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

 

[USAFRet]

No...if they actually care, they learn to use tools that will preserve that.
Or encapsulate that metadata in some other form.

For instance:
I just pulled up a file from Sep 1999.
A jpg of my neighbor, during the local flooding from Hurricane Floyd.
It has been copied/moved/backed up...probably dozens of times. Through half a dozen systems and OS's. And now it lives on my NAS.
The EXIF data shows the specific date/time it was taken.

Interestingly, the file properties also show that same date/time.
At no point in the last 22 years did I take any special pains to preserve the Created date.
Yet it lives.
Created - Sep 24 1999, 12:43:36
Modified - Same
Accessed- Today, 5 minutes ago

 

[AlanMattano]

@USAFRet Extraordinary achievement! That's a good design! I presume is a scanned picture, correct?

I make a copy to a 4TB. Using GoodSync to preserving stamp date, losing ownership metadata. This soft allowed me to make an analysis.
I connect the second 4TB to make a “move” from StorageSpaces to this disk (I need to format it and assign [F:] letter)
But I can’t format this HDD. This disk was earlier in the pool and using "Remove" to take it out. But somehow there is an error.
Do I need to press “Reset” in the Storage Spaces?

 

[SkyNetRising]

But I can’t format this HDD. This disk was earlier in the pool and using "Remove" to take it out. But somehow there is an error.
Do I need to press “Reset” in the Storage Spaces?

Yes. You have to reset it.

Unrecognized metadata
Storage Spaces found unrecognized metadata on the drive, which usually means that the drive has metadata from a different pool on it.
Action: To wipe the drive and add it to the current pool, reset the drive.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/storage-spaces/storage-spaces-states

 

[USAFRet]

That's a good design! I presume is a scanned picture, correct?

No, not a scanned pic.

Taken with a Toshiba PDR-2, one of the first reasonably priced consumer digital cameras.
https://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/PDR2/PDR2A.HTM

Toshiba PDR-2

Toshiba PDR-2

www.digitalkameramuseum.de

I still have it and it still works (I think).

 

[AlanMattano]

yes reset fix it and now format is avelable

 

[AlanMattano]

pic. Taken with a Toshiba PDR-2, ...

640x480 pic
Did you try to upscale it using Ai?

 

[USAFRet]

640x480 pic
Did you try to upscale it using Ai?

I probably resized a few of them. Paintshop Pro or Photoshop would do this easily.

But that size was typical for the era.

 

[AlanMattano]

I probably resized a few of them. Paintshop Pro or Photoshop would do this easily.

There is this awesome tech,
not just Photoshop making an upscale (sharp antialiasing).
I mean neutral deep learning making small steps a
Enhance and enlarge with super-resolution new in Photoshop CC 2021 but probably better other soft with more neural deep learning and upscale your 640x480 pic to 4k and later down to 2k to fit in a FullHD tv
Probably in the future there will be more options free that also use GPU. I found this one as an example:
http://waifu2x.udp.jp/index.html
and
https://github.com/alexjc/neural-enhance


After formating, I will make a simple "move" of the 3TB folder to look if W10 is capable.

 

[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.

Now I try to make a simple "move" by drag and drop the folder from one drive to other.
Get stuck copying the Desktop.ini

Windows 10 is incapable to complete the task. Get stuck at 99%. Now it is stuck at "pausing.."

Should I press the [X] to cancel the operation?

 

[USAFRet]

'desktop.ini' is specific to that folder in that location on that drive letter.

Press Cancel will stop the operation. Leaving some unknown number of files not "moved".
"Move" with 2 million files is rarely a good idea.

 

[AlanMattano]

'desktop.ini' is specific to that folder in that location on that drive letter.

It works the first time (moving). It asks me if I want to move the desktop.ini, and I say yes for all. Well not completely: It fails to move large names folder directory paths (stupid bug). So I was able to move from 12TB pool to the 4TB but I pass some folders manually and fixing the files and folder path length. I make a comparison with the backup and everything was in the 4TB. I delete the pool!

The first time, before moving, I make a restart and remove all running applications. This second time I was finally "moving" 4TB to the formatted 12TB. I did not make a restart. And probably one desktop.ini was stuck by a previously opened folder. Before moving I make sure to close all explorer windows and programs. But was not enough. I presume making a restart before moving was the correct way to go.

Move" with 2 million files is rarely a good idea.

Yes! is not a good idea. I was proving my right to @DSzymborski answer.
And 2 million files is not much for a desktop game station.
The truth is that Windows is buggy and incapable of making "a very simple task".

Thanks @USAFRet !!
I think that this issue (UI bug) is there for three decades also moving smaller folders of any size.
How to report a bug directly to Windows developers?

 

[USAFRet]

"move" is not a good idea, because if the process fails part way through, you have no inkling of what files/folders actually got transferred.
It is not a linear process of "this whole folder, then this one, then this one...

 

[DSzymborski]

I never told you to cut and paste. Nor did I suggest doing it in one giant blob.

All I said is that you showed no use case for any of the things that you are trying to do. And you haven't. Your setup was needlessly complex and beyond your technical abilities to manage. The last of which is further evidenced by none of the things you think are "bugs" being bugs.

 

[AlanMattano]

Eppur...
And yet using Windows interface I always or often fail moving files when upgrading my drive.

I press the [X] to cancel the operation. It is grayed pretty frozen.

 

[USAFRet]

Eppur...
And yet using Windows interface I always or often fail moving files when upgrading my drive.

Hundreds of GB of data
Dozens of top level folders
Hundreds or thousands of subfolders
2+ million files. Some of them location specific (desktop.ini).

Doing that in ONE chunk with "move" is rarely a good idea.
Any burp in the middle can cause tears to result.

That 'burp' could be a momentary hesitation on the drive.

If you must "move", do it in pieces.

 

[AlanMattano]

If you must "move", do it in pieces.

I have done that several times in the past. Same problem and multiple by the number of pieces.