[client side only] Microsoft VDS / Storage Space - How to circumvent "FOREIGN" flag for hotswap volume (2 disk set) used in multiple installations?

Hi there,

is there a simple workaround or even an "official" solution to prevent a volume that is being swapped between multiple installations/workstations from having to be imported every time via Disk Management MMC because it is seen as foreign after every swap... It's obviously more a convenience issue than anything else. But it would be convenient in our case for all workstations to accept the disk set right away, since in the end it would mean either devs need to have local admin on machines that multiple employees use (which ... sucks) or every swap has to be physically accompanied by a sysadmin (which also sucks).

It should behave just like it does when I hotswap it on a single installation, no matter how often, no matter if online/offline.

Some kind of "permanently see this volume as non-foreign" would be nice. I am also not sure what identifier the checking mechanism uses. Can I manually enforce the same identifier on all systems I want to use the volume with?

Client operating system are mainly Windows 10 Pro for Workstations and in rare cases Home edition, but I don't think that matters.

If you've got anything, I'd be happy for it, Thanks!

Posted Jul 15, 2019, 11:35 AM UTC

43
NISMO1968•

is there a simple workaround or even an "official" solution to prevent a volume that is being swapped between multiple installations/workstations from having to be imported every time via Disk Management MMC because it is seen as foreign after every swap...

Not with GPT. Every time you do that it gets new GUID hash summing.

2
Portbragger2OP•

Thanks, that's disappointing but informative :)

3
oliland1•

Format the disk using MBR and make sure it's not dynamic

1