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A well-implemented ESP works with the boot loader to provide a good user experience when the system starts up, and it can be restored through third-party software, saving users time and effort.
Most people are unaware of the advantages of EFI and how to extend or delete these partitions without harming the operating system. To help you become more familiar with the system, we answer some common user questions.
Can I delete the EFI partition?
Normally, you can easily manage and identify the disks to be managed or removed from your system using the Disk Management utility available in your computer. However, you cannot delete the EFI partition using Disk Management since the option is entirely disabled from the menu.
An EFI partition is protected, so powerful tools like Disk Management won't allow you to delete it. However, if you want to get rid of it and start over with your disk, we have a few solutions that might help. But before that, let's understand what an EFI System Partition is all about.
What is an EFI partition?
An EFI (Extended Firmware Interface) partition is a section of a storage device used as a system partition on most devices. It follows the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) to load files and system utilities during a computer's boot process. Having an EFI allows your PC to create multiple zones on a hard drive to separately store and manage different information.
Windows users tend to favor it because it has four main components
- System utilities
- Data files
- Boot loader
- Device drivers
When you install a Windows operating system on a GPT disk on your computer, an EFI system partition is automatically created. You might see more EFIs in Windows 11, but typically, it takes up about 100 MB or 200 MB of space and doesn't have a drive letter assigned to it.
What happens if we delete the EFI partition?
Creating an EFI System Partition (ESP) through your Windows device provides an interface for your computer to boot from Windows. The EFI or ESP system ensures that any errors that occur during the reboot phase are taken care of.
Without EFI, your computer wouldn't be able to boot Windows. As such, to prevent the EFI from accidentally getting removed from the system or any mishap of that sort, the EFI system is usually locked and protected by the Windows operating system. Deleting this partition will render the system unbootable. This is why you can't delete the EFI partition using disk management tools, and also why you won't find it easily in the Windows File Explorer options.
Warning:
* To protect your windows, please take no action whatsoever, especially against the ESP.
* Free up disk space correctly, or consult an expert for assistance
If you're installing a new window, don't bother removing the ESP; just uninstall Windows, and it should take the ESP with it.
How to Delete EFI Partition in Windows 11?
Though a disk-management tool might be useless in this scenario, fortunately, there are two ways to accomplish what it cannot.
You might consider two approaches:
1. Use the tool Partition Paster to delete the EFI partition
2. Use the diskpart tool to delete the EFI partition
1) Partition Master Tool:
As mentioned above, an EFI partition can be handled by a third-party tool, which is more convenient for Windows 11 users. Partition Master, a third-party partition management software, can simplify the operation of managing and deleting the EFI partition in Windows.
This software creates a flexible and reliable user experience, successfully removing EFI and all its data from Windows. You can download the software and refer to a detailed guide for assistance:
Step 1: Launch MiniTool Partition Wizard, right click the EFI System Partition in the "Partition Management" section and choose "Delete".
2. Click “Yes” to confirm the deletion of the selected disk partition.
Note: This will delete the EFI/UEFI partition, which might cause issues with booting your operating system. Make sure you want to proceed.
Click on "Run 1 Task", and then click "Apply" in the new window to completely remove the EFI System Partition.
2) Use the Diskpart utility to delete the EFI partition
Diskpart is a command-line tool that requires the user to input commands at the Command Prompt in order to follow our instructions.
Step 1. In order to use the disk management tool, we need to search for "cmd".
Type “cmd” and then hold down “Shift” and “Ctrl,” and press “Enter.” This will open Command Prompt as an administrator.
Type “diskpart” into the command and press Enter to open Disk Management.
Step 2: Now, to convert the EFI partition to a data partition, type the following command and press Enter:
"List disks" (displays all disks in the computer)
"Select disk0" (to indicate the disk you want to work with)
List partitions (shows all partitions on the selected disk, including EFI).
"Select Partition 1" (select the partition you want to delete, where 1 stands for the number of the EFI volume)
Set the ID as "ebd0a0a2-b9e5-4433-87c0-68b6b72699c7".
Step 3: Now use the command line to delete the EFI partitions, hitting Enter after each one.
"List partitions" (displays all volumes on the hard disk)
"Select Partition 1" (to indicate the partition to be deleted)
"Delete Partition Overwrite" (remove the partition from the window disk).
Step 4: Now that you have the confirmation from Diskpart that the volume has been successfully deleted, you can exit Diskpart and complete the process.
Conclusions
After deleting the partition, you can create a new one using the unallocated space or add the space to an existing partition. We have guided you through the process of effectively deleting the EFI partition in detail. The accompanying screenshots will further illustrate the steps you need to follow to delete the EFI partition. If you want to avoid these tedious steps, you can download the Partition Master tool, which will do the job for you. You can easily delete the EFI partition following our guide or by using the tool. We recommend using the tool to delete the EFI partition in Windows 11 to avoid any errors. Hopefully, these tips and answers to common user queries have been helpful to you.