How to Recover/Create EFI Partition on Windows 11/10 When It's Missing

Updated by

Sherly 

Written by

Tracy King 

Last updated on May 14, 2024

"Windows boot partition is missing."

The absence of an EFI boot partition or the "EFI System Partition not found" error indicates that your computer lacks a bootable partition, necessitating the creation of an EFI partition in Windows 11/10 or the use of third-party partition recovery software to restore a lost EFI boot partition.

As we mentioned above, an EFI partition is essential if you want to boot an operating system from an internal hard drive. You don't need an EFI partition to boot from a drive unless you're booting a Windows OS from an external hard drive instead of an internal one. Hence, when the EFI boot partition on your computer is accidentally deleted, feel free to recover the deleted boot partition with the suggestions here or recreate the EFI boot partition manually yourself.

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Method 1: Recover the EFI Partition with Partition Recovery Software

If you're looking for an easy way to recover deleted or lost EFI partition on your Windows PC, you can use the Partition Master tool to effortlessly recover lost EFI partitions in Windows 11/10/8/7. Simply download this partition recovery software and follow straightforward steps to restore your EFI boot partition.

Firstly, create a Partition Master WinPE bootable disk on a functional computer so that you can boot the computer from the WinPE environment for EFI partition recovery.

Next, you'll need to restore the missing EFI boot partition.

How to Automatically Restore EFI Boot Partition in Windows 11/10

Step 1: Launch Partition Master and click “Partition Recovery”. Select the target hard drive where the lost partition was located, and then click “Quick Scan”.

Step 2: Wait patiently for the software to perform a "Quick Scan" and then a "Deep Scan." It will mark your deleted partition as "Lost." Select the lost partition, then click "Recover."

You can also double-click on the partition to preview its content, and then click “OK” to confirm.

Step 3: Wait patiently. Click “Finish” when the partition recovery is completed.

When you're done, your EFI partition should be restored. You can verify or redownload the boot files in your EFI partition and set your computer to boot from the restored EFI partition in your BIOS. Reboot your computer and continue using it as normal.

Method 2: Create an EFI Partition for Windows 11/10 Using the Command Prompt When installing Windows 11 or 10, you might need to manually create an EFI system partition. Here's how to do it using the Command Prompt: 1. Search for "cmd" or "Command Prompt" and run it as an administrator. 2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command to create a new primary partition and press Enter: ``` diskpart ``` This will launch the Disk Management utility. 3. Replace `X` with the actual disk number (e.g., 0, 1, 2, etc.) and enter the following command to select the disk you want to work with, then hit Enter: ``` select disk X ``` 4. Create a new EFI partition by typing the following command and pressing Enter: ``` create partition efi size=500 ``` This will create an EFI partition of 500 MB. You can adjust the size according to your needs. 5. Format the EFI partition by entering the following command and pressing Enter: ``` format fs=fat32 quick ``` 6. Assign a drive letter to access the partition with the following command, replacing `Y` with any available letter you want to assign to the EFI partition: ``` assign letter=Y ``` 7. When finished, exit Diskpart and the Command Prompt by typing: ``` exit ``` Now you have successfully created an EFI system partition. Proceed with the installation of Windows 11/10, ensuring you follow the correct guidelines to boot from the newly created EFI partition.

Maybe some computer-savvy users could rebuild their EFI boot partitions on their own.

How to Manually Create an EFI Partition for Installing Windows 11/10? When installing Windows 11 or 10, an EFI System Partition (ESP) is typically created automatically, but if you need to create it manually, follow these steps: 1. Use a Bootable USB Drive: First, you'll need a bootable USB drive with the Windows 11/10 installation media. 2. Enter BIOS/UEFI Settings: Restart your computer and enter the BIOS or UEFI settings. This is usually done by pressing F2, F10, Delete, or another key during the startup process, depending on your computer manufacturer. 3. Change Boot Mode: Ensure your computer is set to boot from USB and that the boot mode is set to UEFI. 4. Boot into the Installer: Save the changes and exit. Your computer should boot from the USB and enter the Windows installation process. 5. Create a Partition: During the installation, when prompted to choose an installation type, select "Custom: for advanced users only (advanced)." 6. Delete Existing Partitions (optional): If there are any existing partitions, you might need to delete them to free up space. Note that this will permanently remove data, so make sure to back up important files first. 7. Create a New Partition: On the unallocated space, click the "New" button. Create a partition with a size of at least 100 MB, typically recommended between 200 MB to 500 MB, as this is the standard size for an EFI partition. 8. Format the Partition: Select the newly created partition and click the "Format" button. Make sure the file system is set to "FAT32" and leave the allocation unit size as default. 9. Partition Properties: After formatting, right-click the new partition, choose "Properties," and ensure the "EFI System Partition" or "MSR (Microsoft Reserved)" flag is selected. If this option is not visible, you may have created a regular partition, and you'll need to start over. 10. Continue Installation: Now, proceed with the Windows installation process, selecting the newly created EFI partition as the installation location. 11. Complete the Installation: Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation and then restart your computer. The system should boot correctly from the newly created EFI partition. Please note that these steps may vary slightly depending on your computer and BIOS/UEFI interface. If you encounter difficulties, consult your computer manufacturer's documentation or seek professional assistance.

Step 1. Boot PC with Windows 11/10/8/7 Install Media > Press SHFIT + F10 on the first screen to open Command Prompt.

Step 2. Type each of the following commands and press Enter after each one:

diskpart
list disk
select disk # Note: Select the disk from which you removed the EFI System Partition.
list partition
create partition efi
format quick fs=fat32
list partition
list volume Note: Make a note of the letter assigned to the volume where Windows is installed.

Exit

bcdboot X:\Windows Note Replace X with the letter of the volume that contains the Windows operating system partition.

BCDBoot copies boot files to the EFI system partition on the Windows volume and creates a BCD store on the same partition.

You can now remove the Windows installation media and restart your PC.