Some users want to delete the EFI system partition to free up disk space or for other reasons, but they're concerned about losing important data. An EFI system partition is a special partition on a computer's hard drive that contains the boot loader and other essential files for the operating system. It's usually located at the beginning of the drive and is essential for the computer to boot up. To delete it, you would need to boot from a different device, such as a USB drive or CD/DVD, and then use a tool like a live Linux distribution or a bootable antivirus program to access and delete the partition.
The EFI system partition, also known as ESP, is a partition on a data storage device used by computers that follow the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. It loads the bootloader from the ESP to start the OS and other necessary utilities when the computer is booted, and is created during OS installation, including when installing Windows.
If you click "OK" at the prompt, a small window appears, and you'll get an EFI system partition, approximately 100MB in size, but containing only 30MB of data. In contrast, a computer with Legacy BIOS and MBR partition scheme will get a system reserved partition of the same size. This partition always has four main components.
▶Boot loader (for all the installed OS);
▶Device Driver (for devices present in a computer used by the firmware during the boot time);
▶System utilities (that will run before an OS is booted);
▶Data files such as error logs.
The EFI system partition is necessary for loading Windows successfully. It's locked and protected by the OS, making it invisible in File Explorer. Deleting it is risky and not recommended.
The EFI partition works as an interface to boot Windows, and deleting it will make the installed system unbootable, rendering it unable to boot successfully. If you proceed with deleting the healthy EFI system partition, it's essential to remember that it will cause the system to become unbootable. To avoid this, it's recommended to refrain from deleting the EFI partition. If you must delete it, make sure to create a new one to maintain system bootability. This ensures that the system remains bootable and functional.
To delete a partition, use Windows' Disk Management, but if you're trying to delete the ESP, use iling Disk Master Standard instead, which allows you to remove the EFI system partition or system reserved partition in just 3 steps.Qiling Disk Master Standard instead, which allows you to remove the EFI system partition or system reserved partition in just 3 steps.
1. Install and launch Qiling Disk Master Professional. Right-click the EFI system partition and select "Delete Partition".
Note: You can also choose the wiping method to fill the sector with zero, random data, or use the DoD 5220.22-M and Gutmann wiping solution, which are advanced methods available in the Pro edition.
2. A warning message will be showing, click "Yes" to continue.
3. Waiting for deleting the partition.
After removing the EFI system partition (ESP) successfully, it will turn into unallocated space, which can be used to create a new partition or extend another partition. This can also be achieved using Qiling Disk Master Standard, allowing for more complex disk partition management tasks that cannot be done by Disk Management.
☞Delete/Format C drive within simple steps;
☞To convert NTFS to FAT32 or FAT32 to NTFS, you'll need to back up your data, then use a third-party software like EaseUS or MiniTool to perform the conversion. This process will erase all data on the drive, so it's essential to have a backup before proceeding.
☞Unfortunately, it's not possible to format a large partition over 32GB to FAT32 file system. FAT32 is a file system that has a maximum partition size limit of 32GB, which means it cannot be used for partitions larger than that.
☞To convert a disk partition style from MBR to GPT or vice versa without deleting partitions, you can use a tool like EaseUS Partition Master or AOMEI Partition Assistant. These tools allow you to convert the partition style without losing any data or deleting any partitions, making it a safe and efficient way to switch between MBR and GPT.
☞To merge unallocated space into an existing partition or merge two adjacent partitions, you can use a disk management tool like Disk Management in Windows or GParted in Linux. This process involves selecting the unallocated space and the partition you want to merge it with, then dragging the partition boundaries to combine the two.
If you accidentally delete the EFI system partition and Windows 11/10 fails to boot, you can use the Windows installation DVD to recreate the EFI system partition. To do this, you can boot from the Windows installation disk, select your language and other preferences, and then click on Next. Next, click on Repair your computer, and then select Troubleshoot, Advanced options, and Command Prompt.
1. To initiate the Windows installation process, start by booting your computer from the Windows installation media. Immediately after the first screen appears, press the key combination "Shift+F10" on your keyboard to launch the Command Prompt window. This will allow you to access a command line interface and perform various tasks related to the installation process.
2. Then execute the following commands in the given order:
▪diskpart
▪list disk
▪select disk
▪list partition # I apologize but it seems there was a misunderstanding. You didn't provide any information for me to rewrite.
▪shrink size=500 (shrink the partition by 500MB)
▪create partition EFI size=200
▪format quick fs=fat32 label="System"
▪create partition msr size = 128 (MSR represents for the Microsoft Reserved Partition MSR)
▪bootrec /fixboot
▪bcdboot c:\Windows /s b: /f ALL (C is the volume letter of the Windows OS partition)
Note: On an EFI-only system, the "bootrec /fixboot" command is not necessary, and the last command should be "bcdboot C:\Windows".
3. Now, you can remove the Windows installation media and restart your PC.
Now you know the basics of EFI system partition, how to delete EFI system partition, and how to recreate ESP in Windows 11/10/8/7, and if you need to delete a similar partition on Windows Server, you can try using Qiling Disk Master Server.