from manifest/mum/cat) from here: :\Windows\servicing\Packages and here: :\Windows\WinSxS\Manifests 1st pain in the ass is, that b9600 manifests are packed by unknown format (b9200 manifests are plain texts XML)... 2nd pain in the ass is, that unlike for Deduplication feature, I didn't find (manifest/mum/cat) for ReFS yet (for both bins and resources)...
Applied the 'patches'. No change for me on en-us version using diskpart - is that how you test it? Changed permissions, replaced the files, added the reg entry and ran the script from an elevated cmd prompt, then rebooted.
ReFS isn't meant as an everyday filesystem, nor is it meant to replace NTFS. It is designed for very large datacentres that favour reliability over performance or specific features. It is this very reason why it isn't available on non-server OS's, because in its current for there is no need and no benefit for standard users. This may change if it gets some heavy modifications later, but it would be quite different to what it is now.
The update contain new version of refs.sys b9200-16548. For W8-1 there is only new en-US language file MUI and MOF item. The formatting problem in W8-1 wasn't fixed yet (there is another driver probably in W8-1, which causes "not supported" error and it has to disabled 1st. I'll work on that.