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Productivity

Use a Dev Drive for Faster Builds and Caches

A Dev Drive is a ReFS volume with Defender in performance mode. Package managers and build folders on it get measurably faster, and the setup takes ten minutes.

by@guidox updated:10/31/26 time:30 min level:Intermediate tested on:Windows 11 24H2 works on:Windows 11 tools:Admin rights, Free disk space
TL;DR

Create a **Dev Drive** of at least 50 GB in **Settings > System > Storage > Advanced**, verify the trust state with **fsutil devdrv query**, then move **npm, pip, cargo and gradle** caches onto it.

Before you start

Requirements

  • Windows 11 22H2 or newer
  • 16 GB RAM recommended
  • Free unallocated space or a second drive
Step by step

Instructions

01

Check that the feature is available

Dev Drive needs a recent Windows 11 build, at least 8 GB of RAM and admin rights. A virtual machine or a host with an unusual storage driver can report the option as missing.

winver
02

Create the volume

Settings offers the guided path: pick the size, choose whether to shrink an existing volume or use free space, and let it format. The minimum is 50 GB, which is the point where the relocation tables pay off.

Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Disks & volumes > Create dev drive
03

Confirm Defender is in performance mode

A Dev Drive is trusted by the antivirus, which is where most of the speed comes from. Query the state once; if it is not trusted, scanning still runs at full cost.

fsutil devdrv query D:
04

Move the package caches

Caches are the biggest win: thousands of small files, written and read on every install. Set the environment variables rather than copying folders by hand, then let the tools rebuild.

setx NPM_CONFIG_CACHE D:/caches/npm
setx PIP_CACHE_DIR D:/caches/pip
setx CARGO_HOME D:/caches/cargo
tipMove the build output directory as well, not only the caches. The linker writes far more data than the downloader reads.
05

Measure before and after

Time one cold build on the old location and the same build on the Dev Drive. Without both numbers the change is a feeling, and a full disk or a busy background task can erase it.

06

Plan for the backup gap

File History and some image tools do not cover ReFS volumes the way they cover NTFS. Keep source code in a repository and treat the Dev Drive as disposable build space.

⚠ warningA Dev Drive is not a backup target. If the volume is lost, everything on it must be reproducible from a remote repository.
Troubleshooting

Common issues

The create option is greyed out

Not enough unallocated space, an unsupported build, or a VM. Shrink a volume to free 50 GB or more.

Builds are no faster

The caches still live on C. Check the environment variables in a new terminal window, not the old one.

A tool refuses to write to the drive

Permissions on a new volume, or an installer that insists on the system drive. Create the folder first and grant your account full control.

The drive shows as full at half capacity

Block cloning and ReFS metadata. Check the volume with the usual tools before you move more onto it.

FAQ

Frequently asked

Does it help gaming?

No. It targets many small file operations; game loading is dominated by large sequential reads.

Can I remove it later?

Yes. Move the data off, then delete the volume in the same settings page.

How to undo this

Unset the cache variables with **setx NPM_CONFIG_CACHE ""** and delete the volume in **Disks & volumes** after moving the data back. The tools rebuild their caches on the next install.

Changelog · 1 entry
  1. 2026-10-31
    First version
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