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I have a home server running Windows Server 2012 that serves as a file server. I have 3 drives mounted in RAID-0 as a storage space (not a hardware RAID). In disk management, when I try to disable the write cache for this volume, Windows report that it cannot be done and that this feature may not be supported by the volume.

Can the cache be disabled or can this be safely ignored? I would like to prevent potential data loss in case of an outage, but is it safe to disable the write cache for these drives?

Xunkar
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1 Answers1

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RAID has no write cache so cannot be disabled.

The write cache for any internal disk, even if possible, should never be disabled, since the consequences for performance would be enormous.

I suggest to invest instead in an uninterrupted power supply with a battery, that comes with a USB connector to the PC and with software that will use the information coming from the USB to gracefully shutdown the computer before the battery is emptied.

harrymc
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  • Any product that you can recommend? – Xunkar Jun 09 '19 at 13:51
  • Product recommendations are not allowed on this site, but a choice is also dependent on your country and local vendors. I suggest to shop for such devices in a local shop or on the Internet. Just remember my above suggestions. – harrymc Jun 09 '19 at 13:54
  • Alright. I need however to point out something about your answer. According to Microsoft, "(...) once a server is promoted to a DC, write cache is disabled by default. You can try to enable it, but it will revert back to disabled." So it would seem that write cache isn't such a good idea when it comes to sensitive data, at least according to them. What do you make of this, and do you have any data on performance impact? – Xunkar Jun 09 '19 at 14:11
  • There are some tests in this post, where without cache the write performance is abysmal. Disabling the write-cache is also not supported on all disks and controllers, and you will find it more often on IDE disks. There are many posts to be found of administrators fighting Windows to enable it for DC servers that have UPS and so feel safe enough. – harrymc Jun 09 '19 at 15:57