What is the EFI system partition (ESP)?

The EFI system partition (ESP) is a partition on a computer's hard drive that is used by computers with UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) firmware. It stores the boot files required for the system to start up.

How can I create an EFI system partition in Windows 11/10/8/7?

To create an EFI system partition in Windows, you'll need to use disk management tools. Here's how: Press Win + X and select "Disk Management" from the menu. In the Disk Management window, right-click on an existing partition or unallocated space on a disk and select "Shrink Volume" (if necessary) to create free space for the EFI partition. Right-click on the unallocated space and select "New Simple Volume." Follow the on-screen instructions in the New Simple Volume Wizard, specifying the size for the EFI partition (typically around 100 MB), assigning it a drive letter (or none), and formatting it as FAT32. Once the partition is created, it will be designated as an EFI system partition.

Can I delete an EFI system partition in Windows 11/10/8/7?

Deleting the EFI system partition is generally not recommended unless you have a specific need to do so, such as when you're removing a dual-boot configuration or reconfiguring your system. However, if you still wish to delete it, follow these steps carefully: Press Win + X and select "Disk Management" from the menu. In the Disk Management window, right-click on the EFI system partition and select "Delete Volume." Confirm the deletion when prompted. Note that this action will remove the boot files stored on the EFI partition, which may render your system unbootable.

Can I resize the EFI system partition in Windows 11/10/8/7?

In general, it's not recommended to resize the EFI system partition unless you have a specific need and understand the implications. The EFI system partition is typically small (around 100 MB) and is meant to store boot files. Resizing it incorrectly or making it too small can cause boot issues. If you need to resize it, follow these steps: Press Win + X and select "Disk Management" from the menu. In the Disk Management window, right-click on the EFI system partition and select "Resize/Move Volume." Adjust the partition size as desired. Be careful not to make it too small. Click "OK" to apply the changes.

How to Create and Delete EFI System Partition in Windows 11/10/8/7

Taylor Clark

2023-06-01 13:34:53

78821 views, 3 min read

Summary

In this post, you'll learn "what is EFI system partition". And we're going to talk about how to delete and create EFI system partition on Windows 11/10, and will present you the solution to recover lost data from EFI system partition.

What is EFI System Partition?

The EFI System Partition (ESP) is a type of partition on a Windows computer that creates several regions on the PC’s hard disk so that information stored on the different partitions can be managed separately by the Windows operating system.

Windows computer uses it because they contain the following four main components:

Boot loaders;

Device drivers;

System utilities;

Data files.

The EFI is most used by systems that adhere to the Unified Extensive Firmware Interface (UEFI). The UEFI firmware works during the process of booting a computer to load files stored on the ESP in order to start installed operating system and system utilities.

It’s the function of the boot loaders to ensure that all the necessary files and utilities have been booted before the completion of the booting sequence.The ESP ensures that all errors encountered during system booting phase are resolved. It does this by working with the boot loader to offer users good experiences during system startup.

Part 1: How Do I Know My EFI Partition?
Part 2: How to Delete EFI System Partition (ESP) in Windows
- Is It Safe to Delete EFI System Partition?
- How to Delete EFI System Partition (ESP) in Windows
Part 3: How to Create EFI System Partition (ESP)
Part 4: How to Recover Lost Data from EFI System Partition

Part 1. How Do I Know My EFI Partition?

If there's a 100MB system reserved partition, then it means that you don't have an EFI partition. If you have an EFI partition, both Disk Management and dispart will tell you that.

Part 2. How to Delete EFI System Partition (ESP) in Windows

2.1 Is It Safe to Delete EFI System Partition?

Deleting an EFI partition is risky. As we mentioned in the beginning of the post, the EFI partition seems like an interface for the computer to boot Windows off. Your computer won't be able to boot into Windows without the EFI partition. And it will cause the installed system unbootable after deleting the EFI partition. But if you persist in deleting the EFI partition, keep these in mind:

1. Don't do anything to the EFI partition if you want your Windows run smoothly.
2. You can directly reinstall the OS if you want to delete the EFI partition and install a new Windows OS.
3. If you have two OS installed on your PC and want to delete the ESP, follow the steps below in 2.2.

2.2 How to Delete EFI System Partition (ESP) in Windows

EFI system partition is very important in booting the installed OS and system utilities of the hard disk. However, if you’re using a hard disk with EFI system partitions created for the macOS, and you now want to install Windows to replace macOS, then you need to delete the old EFI system partition and create a new one for Windows.

Here is how to delete EFI system partition:

First, you need to identify the disk where the EFI partition is located.

Open Disk Management by pressing "Windows key + R". Type "diskmgmt.msc" and press "Enter".
In Disk Management, locate the EFI system partition, and close the disk management.

Then, delete the EFI partition with DISKPART tool:

Open the elevated command prompt by right-clicking on the "Start" menu. From the pop-up menu, choose "Command Prompt (Admin)".
Give each of the following commands and click "Enter": diskpart > list disk > select disk number > clean.

Once the cleaning process is complete, you’ll get a notification saying: "DiskPart succeeded in cleaning the disk". Click "exit" to close the DiskPart tool, and then close the command window.

Part 3. How to Create EFI System Partition (ESP)

Step 1. Boot your PC with Windows installation media. Then, press "Shift + f10" on the first screen to launch the Command Prompt.

Step 2. Run the following commands and click enter at the end:

Diskpart
List disk
Select disk
List partition
Create partition efi
Format quick fs=fat32
List partition
List volume (i.e. the volume letter where the Windows OS is installed)
Exit
bcdboot X:/windows (Replace "X" with the Volume letter of the Windows OS partition).

Step 3. Now, you can remove the Windows installation media and restart your PC.

Part 4. How to Recover Lost Data from EFI System Partition

iMyFone AnyRecover is the right tool for recovering data lost in your Windows or Mac PC during EFI system partition. This tool can be of immeasurable assistance in helping you recover files from internal and external hard drives, removable USB flash drives, smartphones, media device players, camcorders, memory cards, and digital cameras.

Key features of AnyRecover

AnyRecover can recover lost file and mistakenly deleted data from Windows (including the latest Windows 11) and macOS computers.
Recover almost all kinds of file types such as audios files, photos&videos, PDF/Word/Excel file, email, etc.
With the recovery rate of 98%, AnyRecover is highly recommended by users.
User friendliness, easy to use, and no expert skills needed.
Preview and selectively recover lost, formatted or deleted data.
Recover data from lost EFI system partitions; recycle bin, formatted disk, external flash drives, etc.

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Steps to recover lost data:

Step 1. Download and install AnyRecover. Run it and select a disk under the "I can't find my partitions" tab.

select location partition

Step 2. Select the partition that you have lost data, and click "Scan".

Scan the Location

Step 3. It will begin an all-round scanning process. It will take some miniutes for scanning process.

Scan the Location

Step 4. When the scanning is completed, all files will be listed out in file types and folders. You can preview lost files. Then select the lost data you want to recover by clicking "Recover" button.

Preview and Recover