It is to be recalled that activation of a built-in functionality of data deduplication on disk partitions appeared in Windows Server 2012. The aim of deduplication technology is disk space saving on file servers by means of searching and deletion of duplicated data. I.E. the system is searching the same blocks on NTFS file system volume and deleting them, replacing such blocks with the links to the original source, clearing disk space effectively. This technology is focused on server market segment and is not available for client version of Windows 8 even in Pro and Enterprise editions.
However, there is a trick which allows to activate deduplication technology in Windows 8 (and Windows 8.1). Some enthusiasts extracted corresponding packages from Windows Server 2012 / R2 to make it possible.
- Download and un-zip the archive with a file which contains a rollup for activation of deduplication
- For Windows 8 – windows8-dedup.zip (4133 Kb)
- For Windows 8.1 – windows81-dedup.zip (4351 Kb)
- Perform the following commands (with the administrative privilege)
- For Windows 8:
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dism /online /add-package /packagepath:Microsoft-Windows-VdsInterop-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.2.9200.16384.cab /packagepath:Microsoft-Windows-VdsInterop-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.2.9200.16384.cab /packagepath:Microsoft-Windows-FileServer-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.2.9200.16384.cab /packagepath:Microsoft-Windows-FileServer-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.2.9200.16384.cab /packagepath:Microsoft-Windows-Dedup-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.2.9200.16384.cab /packagepath:Microsoft-Windows-Dedup-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.2.9200.16384.cab dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:Dedup-Core /all
- For Windows 8.1:
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dism /online /add-package /packagepath:Microsoft-Windows-VdsInterop-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.3.9600.16384.cab /packagepath:Microsoft-Windows-VdsInterop-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.3.9600.16384.cab /packagepath:Microsoft-Windows-FileServer-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.3.9600.16384.cab /packagepath:Microsoft-Windows-FileServer-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.3.9600.16384.cab /packagepath:Microsoft-Windows-Dedup-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.3.9600.16384.cab /packagepath:Microsoft-Windows-Dedup-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.3.9600.16384.cab dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:Dedup-Core /all
Note. As deduplication packages are extracted from Windows Server 2012/R2 they will be working only on 64 bit versions of Windows 8. - For Windows 8:
- After feature installation the new, previously non-existent option File Server Role -> Data Deduplication will appear in “Windows Features”( Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Programs and Features\Turn Windows Features on or off section)
Deduplication management in Windows is performed via PowerShell, launched with administrative privileges (of course graphical Management utility which is included in Server Manager console won`t operate)
To enable deduplication for volume D:, perform the following command:
1 | Enable-DedupVolume -Volume D: |
It is possible to exclude some catalogues from duplicated data on disk in Windows 2012 R2 (PowerShell 4.0):
1 | Set-DedupVolume -volume D: -ExcludeFolder d:\HomeFolder;d:\mp3 |
To enable deduplication process immediately, perform the following command:
1 | Start-DedupJob –Volume D: –Type Optimization |
To get information about the status of the process use the following:
1 | Get-DedupStatus |
In case of deduplication feature installation in Windows 8, three new tasks are created in a Task Sheduleler, they perform operation of data deduplication on volumes according to the definite schedule. Task parameters can be viewed or changed via graphical Sheduler interface. Sheduler -> Task Sheduler Library -> Microsoft -> Window -> Deduplication).
or via PoSh:
1 | Get-DedupSchedule |
For that files in which there were no changes for more than 5 days the process of deduplication is enabled by default. In most cases (particularly in test environment) it`s better to enable deduplication for all files regardless to the time of their changing.
1 | Set-Dedupvolume D: -MinimumFileAgeDays 0 |
After the deduplication finishing all its results (which involve saving of disk space) can be estimated with a help of PoSh:
1 | Get-DedupStatus |
Or visually in disk properties
If the other computer can not install the deduplication, you must disable data deduplication on a volume:
1 | Disable-DedupVolume-Volume D: |
4 comments
I use Win 8.1 Build 6.3.9600.17031, where I can locate cabs these version to download???
Try package for Windows 8.1 – windows81-dedup.zip
I’m in the same boat. I get an error when trying to use 16384 cabs. I need 17031 cabs. Anybody got a clue how to extract new cabs for the new dism modules
When your DISM asks nummers for 6.3.9600.17031, and say “This package is not acclicable to this image”
You first remove them en then try again.
Her is the remove command.. Run it as Admin from anywere
dism /online /Remove-Package /packagename:”Microsoft-Windows-VdsInterop-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.3.9600.16384″ /packagename:”Microsoft-Windows-VdsInterop-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.3.9600.16384″ /packagename:”Microsoft-Windows-FileServer-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.3.9600.16384″ /packagename:”Microsoft-Windows-FileServer-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.3.9600.16384″ /packagename:”Microsoft-Windows-Dedup-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.3.9600.16384″ /packagename:”Microsoft-Windows-Dedup-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.3.9600.16384″