How to Restore Deleted EFI Partition in Windows 10 Simply
The issue
The EFI partition, also known as the EFI system partition (ESP), is a special partition used by computers that follow the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) standard. It's where the UEFI firmware loads files to start the operating system and other programs when the computer boots up. If this partition is deleted, it can cause boot issues, as the computer won't know where to find the necessary files to start up properly.
"Hello everyone! I'm in a very big predicament at the moment. I foolishly deleted my EFI partition on accident!! I have 2 drives 1 SSD and 1 HDD. The SSD has Windows 10 on it, the HDD was overflow.
I wiped the hard drive for a Hackintosh build but I then realized that my HDD was my EFI boot drive!!! I've tried creating a bootable USB with 3 different drives. None of them work, but still trying. When booting, it gives me the boot installation initialization failed (after splash screen no windows boot though). I'm so clueless on the next thing to do, please help thank you!"
To rebuild the EFI partition in Windows 10, you can use the built-in Command Prompt or PowerShell. You can open the Command Prompt as an administrator by searching for "cmd" in the Start menu, right-clicking on the result, and selecting "Run as administrator". Then, type the command "bcdboot C:\Windows /s C:" and press Enter. This command will recreate the EFI partition and update the boot configuration.
Restore accidentally deleted EFI partition in Windows 10 using CMD
If the EFI partition is deleted, you can try to recover it in Windows 10 by recreating it in Command Prompt. To do this, open Command Prompt as an administrator, type `diskpart`, and press Enter. Then, type `list disk` and press Enter to list all available disks.
1. Boot your computer using the Windows 10 installation media or Windows 10 recovery disk. On the first screen, press SHIFT+F10 to enter Command Prompt.
2. Run the commands below to shrink a partition for unallocated space:
- diskpart
- list disk
- select disk # Select the disk where you want to add the EFI system partition.
- list partition
- select partition # (Select the partition which you plan to shrink.)
- shrink desired=100 (Shrink the selected partition by 100MB.)
3. Run the following commands to create the EFI system partition with the unallocated space:
- create partition efi size=100
- format quick fs=fat32
- assign letter=S The new policy aims to improve the overall quality of life for citizens by increasing access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities. The government plans to invest in various initiatives that will benefit the community, including infrastructure development, job training programs, and community outreach services. This will not only enhance the well-being of the citizens but also contribute to the growth and prosperity of the city.
- exit
4. Use the command below to copy the boot files from the Windows partition to the EFI system partition and create the BCD store in it:
- bcdboot C:\windows /s S: ("C" is the drive letter of the system partition and "S" is the drive letter you assign to the EFI partition.)
- exit
5. Restart your computer.
In Windows 10, if there is no EFI partition, you can recreate the EFI system partition with the help of a professional tool, which can also assist in partition recovery.
More secure way to restore EFI partition in Windows 10
It's better to be safe than sorry. Regular backups can prevent worries about missing partitions, and a good backup software like Qiling Disk Master Professional can provide comprehensive data protection.
With Qiling Disk Master, you can create image backups for the system, disk, partition, or even selective files, allowing you to restore them whenever needed. Download Qiling Disk Master now to try it out!
Preparations
To restore EFI partition in Windows 10 via Qiling Disk Master, you should do following preparations:
▶ To ensure the system remains bootable after recovery, it's recommended to use a "System Backup" instead of a "Partition Backup" when backing up data on the EFI system partition. This approach guarantees that the system will be bootable after recovery.
▶ To create bootable media with Qiling Disk Master, you can follow these steps:
How to recover EFI partition via Qiling Disk Master
Step 1. Connect a bootable drive to your computer, then change the boot order in the BIOS settings to start from the drive instead of the internal hard drive. This will allow your computer to boot from the drive and access its operating system.
Step 2. Once logged in, click on "Restore" in the left pane and select "Select Task" from the options.
Step 3. Select the system backup task from the list and click "Next", choosing the one from a date when the computer was functioning normally.
Step 4. Select the type of backup you want to restore, either the entire backup or a specific part of it, and click on the "Next" button.
✍ Tips: The program automatically selects the current system partition (usually C drive) as the destination drive, but you can also change the default destination drive by ticking "Restore system to other location" at the bottom.
Step 5. Confirm operations on the "Operation Summary" page and click on the "Proceed" button.
Step 6. To resolve the issue, restart your computer and boot from the original hard drive. Once booted, safely disconnect the bootable drive and store it securely for future use. This should resolve the problem.
Summary
If you accidentally lose the EFI partition, you can restore it in Windows 10 by recreating it in Command Prompt or using a specialized tool, and the same methods can also be used to restore EFI partition in Windows 7.
For better data protection, you can use Qiling Disk Master to regularly back up your system, disk, partition, or file. This tool also allows you to clone an SSD to a larger one and sync folders in real-time, providing a range of features to help keep your data safe and up-to-date.
You can protect unlimited computers within your company using Qiling Disk Master Technician, which also allows you to deploy or restore system image files on multiple computers over a network using its built-in Qiling Image Deploy tool.
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