CREATE DATABASE on RAW partitions no longer works?

I'm attempting to create a database using two raw, i.e. unformatted, partitions.

Microsoft Docs states you can do this, you simply need to specify only the drive letter of the raw partition, as in:

CREATE DATABASE DirectDevice 
ON (NAME = DirectDevice_system, FILENAME = 'S:')
LOG ON (NAME = DirectDevice_log, FILENAME = 'T:')

However, SQL Server 2017 returns this error:


Msg 5170, Level 16, State 4, Line 1

Cannot create file 'S:' because it already exists. Change the file path or the file name, and retry the operation.

Msg 1802, Level 16, State 4, Line 1

CREATE DATABASE failed. Some file names listed could not be created. Check related errors.

The pertinent bit of the documentation states:


If the file is on a raw partition, os_file_name must specify only the drive letter of an existing raw partition. Only one data file can be created on each raw partition.

And yes, drive S: and T: are both unformatted raw partitions that do exist in my system:

DISKPART> detail partition

Partition 4
Type : ebd0a0a2-b9e5-4433-87c0-68b6b72699c7
Hidden : No
Required: No
Attrib : 0000000000000000
Offset in Bytes: 999934656512

Volume ### Ltr Label Fs Type Size Status Info
---------- --- ----------- ----- ---------- ------- --------- --------
* Volume 6 T RAW Partition 127 MB Healthy

DISKPART> select partition 3

Partition 3 is now the selected partition.

DISKPART> detail partition

Partition 3
Type : ebd0a0a2-b9e5-4433-87c0-68b6b72699c7
Hidden : No
Required: No
Attrib : 0000000000000000
Offset in Bytes: 1000067825664

Volume ### Ltr Label Fs Type Size Status Info
---------- --- ----------- ----- ---------- ------- --------- --------
* Volume 7 S RAW Partition 129 MB Healthy

Removing the colon from the drive letters, as in FILENAME = 'S' and FILENAME = 'T', results in:


Msg 5105, Level 16, State 2, Line 1

A

I can confirm raw partitions work, as expected, with SQL Server 2000 SP4 on Windows XP x64.

I just ran the following through Query Analyzer (shudders) against SQL Server 2000 SP4:

CREATE DATABASE t
ON PRIMARY 
(
    NAME = t_primary
    , FILENAME = 'E:'
)
LOG ON 
(
    NAME = t_log
    , FILENAME = 'F:'
);

The results:


The CREATE DATABASE process is allocating 0.64 MB on disk 't_primary'.

The CREATE DATABASE process is allocating 1.00 MB on disk 't_log'.

The above CREATE DATABASE t code works with SQL Server 2005 on Windows XP x64; the only output is Command(s) completed successfully.

SSMS shows the following when you look at the database files:

Isn't that about as cool as a bucket of bolts?

SQL Server 2012 SP1 on Windows Server 2012 Standard, with SQL Server Management Studio service account set to "Local System":

SQL Server 2014 (12.0.5000.0) running as "Local System" on Windows Server 2012 exhibits the same behavior as SQL Server 2017; i.e., it returns this error message:


Msg 5170, Level 16, State 4, Line 1

Cannot create file 'E:' because it already exists. Change the file path or the file name, and retry the operation.

Msg 1802, Level 16, State 4, Line 1

CREATE DATABASE failed. Some file names listed could not be created. Check related errors.

StackExchange Database Administrators Q#205749, answer score: 3