Is it possible to disable Win-10 from "upgrading" NTFS file system version when mounting volumes of lesser/lower versions?

[Nomen]

There are times when you might want to attach hard drives from say win-2k / xp / 7 systems to a win-10 box to perform some sort of operation (like bulk file copy or diagnostic or malware scan or clone) but win-10 will mess up these attached drives and render them un-bootable when returned to their original hardware.

There is mention of a registry key (NtfsDisableLfsUpgrade) for use in Windows 8 that is supposed to prevent that, I was wondering if it works in Win-10, and I'm also wondering if there's a utility or method built into win-10, or perhaps third-party software, that can undo this LFS "upgrade" to restore an older NTFS volume to its original state.

Edited November 14, 2023 by Nomen

[jaclaz]

As said in the other thread:

 

*any* Windows later than NT 4.00 will update the NTFS filesystem, this shouldn't make it unbootable unless the actual NT 4.00 install is pre-SP4, so - maybe - what you are experiencing is another issue besides the NTFS filesystem version updating, specific to Windows 10 :unsure:.

I don't think there is any way to prevent that and surely there is no way to convert the volume back to the old version of the filesystem, at the time (Windows 2000) it caused lots of issues, see also:

Using a (windows 8+ based) PE (and possibly also a full install, but I am not sure about the latter) there are Registry settings (Sanpolicy) that can be used to prevent the volume from being mounted (thus allowing as an example to clone it or make a RAW image of it) but the moment the volume is mounted by a later windows the filesystem version will be upgraded:

http://reboot.pro/index.php?showtopic=19687

I don't think (but I cannot say for sure) than anything bad can happen with XP and later NTFS, the issue is only connected with the NT 4.00 (for sure) and Win2k (maybe) NTFS versions.

The NtfsDisableLfsUpgrade Registry key you mention is only about the upgrading of the Log file format, but this should only - in the worst case, when a volume is not cleanly dismounted - prompt to run chkdsk when the disk is back in the older system:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTFS#Journaling

it makes sense to have it when mounting an older disk/volume,  anyway, I believe it is not only limited to 8, and it still works on later OS, but of course need to be tested:

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/15645.windows-8-volume-compatibility-considerations-with-prior-versions-of-windows.aspx

jaclaz