How to setup RAID 1 on Windows 11

If you want to setup RAID 1 on Windows 11, this guide covers four reliable ways, software and hardware, and explains which approach suits different needs. RAID 1 (mirroring) keeps an exact copy of one drive on another, protecting your data against a single drive failure.

How to setup RAID 1 on Windows 11

Before starting, make sure both drives are healthy and have equal or greater storage capacity. Back up important files, and if you are planning to use hardware or firmware RAID, verify that your motherboard supports RAID creation.

Method 1: Create a mirror using Disk Management

Disk Management can build a mirrored volume by converting your disks to dynamic. This approach works well if you already have data on one drive and want to mirror it to a second disk.

1. Open Disk Management by pressing Windows + X and choosing Disk Management.

2. Then, right-click the volume you want to mirror and select Add Mirror.

3. Choose the second disk as the mirror target.

4. Windows converts both drives to dynamic disks and begins syncing. Let the synchronization finish before shutting down or removing drives.

Method 2: Configure RAID 1 using Storage Spaces

Storage Spaces is Windows 11’s built-in software RAID feature that lets you combine two or more physical drives into protected storage pools. It supports mirroring, parity, and simple volumes, and it works well for users who want RAID-style redundancy without requiring changes to the BIOS or hardware settings.

1. Open Settings, select System, choose Storage, then open Advanced storage settings.

2. Select Storage Spaces and choose Add a new Storage Pool and storage space.

3. Pick the two drives, create the pool, and choose ‘Two-way mirror’ as the resiliency type.

4. Assign a name and size.

Finish creation to mount your new mirrored drive.

Method 3: Set up RAID 1 in BIOS or UEFI (Intel or AMD RAID)

Motherboard RAID, also known as firmware RAID, creates the mirror at the hardware level before Windows loads. It typically offers better performance and reliability because the chipset, rather than Windows, handles the RAID. Many desktops and laptops from major brands include Intel RST or AMD RAID support.

Choose this method if your system supports RAID in firmware and you want a higher-performance, lower-level RAID 1 solution.

1. Restart your PC and enter BIOS or UEFI.

2. Enable RAID mode for your SATA or NVMe controller.

3. Then, open the firmware RAID utility and create a RAID 1 array using your two drives.

4. Save changes and boot into Windows.

5. Install RAID drivers if Windows prompts for them.

Method 4: Use a dedicated hardware RAID controller

A dedicated hardware RAID card provides professional-grade RAID features such as caching, hot-swap support, and independent processing. These cards create the array entirely on the controller, making the RAID setup more stable and less dependent on Windows or chipset limitations.

This method is ideal for servers, workstations, and users who need top-tier reliability and advanced RAID monitoring tools.

1. Install the RAID controller card into a PCIe slot and connect your drives.

2. Boot and enter the controller’s RAID utility.

3. Create a RAID 1 array using the onboard menu.

4. Boot into Windows and install the controller’s driver package.

5. Confirm the RAID volume appears in Disk Management.

Quick tips

• Always keep a separate backup; RAID is not a substitute for backups.
• Use drives of the same model and speed for consistent performance.
• Monitor RAID health through Storage Spaces, RAID BIOS, or your controller utility.

Related: How To Perform RAID Data Recovery In Windows.