ReFS Format Tool - Top 4 Picks to Format to ReFS 2024

Updated by

Sherly 

Updated on Nov 20, 2024

This article from EaseUS introduces 4 ReFS formatters to help format disks or partitions to ReFS. The ReFS file system was only available on Windows Server. However, ReFS is introduced in Windows 11 Build 25276 and can be found in the Windows Insider Program's Dev Channel. If you want to format a ReFS drive, first make sure you have the correct version of Windows.

1. 1. EaseUS Partition Master Server 🥇
2. 2. Disk Management
3. 3. Diskpart
4. 4. File Explorer

Top 4 ReFS Format Tool | Free Download with Guide🏅

The following content covers 4 ReFS disk format tools. You can select a ReFS format tool based on your needs. Don't forget to back up your important data in advance.

1. EaseUS Partition Master Server

EaseUS Partition Master Server is a full-featured disk partitioning tool that allows you to format disks and even external devices to ReFS and vice versa in one click on Windows Enterprise. Check the following list to learn more about the ReFS format software:

• Suitable for: Suitable for all users (beginners and experts)
• Supported operating systems: All Windows Server
• File system compatibility: Supports all formats ReFS/NTFS/FAT32/exFAT/Ext2/Ext3/Ext4

Here is how to format to ReFS using EaseUS Partition Master Server:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, right-click the partition you intend to format and choose "Format".

Step 2. In the new window, enter the Partition label, choose the FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4 file system, and set the cluster size according to your needs, then click "OK".

Step 3. Then you will see a warning window, click "Yes" in it to continue.

Step 4. Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button in the top-left corner to review the changes, then click "Apply" to start formatting the partition to FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4.

As you can see, this ReFS formatter can format NTFS to ReFS or convert FAT32 to ReFS efficiently. Install it on your PC to enjoy its powerful formatting features now.

2. Disk Management

Disk Management is a built-in utility in Windows Server that enables you to perform basic tasks on partitions and disks. To format your drive to ReFS, you can follow the steps below.

Step 1: On your PC, right-click the Start icon and select Disk Management to run it.

Step 2: Then right-click on the drive you want to format to ReFS and click "Format."

Step 3: Select REFS as the target file system in the format wizard. Then check the "Perform a quick format" option and click "OK."

To learn more details and the difference between ReFS and NTFS, you can learn them in the article NTFS VS ReFS.

3. Diskpart

Diskpart is a disk partition utility that also provides the function of formatting ReFS. Here is a guide on how to format a ReFS drive through the Diskpart program. This method requires entering commands. Please be careful when you type the commands, or you may suffer data loss. You can also turn to the EaseUS Partition Server, which is the easiest option for formatting ReFS.

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keys to activate the Run feature.

Step 2: Type cmd in the text box and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run the command prompt as administrator.

Step 3: Subsequently, type the following commands and press the Enter key after each command, which will format the disk to ReFS.

• diskpart
• list disk
• select disk 0 (0 represents the number of the disk where the target partition is located)
• list partition
• select partition N (replace N with the partition number that needs to be formatted to ReFS)
• format fs=refs quick

Using diskpart to format to ReFS might be difficult for beginners. Share this guide to help more users.

4. File Explorer

File Explorer is also one of the computer's built-in formatting tools that can help format the drive to ReFS. Here's how:

Step 1: Press Windows + E to open File Explorer on your computer.

Step 2: Click on This PC. Then right-click on the right destination drive and select "Format."

Step 3: In the prompt window, select REFS from the drop-down menu as the target disk file format. Then, check the box next to "Quick Format."

Step 4: Finally, click "Start" to format to ReFS. （You need to select the ReFS as the target file system. Here, I use NTFS as an example.）

Conclusion: Editor's Thought

To solve the problems of NTFS, Microsoft launched a newer generation of advanced file systems - Resilient File System (ReFS), also known as "Protogon" in September 2012. ReFS breaks Windows Server version restrictions, and Microsoft introduced a new file system on Windows 11. In this article, EaseUS Partition Master provides multiple versions, allowing you to format ReFS in Windows 11/10 or Server. Therefore, it is the most reliable and powerful tool to help ReFS format management.

ReFS Format Tool FAQs

How to format to ReFS on Windows 11 or Windows Server? This article gives 4 ReFS formatter to format a disk to ReFS. Check the following content to get more details.

1. How do you format using ReFS?

You can format ReFS with Disk Management by following the steps below:

Step 1: Right-click "Start" and select Disk Management. Step 2: Right-click the partition or disk you want to format to ReFS and click "Format." Step 3: Select REFS as the target File system in the pop-up interface and check the "Quick format" box. Step 4. Click Start to format to ReFS on Windows 11.

2. Is ReFS better than NTFS?

ReFS has better performance than NTFS, but NTFS is a general-purpose file system with more features and uses. ReFS complements NTFS but does not completely replace it.

3. What is the ReFS format?

ReFS is also called a flexible file system. It is a technological leap in data storage solutions. ReFS was designed to address the limitations of its predecessor, NTFS, in terms of data integrity, scalability, and self-healing capabilities. ReFS does it.