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How can you create an efi system partition on an existng C: Drive?

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  • How can you create an efi system partition on an existng C: Drive?

    How can you create an efi system partition on an existng C: Drive?

    Just curious if this can be done or do I need to reformat and start over?
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  • #2
    Re: How can you create an efi system partition on an existng C: Drive?

    Originally posted by renegade44 View Post
    How can you create an efi system partition on an existng C: Drive?

    Just curious if this can be done or do I need to reformat and start over?
    I was going to answer then realized I have no idea. I look forward to seeing the answer.
    What is the advantage of an EFI system partition?
    Thanks

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: How can you create an efi system partition on an existng C: Drive?

      Well, the OP was done in May, and had no answer.

      At least a partial answer can be found here:

      HOW TO: Use the Diskpart.efi Utility to Create a GUID Partition Table Partition on a Raw Disk in Windows

      To make the EFI system partition useful, the disk would need to be converted to GPT format if it is currently MBR format. If that resulting disk could be booted correctly is unknown to me, I doubt it is that simple.

      An EFI system partition is just one part of a Windows OS drive that is configured for EFI booting, which is something not easily explained in a few sentences.

      The ironic part of this is that MS article refers to Windows XP, and is from 2006. EFI partitions existed back with Windows XP, but it is only recently with Windows 7 and 8 that true EFI booting of the UEFI firmware on motherboards can be done. That is, now that more mother board manufactures use UEFI firmware that has the options to enable EFI booting.

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      • #4
        Re: How can you create an efi system partition on an existng C: Drive?

        Thanks for your reply. Now I understand that the EFI partition the original poster was referring to is when Windows 7 gives you the option to format as GPT rather than MBR. The only time I use this option is so that hard drives larger than 2.2 Tetrabytes will be fully recognized by Windows, which I think you have to have a UEFI (rather than BIOS) motherboard to utilize. Now they make special utilities so you don't need an UEFI motherboard. I'm not totally clear on all this, but it seems to me you would have to format the whole hard drive this way if you wanted it all to be recognized by Windows. I'm not sure what the other advantages to formatting as GPT are, or why you would want to format only part of a hard drive this way.
        Thanks, Gord
        "don't let what you can't do stop you from doing what you can"



        Originally posted by parsec View Post
        Well, the OP was done in May, and had no answer.

        At least a partial answer can be found here:

        HOW TO: Use the Diskpart.efi Utility to Create a GUID Partition Table Partition on a Raw Disk in Windows

        To make the EFI system partition useful, the disk would need to be converted to GPT format if it is currently MBR format. If that resulting disk could be booted correctly is unknown to me, I doubt it is that simple.

        An EFI system partition is just one part of a Windows OS drive that is configured for EFI booting, which is something not easily explained in a few sentences.

        The ironic part of this is that MS article refers to Windows XP, and is from 2006. EFI partitions existed back with Windows XP, but it is only recently with Windows 7 and 8 that true EFI booting of the UEFI firmware on motherboards can be done. That is, now that more mother board manufactures use UEFI firmware that has the options to enable EFI booting.

        Comment

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