"No EFI System Partition was Found? 4 Quick Fixes!"

Updated by

Sherly 

Updated on May 10, 2024

1. Solution 1. Use Partition Master Tool - Beginner Friendly
2. Solution 2. Recover Missing EFI System Partition
3. Solution 3. Recreate an EFI System Partition
4. Solution 4. Check BIOS Configuration

This article from tools provides 4 solutions to fix the "No EFI System Partition Was Found" error on a PC, along with an explanation of what the EFI system partition is and its significance.

Overview of EFI System Partition The EFI System Partition (ESP) is a specific partition on a computer's hard drive that is used by the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) to store firmware, bootloaders, and other necessary files for starting up a computer. It plays a crucial role in the boot process of systems using UEFI, which has replaced the older BIOS in modern computers. The ESP is formatted with a file system that is compatible with both UEFI and operating systems, typically either the FAT32 or exFAT file system. This allows the partition to be accessible by both the firmware and the operating system, facilitating the loading of the necessary components for booting. Key features of the ESP include: 1. Boot Manager: The ESP contains the boot manager, which is responsible for displaying a list of available boot options to the user. This enables the selection of different operating systems or recovery tools. 2. Boot Loaders: It stores the boot loaders, which are responsible for loading the operating system kernel into memory after being selected from the boot manager. 3. Drivers and Firmware Updates: The partition may also hold firmware updates and drivers required for the UEFI to communicate with various hardware components during the boot process. 4. Compatibility with Different Operating Systems: Both Windows, macOS, and Linux recognize and support the ESP, ensuring smooth boot operations across multiple platforms. 5. Location and Size: The ESP is usually created during the installation of the operating system, and its size can vary. A minimum of 100 MB is recommended, but it can be larger depending on the number of bootable operating systems and additional firmware or utility files. In summary, the EFI System Partition is an essential component in the UEFI-based boot process, providing a platform for storing and managing the necessary files for system startup and ensuring compatibility across diverse operating systems.

However, before delving into the solutions for the "No EFI System Partition Was Found" error, let's first understand the significance of EFI partitions for your system.

1. What is the EFI System Partition?

The ESP can be viewed as the small partitions on the data storage device that are crucial for smooth system rebooting. You won't find this partition directly in File Explorer since it doesn't have a specific drive letter assigned. When your system utilizes UEFI firmware, this ESP partition is vital for locating and loading the bootloader files for your operating system.

2. Is the EFI System Partition Necessary?

Aside from that, the ESP also includes diagnostic tools and recovery utilities to address boot issues. Hence, having this partition on your system is crucial to prevent any boot problems. In this article, we will assist you in resolving the "No EFI System Partition Was Found" issue. Share this article to help others fix this system boot error effortlessly.

How to Resolve the "No EFI System Partition Was Found" Error?

Now that you understand the cause of this error, let's proceed to explore solutions that can assist you in booting your PC. You can utilize these remedies, such as performing a simple boot repair or creating new partitions, to boot your operating system. To prevent future issues, it's advisable to try all these methods to resolve the "No EFI System Partition Was Found" error.

Fix 1: Utilize the tool Partition Master

Users with no knowledge about EFI system partitions can easily access their operating systems via boot repair tools. There's no need to go through the hassle of creating new partitions to fix this error using this method. To accomplish this, you'll need to download the Partition Master Professional tool to successfully boot up the system.

Regardless of the issue, this third-party tool will enable you to start Windows without any difficulties. Furthermore, this boot repair utility will generate a bootable medium for your system to address the "No EFI System Partition Was Found" error. Using this method, you can also resolve potential black screen and system crash problems that might be resulting from the absence of the ESP.

Here's how it can be done:

Step 1. After connecting the external drive/USB to your computer, launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. Go to "Bootable Media" and click "Create Bootable Media."

Step 2. Choose an available USB drive or CD/DVD and click "Create." You can also burn the Windows ISO file to the storage media.

Step 3. Connect the created bootable drive to the new computer and restart the computer by pressing and holding F2 or Del to enter the BIOS. Afterwards, set the WinPE bootable drive as the primary boot device and press F10 to exit.

Step 4. Restart the computer and enter the WinPE interface. Next, open the Partition Master tool and click on "Boot Repair" under the "Toolkit" option.

Step 5: Choose the system you want to repair and click "Repair."

Step 6. Wait a moment, and you will receive a notification that the system has been successfully repaired. Click "OK" to finish the boot repair process.

When the EFI system partition is missing, you might need this Windows boot repair tool to start your PC normally.

Fix 2. Recover the Lost EFI System Partition

To permanently resolve this issue, you might need to recover the missing ESP on your device. The "Recover Partition" feature in Partition Manager software can assist you with this. This tool, capable of recovering any lost partition from your device, will help solve the "No EFI System Partition Was Found" issue.

Whether you have lost the EFI partition due to a Windows crash or virus attack, Partition Master tools will be at your service to recover the ESP. In addition, users can check and find corrupted files beforehand using this tool to avoid any future complications.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant and choose "Partition Recovery". Select the disk where your lost partition was located and click "Deep Scan".

Step 2. Wait patiently for the software to complete the "Quick Scan" and "Full Scan". The deleted partition will be marked as "lost" under the Status section. Select the lost partition and click "Recover".

You can also double-click on the partition you're looking for to preview its content, then click "OK" to confirm.

Step 3. Wait patiently and click "Done" when the partition recovery process is over.

Having gone through these features, it's time to discuss the steps to perform this EFI System Partition recovery task using the tool Partition Master.

Fix 3: Recreate the EFI System Partition This is the translation for the given text in English: Solution 3: Re-create the EFI System Partition

Now, we'll explore some additional methods to address the "No EFI System Partition Was Found" issue if the aforementioned best methods don't work for you. However, for these methods, you should have technical knowledge to recreate the ESP. Without further ado, follow these steps to successfully create the EFI system partition and resolve the error:

Step 1. Begin the process by booting your computer using the Windows installation media. Once you reach the initial screen, press "Shift + F10" keys to open the Command Prompt utility on your system.

Step 2. Once you access this application, type in all the following commands to shrink a specific partition to create unallocated space. After typing each command, press the "Enter" key before proceeding to the next command.

1. "diskpart"
2. "list disk"
3. "select disk 1" (Replace 1 with the disk name where you want to add the ESP.)
4. "list partition"
5. "select partition 2" (Write the partition name you plan to shrink in place of 2.)
6. "shrink desired=100"

After applying all these commands, you will have 100MB of unallocated space for creating the ESP.

Step 3. Proceed by typing the commands below and pressing the "Enter" key after each one to create the EFI System Partition using the unallocated space.

Translate the following text into English:
• "create partition efi size=100"
• "format quick fs=fat32"
• "assign letter=S" (Users have the option to replace the letter "S" with other letters that are available for use.)
• "exit"

Step 4. Lastly, use the following commands to create the BCDBoot store, copying the boot files from the Windows partition to the ESP.

"bcdboot X:\windows /s S:"

(Here, you can replace X and S with the letters you have selected in the previous steps.)

Now, restart your computer to check if the "No EFI System Partition Found" issue has been resolved. If you find this method helpful for solving the problem, we encourage you to share this article to assist others in successfully booting their operating systems.

Fix 4: Check BIOS Settings

You might encounter this system boot issue if your computer isn't configured to boot in UEFI mode during restart. To address this problem, you need to access the "BIOS" settings when starting your PC. Follow these steps to implement this method and fix the "No EFI System Partition Was Found" error:

Step 1. First, you need to restart your computer and press the BIOS keys while the system is loading to access the BIOS settings window. However, the BIOS key may differ depending on the model and brand of your PC. You can try pressing the F2, F10, or Esc keys as your PC boots to enter these settings.

Step 2. Upon accessing the setup, navigate to the "Boot Settings" window to continue. Select the "UEFI" option from the "BIOS Boot Mode" dialog box to resolve the issue.

Step 3. To apply the changes and exit the BIOS Setup, press the "F10" and "Enter" keys.

Conclusion

Throughout this article, we have explained multiple methods to fix the "No EFI System Partition Was Found" issue. You can utilize any of these methods to boot your system normally without any complications. However, the third-party tool Partition Master is the best option for addressing this problem. With its boot repair and lost partition recovery functions, users can employ various approaches to resolve issues related to the EFI System Partition.

"EFI System Partition Missing" FAQs

After reading the article, users can obtain all the necessary information to resolve the issue. However, we will still address some common information related to this process through frequently asked questions.

< strong > 1. Why is the EFI system partition missing?

Your system might be lacking the ESP due to unintentional deletion of these system partitions. Malfunction can also occur because of unexpected power failures during operations on these EFI partitions. Additionally, the presence of bad sectors within the partition can lead to such errors as well.

2. What if there is no EFI partition?

When your computer is missing the ESP, your system will fail to boot successfully. As we know, these system partitions are essential for booting your PC because they store UEFI boot loaders and drivers.

If you can't locate these partitions, we recommend recreating the ESP using Command Prompt. Additionally, you can utilize tools like Partition Master to address the "No EFI System Partition Was Found" issue.

3. How to fix the 'No EFI System Partition found' issue on Ubuntu?

When you're unable to boot your Ubuntu operating system, it's possible that the EFI System Partition (ESP) is missing. You can promptly resolve this ESP-related issue using the steps outlined below.

1. Start by booting your system using the Ubuntu USB drive. Then, select the "Ubuntu without Installing" option to proceed with this process. 2. Next, press "Shift + F10" keys to open the command prompt and execute the following command to mount the EFI partition: "sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt" 3. Proceed by accessing the EFI directory with the command: "cd /mnt/EFI" Finally, rename the bootloader using the command prompt by typing: "sudo mv grubx64.efi bootx64.efi"