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How to remove EFI System partition?


NikolaS92

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Sure it is possible :), point might be WHY you would do that.

The problem is that the GPT/UEFI standard turns around the filesystem used, which has to be FAT though some motherboards firmware do include (beyond specs)a NTFS driver.

Basically a GPT disk without a FAT partition (of course containing an EFI bootloader or bootmanager) is not bootable.

There are workarounds and "tricks", but they are not really-really advised unless there is some valid reason for not wanting to have that EFI system partition.

In any case you should get familiar with these pages (and with the gdisk tool):

http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/

jaclaz

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I just dont want to have extra partitions on hard disk, no matter how small they are. I already know about gdisk, but dont exactly know how to use it to remove efi partition.

Well, besides this being IMHO not particularly smart, and contrary to "common sense" (particularly in the case of a System partition that you won' t ever "see" in normal use) how exactly do you intend to boot that system?

 

Anyway you should be able to delete it from diskpart alright, you have been warned :w00t::ph34r:, you can proceed :yes: :

http://davidvielmetter.com/tricks/delete-efi-partition-in-windows-7/

 

jaclaz

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deleting efi partition is not problem, but i thought that on gpt is also possible like with system reserved partition removal on mbr to move boot files to windows drive and make it read boot files from windows partition, which is not case.

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deleting efi partition is not problem, but i thought that on gpt is also possible like with system reserved partition removal on mbr to move boot files to windows drive and make it read boot files from windows partition, which is not case.

No, as said EFI wants a FAT (depending on OS this might need to be specifically FAT32) partition.

A few motherboards' UEFI firmwares do include a NTFS EFI driver, but they are not "common".

If using BIOS (or CSM mode) there are workarounds.

If using UEFI there are third party EFI NTFS drivers (Rufus), but they will need to reside on a FAT (FAT32) partition, CATCH22!

 

jaclaz

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I would not recommend doing it after the fact. If you have CSM/Legacy HDD boot options, you can install Windows to a single disk-spanning partition on a 2TB or smaller HDD using an answer file.

Windows 10 on EFI "requires" the EFI and MSR partition in addition to the OS partition at a minimum. The MSR partition does not appear in Disk Management but it can be seen with Diskpart. I have not tried or researched having Windows 10 boot on a single partition on EFI either after the fact or from bare metal.

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Windows 10 on EFI requires the EFI and MSR partition in addition to the OS partition at a minimum.

i have legacy boot but wanted to play with uefi little. i already deleted msr and recovery partitions and windows still boots, so it looks that only efi partition is required.

Edited by NikolaS92
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i have legacy boot but wanted to play with uefi little. i already deleted msr and recovery partitions and windows still boots, so it looks that only efi partition is required.

Sure :yes:.

The MSR is just "some slack space, just in case".

The recovery is of course the recovery.

 

jaclaz

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How to move boot files from EFI System partition to C: drive so that i can delete EFI partition? or is it not possible?

 

You can switch back but have to then reinstall doze is best method. I just went into Bios and disabled my uefi for me it was in Boot Order and selected it and disabled. Then delete all partitions on Disk 0 in this win 10 install screen, then select new and let it do its thing

 

LwkCV41.jpg

 

jPlVwsT.jpg

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You can switch back but have to then reinstall doze is best method. I just went into Bios and disabled my uefi for me it was in Boot Order and selected it and disabled. Then delete all partitions on Disk 0 in this win 10 install screen, then select new and let it do its thing

 

With all due respect :), this makes NO sense :w00t::ph34r: whatsoever (as a reply to the OP question).

 

Carpenter's comparison:

Q: My walls are dirty, can I re-paint them?

A: You can, but it is better to completely demolish your house and rebuild it from the ground up, this time in masonry instead of timber...

 

jaclaz

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