RAID 1 mirrors data across two drives so one drive can fail without immediately losing the mirrored volume. It is redundancy, not a backup.
Steps
- Back up all important data before changing disk configuration and verify both drives are healthy.
- For Windows-managed mirroring, open Disk Management on an edition/configuration that supports the required dynamic-disk mirror workflow, or use Storage Spaces where appropriate.
- If using motherboard/hardware RAID, follow the exact system firmware/controller documentation before installing or configuring Windows.
- Create the mirror using two suitable drives and wait for synchronization to complete.
- Test monitoring/alerting and keep an independent backup of the data.
How it works
Windows storage technologies have changed over time. Storage Spaces provides modern software resiliency options, while legacy dynamic-disk mirroring and motherboard RAID have different recovery/migration characteristics. RAID 1 does not protect against deletion, ransomware, corruption, theft, or fire.
Important considerations
Windows 10 is unsupported. For a new storage build in 2026, use a supported OS and choose the storage technology based on recovery needs, not an old Windows 10 tutorial.
Practical guidance
Two equal-capacity drives are simplest for mirroring; usable capacity is roughly one drive, not the sum of both. Replacing a failed disk requires rebuilding/resynchronizing the mirror. Monitor drive health because RAID cannot help if a second drive fails before the rebuild completes.
More detail
If you are protecting a Windows boot volume rather than a data volume, the setup method depends heavily on the controller/firmware and cannot safely be reduced to ‘convert two disks to dynamic and mirror.’ Plan boot recovery, driver availability, and replacement procedures before building a system mirror.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.