Steps to Perform ReFS Partition Recovery (With Internal Data)

About ReFS Partition

ReFS, or Resilient File System, is a modern file system developed by Microsoft designed to improve data integrity, reliability, and scalability. It is commonly used on Windows Server systems, especially in environments requiring large storage volumes and high fault tolerance. Unlike older file systems like NTFS, ReFS can automatically detect and repair data corruption, making it ideal for critical data storage and backup solutions.

While ReFS partition offers enhanced protection against data loss, it can still encounter issues such as corruption or becoming inaccessible. In such cases, you will need specialized recovery methods to perform ReFS partition recovery and retrieve lost data.

Why ReFS Partition Get Lost?

ReFS partitions can become lost or inaccessible for several reasons much like NTFS or other file system partitions encountering similar issues.:

• File System Corruption: For example, a sudden power outage while writing data to the disk can corrupt the ReFS file system, making the partition unreadable.
• Hardware Issues: Faulty hard drives or bad sectors may cause the partition to disappear. For instance, a failing HDD might prevent Windows from recognizing the ReFS partition.
• Virus or Malware Attacks: Malware like ransomware can encrypt or damage partition data, rendering it inaccessible.
• Accidental Deletion or Formatting: Sometimes users accidentally delete the partition or format the drive while managing disk partitions.
• Partition Table Damage: Corruption in the Master Boot Record (MBR) or GUID Partition Table (GPT) due to system errors or improper partitioning tools can cause the partition to be lost.
• Unsupported Operations: Using non-compatible third-party disk tools or upgrading the OS incorrectly can lead to ReFS partition issues.

How to Recover ReFS Partition and Its Data?

When any of the issues mentioned above occur, your ReFS partition may appear as RAW, be missing in Disk Management, or become inaccessible in File Explorer. In such cases, recovery steps are necessary to restore both the partition and its internal data safely.The recovery process can be divided into three main stages:

Stage 1. Recover Data From ReFS PartitionUsing MyRecover

The first priority is to recover your valuable files from ReFS before attempting to repair the partition itself. MyRecover is a powerful and user-friendly data recovery tool that supports ReFS partitions and can retrieve lost data from corrupted, inaccessible or lostdrives.

1. Download and install MyRecover on your computer.

2. Launch MyRecover, then select the ReFS partition and click "Scan" to start scanning. If the ReFS partition is not visible in the main interface because it has been deleted or is missing, choose the "Lost Partition Recovery" option instead.

3. The "Lost Partition Recovery" will thoroughly scan your system to locate any missing partitions. Once the scan completes, the missing ReFS partition should appear. Then, click the "Scan" button to let the software find all recoverable files within that partition.

4. After the scanning process finishes, preview the recoverable files and select those you want to restore.

5. Save the recovered files to a different, healthy drive or external storage device. Please never save recovered data back to the damaged ReFS partition to avoid overwriting.

Then, simply wait patiently while MyRecover completes the recovery process. Once finished, your files will be successfully restored from the ReFS partition.

Note:✎...

If your computer fails to boot due to ReFS partition loss or corruption, you can still use MyRecover. Simply install and launch the software on another working computer, then create a bootable media. Insert the bootable disk into the affected computer, restart it, and boot from the disk. Once the system loads, you’ll see the MyRecover interface—then follow the same recovery steps to locate and restore your files.

Stage 2. Restore the ReFS Partition to a Healthy State

Once you've successfully recovered the files from the lost or damaged ReFS partition, the next step is to bring the partition itself back to a healthy and usable state. The repair approach depends on the specific scenario:

☑️Scenario 1: Accidentally Deleted the ReFS Partition

If you mistakenly deleted the ReFS partition (but the disk is otherwise healthy), you can simply recreate the partition using Disk Management:

1. Press Win+X at the same timeand select "Disk Management".

2. In the lower pane, "find the unallocated space" that corresponds to the deleted ReFS partition.

3. Right-click the unallocated space"and choose "New Simple Volume".

4. Follow the wizard to:

• Assign a drive letter
• Format the partition using "ReFS" (if supported by your Windows edition)

If the ReFS option is not available during formatting, it means your version of Windows does not support formatting in ReFS. You can use some third-party disk managers or format it on other operating systems to finish the formatting instead.

☑️Scenario 2: ReFS Partition Is Corrupted or Inaccessible

If the partition still exists but has become corrupted (e.g., ReFS partition turned RAW or inaccessible), try the following ReFS partition recovery command line methods:

Option 1: Run CHKDSK (Not always effective for ReFS)

CHKDSK has limited support for ReFS and may not fix serious corruption.

1. Press "Win + X" and select "Command Prompt (Admin)" or "Windows Terminal (Admin)".

2. Type the command below (replace "X:" with your ReFS partition drive letter): chkdsk X: /f /r

3. Press "Enter" and wait for the process to complete.

Option 2: UseReFSUtil

If your ReFS partition becomes corrupted and you want to attempt a repair, you can use the ReFSUtil command-line tool provided in supported versions of Windows Server.

1. Press Win+X, select Windows PowerShell (Admin).

2. Run the ReFSUtil Salvage Command: ReFSUtil salvage -QA [VolumePath][WorkingDirectory][OutputDirectory]

[VolumePath]: The drive letter of the corrupted ReFS partition (e.g., R:\)

[WorkingDirectory]: Temporary location for ReFSUtil to store intermediate files (e.g., D:\temp-work)

[OutputDirectory]: The folder where the successfully recovered files will be saved.

Example:

ReFSUtil salvage -QA E:\ C: \temp-work C: \recover

Notes:✎...

E:\ is the damaged ReFS volume.

C:\temp-work is the working directory for temporary recovery data.

C:\recover is the folder where the successfully recovered files will be saved.

Optional: Use -QS for Deeper Checks

• -QA: Performs a quick analysis and fix.
• -QS: Performs a full scan, useful for detecting more extensive corruption.

Option3: Try TestDisk (Free & Open Source)

TestDisk is a powerful open-source solution that can help rebuild your ReFS partition table and recover missing data. It works by scanning your disk for lost partitions and rewriting the partition table to restore access. It supports a wide range of partition types and is widely trusted for recovery tasks.

1. Download and run TestDisk as administrator.Select your affected disk.

2. Choose the partition table type (usually Intel/PC).

3. Start with Analyse and then Quick Search to find lost partitions. If your ReFS partition isn’t found, use Deeper Search.

4. Preview found partitions by pressing P to verify files.

5. Write the recovered partition table by selecting Write.

Restart your computer. Once done, your ReFS partition should reappear and be accessible again.

Stage 3. Move Recovered File Back to Healthy ReFS Partition

After the ReFS partition has been repaired and is accessible, now you can copy or move your recovered files from the backup location back to the restored ReFS partition. Verify that all files open correctly and are intact.

Summary

While ReFS partitions offer robust data protection, issues like corruption or accidental deletion can still occur. By first recovering your important files with trusted software, then repairing the partition using appropriate tools, you can easily finish ReFS partition recovery and its data.

Apart from helping with ReFS data recovery in Windows 2019, MyRecover also supports NTFS or FAT partition data recovery, exFAT, Ext partition file recovery on all Windows PC and Servers.