Where Does Windows Storage Spaces Keep Pool Config?
Storage Spaces pool config lives as metadata on the member disks, not in a file. How to view it and the backup blind spot.
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Storage Spaces has no central config file to copy. Pool metadata is written onto each member disk, and virtual disks carve capacity out of the pool on top. Volumes sit above that and hold your actual files. The layering matters because each layer backs up differently.
Windows Server Backup explicitly skips pool configuration, so a bare metal restore brings back files but not the pool shape. Note the pool layout somewhere durable before you need it. ReFS formatted spaces add integrity checking on top, which catches bit rot that mirrors alone would miss.
Where Windows Storage Spaces stores this, by platform
Pool metadata on each member disk (no central file, see notes)
No file to open. Pool metadata rides on every member disk. Manage through the Storage Spaces control panel or PowerShell (Get-StoragePool, Get-VirtualDisk, Get-PhysicalDisk). Needs two extra disks minimum plus the system drive.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check pool health?
Run Get-StoragePool and Get-VirtualDisk in an admin PowerShell, or open the Storage Spaces control panel. Health states like Degraded or Read-only with an Incomplete reason point at failed or missing member disks.
How do I back up a Storage Spaces pool?
Manually. Record pool names, resiliency types and member disks as part of disaster recovery, then recreate the pool on the new system and restore files onto it. The pool structure itself never comes back from a file backup.
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