Windows 11 can combine drives for redundancy or speed in two ways: Storage Spaces, which is built into Windows and works much like software RAID, and hardware or firmware RAID set up in your motherboard’s BIOS. This guide explains which to choose, how to create a mirrored or parity storage space step by step, how motherboard RAID works, and why RAID is not a backup.
Quick Answer
Connect two or more empty drives. Go to Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Storage Spaces, click Add to create a pool, select the drives, then create a storage space with Two-way mirror (like RAID 1) or Parity (like RAID 5) resiliency.
Storage Spaces vs. Motherboard RAID
| Storage Spaces | Motherboard (firmware) RAID | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | In Windows, anytime | In BIOS, usually before installing Windows |
| Boot drive | Not for the Windows drive | Can hold Windows |
| Drive sizes | Mixed sizes allowed | Usually matching drives |
| Portability | Pool moves to another Windows PC | Tied to the controller type |
Storage Spaces Resiliency Types
| Type | Like | Minimum drives | Survives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | RAID 0 | 1 | No drive failures |
| Two-way mirror | RAID 1 | 2 | One drive failure |
| Three-way mirror | – | 5 | Two drive failures |
| Parity | RAID 5 | 3 | One drive failure |
Create a Storage Space in Windows 11
- Connect the drives you want to use. Anything on them will be erased, so back up first.
- Open Settings > System > Storage, expand Advanced storage settings, and click Storage Spaces.
- Next to Add a new storage pool, click Add, name the pool, select the drives, and click Create.
- Name the storage space, set a size, and choose resiliency (for example Two-way mirror). Click Create.
- Give the volume a label, drive letter and file system (NTFS or ReFS where available), and click Format.
The new drive appears in File Explorer. You can also use the classic Control Panel > Storage Spaces.
Motherboard RAID (Intel or AMD)
- Back up everything; changing the SATA/NVMe mode can stop an existing Windows install from booting.
- Enter the BIOS/UEFI and change the storage mode from AHCI to RAID (Intel Rapid Storage Technology or AMD RAID).
- Open the RAID utility in the BIOS, create an array (RAID 0, 1, 5 or 10 depending on support), and save.
- Install Windows 11 onto the array, loading the RAID driver from the motherboard maker during setup if the drive doesn’t appear.
Steps vary by motherboard; check your manual.
Disk Management (Dynamic Disks)
Older mirrored and striped volumes in Disk Management use dynamic disks, which Microsoft has deprecated. Use Storage Spaces instead for new setups.
RAID Is Not a Backup
Mirrors protect against a drive failing, but not against deletion, ransomware, corruption or theft. Keep separate backups on an external drive or in the cloud.
Replace a Failed Drive
In Storage Spaces, the pool shows a warning. Add a new drive to the pool, then remove the failed drive; Windows repairs the space automatically.
Still on Windows 10? See how to mirror a hard drive in Windows 10.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Storage Spaces on Windows 11 Home?
Yes. Storage Spaces is available in Home and Pro.
Can I mix HDDs and SSDs?
You can, but the space performs at the speed of the slowest drive.
Does RAID 0 speed up games?
It can speed up large file reads, but a single fast NVMe SSD is usually a better choice.
Summary
- Use Storage Spaces for data drives in Windows 11.
- Choose Two-way mirror for redundancy, Parity for capacity with protection.
- Use motherboard RAID for the Windows drive, set up before installing.
- Always keep separate backups.
Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.