Question Storage Spaces issue, need help. How to disassemble Storage Spaces without losing data. After upgrade HDD still same size and need format.

[AlanMattano]

Hello,

I'm in my first experience two-way mirror to protect my data
Storage Spaces in Windows 10.

I need a bigger drive than my 4TB so I purchase two 12TB (WD Element). I shock them into Storage Spaces and take out the two old 4TB

Now looking in Windows, my drive D: is still only 4TB

So is not using the full 12TB space. Nonsense
I wish to change the volume from 4TB to 12TB

I ask explaining the issue in Microsoft forum and turns out the volume hasn't been formatted.
Or at least is missing the "Change" option as it should be shown in this pic

NOW at this point, what I should do?

How to disassemble Storage Spaces without losing data?
I can't use the stupid "Delete" option because will delete all my info (I presume).
I can't use the "Format" option because will delete as well.
I do not have a second PC to take out and look at what's inside the HDD (all my memories)
I can't just move (copy past) almost 4TB of data because is ridiculous and I lose info like created data.
I still have my old two 4TB. In a pandemic, I can't go out. Only one computer. Also two 12TB.
Can I build a RAID1 to clone? How? Storage Spaces will allow that.

Question
How do I proceed at this point to get out? What is The best option?
Disassemble and rebuild, format, or if possible creating a new pool and merge or other?
How do I backup the data at this point? Do I need to use Powershell to change the volume?

Thanks

 

[AlanMattano]

Have the data off on some other drive.

How?

 

[USAFRet]

A "mirror" is not a backup.
Whether Storage spaces, or a RAID 1.

The OS and the user sees one and only one copy of the data. It is just replicated on two phycal devices.
A backup is something you can actually recover from, no matter what happened.
An actual second or third copy, on some other device.

What is your backup situation at home?

What is your backup situation at home? And if you don't do that, why not? Every single day, I read multiple threads here of "How do I get my stuff back?" or "That drive had 5 years of photos of my kids!!" Be it a dead drive, dropped phone, virus, accidental deletion, formatting the wrong...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[AlanMattano]

So there is a lot of fish that purchase a second HDD and make a RAID1 or use Storage Spaces 2 way mirror thinking is a more optimize real-time backup when in reality there is no way to take the data out to the previous normal stage in a simple and reliable way without losing data.

 

[DSzymborski]

So there is a lot of fish that purchase a second HDD and make a RAID1 or use Storage Spaces 2 way mirror thinking is a more optimize real-time backup when in reality there is no way to take the data out to the previous normal stage in a simple and reliable way without losing data.

Yes, there are a lot of people who do this. It's only a good idea for very specific workloads and a terrible one for 99% of users or so.

 

[AlanMattano]

I was reading robocopy in Wikipedia that it can hide folders on destination
A good Robocopy example for this task?

 

[DSzymborski]

I was reading robocopy in Wikipedia that it can hide folders on destination
A good Robocopy example for this task?

Why are you trying to make a very simple task into a giant, messy nightmare? Robocopy is a very niche thing, for people with large datasets with particular parameters and unnecessary for people without those needs.

 

[SkyNetRising]

A good Robocopy example for this task?

This will copy all files and directories from D: to E:
preserving data,attributes,timestamps,security,ownership for files and
preserving data,attributes,timestamps for directories.
Some system folders like \System Volume Information may not get copied.

robocopy D:\ E:\ /copy:datso /e /dcopy:dat

 

[USAFRet]

I was reading robocopy in Wikipedia that it can hide folders on destination
A good Robocopy example for this task?

What "task", specifically?

 

[AlanMattano]

Why are you trying to make a very simple task into a giant, messy nightmare? Robocopy is a very niche thing, for people with large datasets with particular parameters and unnecessary for people without those needs.

And what are those people's needs? what's your proposal?

 

[USAFRet]

And what are those people's needs? what you propone?

What is YOUR goal?
What are you looking to do?

 

[AlanMattano]

What is YOUR goal?
What are you looking to do?

I was trying to replay to you

What "task", specifically?

I need to copy 4TB drive D: ( my documents, files videos pictures since 1990s amount of 4TB ) to bigger drive E:
So that I can "move" without failing, making an exact copy (including preserving date creation state-time) without losing information and checking that
The usual you do when you move your staff from one disk to another. But without losing information like metadata, date creation state-time, or failing in the process (will take 1 or 2days moving or copying).
I want to take out D; which is a StorageSpaces pool and place it into E: that is a normal HDD to use it and close format the broken StorageSpaces pool

Some system folders like \System Volume Information may not get copied.

robocopy D:\ E:\ /copy:datso /e /dcopy:dat

Is a simple folder with files total amount of 3 or 4 TB. Windows is not installed in there. Presume System volume is not there. So probably there will be no problem or losing folder configurations?
I was reading in Wikipedia:
CAUTION: A long standing issue with Robocopy means that if you back up from the root folder of a drive [ eg, robocopy d:\ b:\d-backup\ ....], the destination files will be given attributes including SH. This means that they will be invisible to normal access (including DIR in cmd.exe). To fix this, add "/a-:SH" to the robocopy command line - or do an ATTRIB command to remove them afterwards.
I did not understand it, but is better to include it?

 

[USAFRet]

I need to copy 4TB drive D: ( my documents, files videos pictures since 1990s amount of 4TB ) to bigger drive E:
So that I can "move" without failing, making an exact copy (including preserving date creation state-time) without losing information and checking that

Just to verify, you are abandoning the Storage Spaces thing?
Going with individual drives?

Particulars on these drives?
Smaller is 4TB, and the larger is...?

 

[SkyNetRising]

A long standing issue with Robocopy means that if you back up from the root folder of a drive [ eg, robocopy d:\ b:\d-backup\ ....], the destination files will be given attributes including SH. This means that they will be invisible to normal access (including DIR in cmd.exe). To fix this, add "/a-:SH" to the robocopy command line - or do an ATTRIB command to remove them afterwards.
I did not understand it, but is better to include it?

Sure. Include /a- switch then, if necessary.

robocopy D:\ E:\ /copy:datso /e /dcopy:dat /a-:sh​

 

[AlanMattano]

Just to verify, you are abandoning the Storage Spaces thing?
Going with individual drives?

Yes, I abandoned the Storage Spaces because I do not find or there is no solution for this issue:
After upgrading two 4TB with two 12TB and optimize, the size of the drive is till 4TB instead of 12TB and Storage Spaces does not display the "change" option that lets you expand the pool size.

Particulars on these drives?
Smaller is 4TB, and the larger is...?

Yes I will go to the individual drive of 4TB
the amount of data to move is a folder of 3.3TB and HDD real capacity is 3.6TB

 

[USAFRet]

OK.

You can either use the robocopy function above, or you can clone from 4TB to one of the 12TB.

Macrium Reflect will do the clone thing.
And it will let you manage the resulting size of the partition on the target drive.

"Cloned Partition Properties" will do this.

 

[AlanMattano]

OK.

... you can clone from 4TB to one of the 12TB.

Well, the 12TB disk are not available because are been use by the pool and display as 4TB.
I can to substitute them with the 4TB and take them out from the pool (and format them.)

OK.
Macrium Reflect will do the clone thing.
And it will let you manage the resulting size of the partition on the target drive.

"Cloned Partition Properties" will do this.

In another thread, they propose GoodSync and Paragon Backup and Recovery (thread)
I'm not sure of that. They Will clone the pool issue as well.
Also, I presume can purchase a nas or put it into the cloud. But are all payment options.

Anyway (is not a Windows solution) Windows must include a simple tool for moving. A better copy/past... We normally upgrade HDD every 2 years.
Sooner than what we can imagine, Windows will be running in ower brains...

 

[USAFRet]

Well, the 12TB disk are not available because are been use by the pool and display as 4TB.
I can to substitute them with the 4TB and take them out from the pool (and format them.)

Remove them from the pool.
Disable the Pool thing completely.
Format one of them.
Move the data over.

 

[AlanMattano]

Sure. Include /a- switch then, if necessary.

robocopy D:\ E:\ /copy:datso /e /dcopy:dat /a-:sh​

And adding
/MIR /MT /R:5 /W:15 /NS /NC /NFL /NDL /NP /LOG+:\rlogs\log.txt

Remove them from the pool.
Disable the Pool thing completely.
Format one of them.
Move the data over.

OK so I can

1. make backup first of D: to E: using 4TB HDD NOTICE: I can make a comparison at this stage.
2. Take out one HDD from D: pool, (not disconnecting data cable) and power) by using "remove" option that will delete data from the HHD
3. Format and give a letter F:
4. And try to make a "MOVE" of 3TB folder
5. NOTICE: I can't make a comparison after I move it because there is no more data in that pool

It can work

 

[USAFRet]

OK so I can

Where is the data now?
What drive and/or pool?

 

[AlanMattano]

Where is the data now?
still same stage

What drive and/or pool?
Is in D: tow HDD 12TB each Storage Spaces pool that shows up as 4TB.

I'm learning about robocopy and "move" option.

 

[USAFRet]

Where is the data now?
still same stage

What drive and/or pool?
Is in D: tow HDD 12TB each Storage Spaces pool that shows up as 4TB.

I'm learning about robocopy and "move" option.

"still same stage" doesn't tell us 'where'.


You need to configure ONE drive to its proper capacity.
Be it one of the 4TB or one of the 12TB. Or something else completely.

Then, I think the robocopy method is best.
A 'clone' may carry over sizing or Storage Space problems.

Or, accept the new Creation date, and just copy/paste.

 

[AlanMattano]

Or something else completely

Yep, something else completely.
is a 12TB that shows up as a 4TB

Look:

There are two 12TB HDD in a pool
letter D:
but looking at Windows explorer it shows up as a 4TB

 

[USAFRet]

Remove it from the Pool.
Reformat it back to 12TB.

 

[AlanMattano]

Remove it from the Pool.
Reformat it back to 12TB.

I will lose all the data.

 

[SkyNetRising]

I don't think, it's possible to remove drive from 2-way mirror.