How to Resize EFI System Partition on Windows 11/10/8/7?

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Linda 

Written by

Linda 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

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The EFI system partition is too small

"How can I increase the EFI partition on my system without losing data? My EFI partition is only 99 MB, but I need at least 200 MB to install Mac on this PC. I have already installed Windows 11/10. The built-in Windows 11/10 Disk Management utility does not allow me to work with the EFI partition because the Extend Volume option is grayed out."

An EFI System Partition (ESP) is a partition on a data storage device, usually used by computers that adhere to the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). The ESP contains all bootloaders or kernel images for installed operating systems, making it less advisable to tinker with this type of partition. However, there may be times when resizing the EFI partition is necessary. In such cases, having a partition manager tool at hand that can facilitate the goal in a straightforward manner is crucial.

Download Partition Master to resize EFI partition

To meet the great demand for resizing EFI partition in Windows OS, the Partition Master tool has been optimized recently and the new version now fully supports operations on EFI system partition. Click to learn more about the latest partition magic software, which can provide you with the best experience in managing hard disk partitions, including EFI partition, system partition, system reserved partition, and OEM partition.

How to resize EFI partition with Partition Master tool?

Make sure the EFI partition is on a GPT disk. If not, convert the MBR disk to a GPT disk before doing anything else. Then you can adjust the partition size by shrinking or expanding. The following guide will show you how to resize or move a partition, and you can apply these steps to the EFI partition on a GPT disk.

Video Tutorial:

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Step-by-step guide:

Step 1: In the Partition Master tool, go to Partition Management and right-click on the target GPT partition and select "Resize/Move".

Step 2: Resize the GPT partition.

#1. Extended Partition:

Drag the GPT partition handle into the unallocated space. Click “OK” to confirm.

#2. Shrink partitions

Resize the slider for the GPT partition to shrink its size. Click OK to confirm.

Step 3: Click on "Apply" and "Proceed" to save the changes and resize the GPT partition.

How to Identify the EFI Partition in Windows 11/10

By resizing the EFI System Partition with tools like Partition Master, you can easily address the issue of an insufficient ESP to accommodate essential boot files or a Windows installation. While you can manage the ESP's size by shrinking, moving, or expanding it, do you know how to identify the EFI partition in Windows 11/10?

If you know your way around BIOS and UEFI (EFI), then you certainly know how to check, find, and determine which one you're using.

The EFI partition is actually located on a drive that's formatted with the GPT scheme, which is used to boot the operating system. While the UEFI specification and the GPT partitioning scheme are separate, Windows requires that you use them together. You can't boot Windows from an MBR-formatted disk on a UEFI system, nor can you boot it from a GPT disk on a traditional BIOS system. This is why it's important to know how your system is configured.

Method 2 Open the System Information window. Type MSInfo32 in the Run dialog box and open the window. Look for "BIOS Mode." If your computer uses BIOS, it will say "Legacy." If it uses UEFI, it will say "UEFI."