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Learn how to Setup Dev Drive on Windows 11/10 in this guide. You can make and manage Dev Drives on Windows 11 23H2. This guide will show you how. There is a feature called “Dev Drive” that lets developers make regular and virtual storage using the Resilient File System (ReFS) with custom file system optimisations, Microsoft Defender Antivirus in performance mode, and features that make it easier to manage performance and security profiles. This feature isn’t made for general tasks like installing packaged apps, document libraries, or tools for people who aren’t developers.
Instead, it was made to meet the needs of developers who want to host source code for projects, working folders, and package caches. You have come to the right place if you want to know how to set up a Dev Drive on Windows 11 for developers. Along with this new feature from Microsoft comes a new app for developers called Dev Home. The Dev Home app lets developers set up a developer environment in Windows, and the Dev Drive is meant to make the development experience better in Windows 11. Here are the steps how to Setup Dev Drive on Windows 11/10.
What is a Dev Drive?
As a developer, you used to save your work in folders based on how many projects you were working on before Dev Drive came along. You would also keep these folders in a parent directory, like the E drive, where you can only find files that are related to your projects. The Dev Drive, on the other hand, is a volume that you can use to store your development files. This will not only help the files stay separate from each other, but it will also make development better overall.
It gets rid of the pain of constantly switching between apps and searching for the right directories over and over again. Also, the Dev Drive is known to use the Resilient File System (ReFS), which gives developers more control over how the dedicated partition is set up. Changes can be made to the storage volume settings, security and antivirus settings, administrative access settings, and so on.
How to Setup Dev Drive on Windows 11/10
- Start up the Settings app.
- Pick out Storage.
- Click on Discs and Volumes in the area that says “Advanced storage settings.“
- Pick “Make a Dev Drive.”
- You can either make a new VHD or change the size of an existing volume. Pick a choice and click Next.
- Give the new VHD file a name and pick a place to store it if you choose “Create new VHD.”
- Let it know what size drive you want. It needs to have enough space to hold all of your development files.
- You can pick between the old VHD format and the new VHDX format. Most of the time, VHDX is better.
- You can choose between a drive with a fixed size and one that grows as needed.
- Press “Make.”
- Pick out a volume on your PC that you want to shrink if you choose “Resize an existing volume.”
- Pick the size you want the drive to be after it shrinks. The rest of the space will be used for your Dev Drive, which needs at least 50GB.
- Type in a name for the new drive and give it a drive letter.
- Pick a size for the Dev Drive. It should be the same size as the space you took away from the original volume.
- Click on Format.
- You can make a Dev Drive on a drive on your PC that already has free space on it right from the Discs & Volumes page.
Benefits of Using a Dev Drive
- Isolation of Development Environment: A Dev Drive provides an isolated environment for development work. It allows developers to separate their development files, tools, and configurations from their primary operating system. This isolation reduces the risk of conflicts and interference with the regular operation of the computer.
- Resource Allocation: With a Dev Drive, you can allocate specific resources, such as disk space and processing power, exclusively for development purposes. This ensures that your development environment has the necessary resources to run efficiently without impacting the performance of the main operating system.
- Security: By isolating development files and tools on a separate drive, you can enhance security. This minimizes the risk of malware or viruses affecting your development environment and potentially compromising your work.
- Testing and Experimentation: Dev Drives allow you to experiment with different configurations, software versions, and development tools without affecting your main system. This flexibility is particularly valuable for testing new software or making changes to existing projects.
- Easy Backup and Recovery: Since the Dev Drive is separate, it’s easier to back up and recover your development work. You can create backups of the entire Dev Drive or specific projects, ensuring that your work is safe from data loss.
- Performance Optimization: Dev Drives can be configured to optimize performance for development tasks. You can use faster storage options, set up custom virtual machines, and fine-tune system settings to match your specific development needs.
Conclusion
Microsoft first talked about Dev Drive as a part of Build 2023. The Redmond giant showed off Dev Home and Dev Drive at the event to help developers work faster and more efficiently. Dev Drive is a new type of storage volume that makes important developer workloads much safer and more efficient. Keep reading to learn more about what Dev Drive is and how developers can use it.
Questions and Answers
To make a D drive, please make sure that your hard drive has free space. If there is, go to step 4. If not, you can get free space by shrinking the partitions that are already there. Here are the steps: Step 1.
The /dev/ directory has files that show the names of devices that are connected to the system. Users can read and write to these files, but they are not normal files. They are called devices files or special files: [dev root@localhost 1]Number ls -l total 0 crw-r–r–.
Some settings on the system are changed after the installation because of wrong actions or reasons that aren’t known. The D drive is hidden. The D drive won’t show up in Windows File Explorer either if your system hides it. D drive was formatted or deleted by accident.
Microsoft says that Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions are the only ones that have BitLocker encryption. However, Windows 11 Home does have a limited form of device encryption. On Windows 11 Home, you don’t have as many management and setup options, but the main feature is still there.
