Windows 10 Storage Spaces issue confirmed by Microsoft

Surface Go 2
Surface Go 2 (Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft confirmed an issue with Storage Spaces on PCs running the Windows 10 May 2020 Update.
  • The issue causes some PCs to not be able to access Storage Spaces.
  • There is currently no fix, but you can mark Storage Spaces as read only.

Microsoft recently confirmed an issue affecting some PCs running the Windows 10 May 2020 Update. The update causes some PCs to not be ableto access Storage Spaces. Additionally, some configurations cause a partition of Storage Spaces to show RAW in Disk Manager. Right now, there isn't a fix for the issue, but Microsoft is investigating it.

The issue was first spotted by Windows Latest and we reported on the issue earlier this week alongside several other problems with the Windows 10 May 2020 Update.

Microsoft does not specify how many PCs are affected by this issue. It does, however, specify that there is no workaround for the issue right now. Instead, you can mark Storage Spaces as read only. Here are the steps to do so, as outlined by Microsoft.

  1. Select Start and type: powershell
  2. Right click or long press on Windows PowerShell and select Run as administrator.
  3. If prompted by a User Access Control dialog for Windows Powershell, select yes.
  4. Within the PowerShell dialog, type the following command and press enter: get-virtualdisk | ? WriteCacheSize -gt 0 | get-disk | set-disk -IsReadOnly $true
  5. Your Storage Spaces should now be set to read only, meaning you will not be able to write to them. Your device will still be usable, and any volume not seen as RAW should be readable.

Microsoft notes that it does not recommend running the chkdsk command on any device affected by this issue.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He's covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean's journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.