- EaseUS Freeware
- Free Data Recovery Software
- Free Backup Software
- Free Partition Manager
Usually, you can easily delete a partition in Disk Management. But sometimes, you can't remove EFI system partition in Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista because "Delete Volume" feature is grayed out.
And you may encounter a similar situation when you trying to delete OEM partition, recovery partitions, system reserved partition. This page will talk about what is an EFI system partition and how to remove, deleted or format EFI system partition in Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista.
What is an EFI system partition and why you cannot delete it
Usually, when you successfully install Windows OS on a GPT disk of your computer, an EFI system partition (ESP for short) will be created. But what is an EFI system partition?
According to Wikipedia, "EFI system partition (ESP) is a partition on a data storage device which is used computers. When a computer is booted, UEFI firmware loads files stored on the ESP(EFI system partition) to start installed the operating system and various utilities."
Deleting EFI system partition will cause installed systems unbootable. So, EFI system partition is usually protected and locked by the Windows operating systems to prevent and avoid accidental deletion of these partitions. That's why you can't delete EFI partition using the Disk Management tool.
But in some special situation, for example, you've installed two Windows systems on your PC, you might want to remove EFI system partition to free up some disk space and just keep one OS. At this moment, how can you delete EFI system partition? Actually, there are two ways to do this job.
If you just want to remove EFI system partition and install a new Windows OS, you can directly reinstall Windows OS and EFI system partition will be removed automatically. You don't have to any extra operation.
Method 1. Delete EFI system partition with Diskpart
As a command line utility, DiskPart is a little bit harder for average users to understand due to its non-graphical interface. So please be very careful when you want to delete EFI partition with Diskpart command line:
Step 1. Open DiskPart
- 1. Hit "Windows Key + R" to open the run dialogue box.
- 2. Enter diskpart and click "OK" to open a black command prompt window.
Step 2. Change EFI system partition ID and set it as a data partition
Type the below command lines and hit Enter each time:
- "list disk" (It displays all the disks of your computer. )
- "sel disk 0" (It identifies which disk you need to work with. Here 0 stands for the disk letter.)
- "list partition" (It displays all partitions and EFI system partitions on the selected disk.)
- "sel partition 1" (Select the EFI partition that you want to delete. Here, 1 stands for the volume number of EFI.)
- "SET ID=ebd0a0a2-b9e5-4433-87c0-68b6b72699c7"
Step 3. Delete EFI partition with command line
Type the below command lines and hit Enter each time:
- "list partition" (It displays all the volumes on the hard drive.)
- "select partition 1" (It identifies which partition you want to remove. Here 1 stands for the volume letter.)
- "delete partition override" (It removes the EFI partition from Windows disk.)
Step 4. Complete EFI deleting process
Finally, type "exit" to close the windows when you receive the message says, 'DiskPart successfully deleted the selected partition'.
Method 2. How to delete EFI system partition with EaseUS free partition manager
DiskPart does help you remove EFI partition in Windows, but is it the best choice? Of course not. As a command line utility, DiskPart is a little bit harder for average users to understand due to its non-graphical interface.
So we recommend you try EaseUS free partition manager. This program makes EFI partition deleting the job in Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista as easy as 1-2-3. Now you can learn the detailed guide.
Before you take actions, create a bootable disk first.
Then connect the bootable disk to your PC, restart the computer and set to boot from the bootable disk, enter EaseUS Partition Master.
- Notice:
- If you saved important data in the partition which you want to delete, move and save those data to another secure location in advance.
Step 1: Install and launch EaseUS Partition Master on PC
On the main window, right-click on the hard drive partition which you want to delete and select "Delete".
Step 2: Confirm the deletion
Click "OK" to confirm that you want to delete the selected partition.
Step 3: Execute to delete the partition
Click the "Execute Operation" button at the top corner and keep all changes by clicking "Apply".
Final Word
When you've successfully deleted EFI partition on your PC, you can create a new partition and use it as a data partition to save data again.
100% of people found this article helpful.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why Choose EaseUS Partition Master?
-
"I've used Partition Master Professional many times to create, delete, format, move, rename, and resize partitions." —PCWorld
"Partitioning tools have come a very long since the days of complicated command line utilities and EASEUS Partition Master is one of the most advanced programs available." —TECH ADVISOR
"I love that the changes you make with EaseUS Partition Master Free aren't immediately applied to the disks. It makes it way easier to play out what will happen after you've made all the changes." —Lifewire
- Will the "Migrate OS" feature transfer the Windows system files only or the whole C drive?
-
To ensure that the migrated system will boot normally, the Migrate OS feature will transfer all the files in the system and the boot partitions. Generally, the boot partition is the C drive so the transfer will include all the files in C.
- Does EaseUS Partition Master license apply to multiple computers?
-
The license of Partition Master Professional and Server editions can be used on 1 computer only, while that for for the Technician and Unlimited editions can be used on multiple machines.
- What is the difference between EaseUS Partition Master Trial version and the Free version?
-
Free is for home users only, with most basic functions available such as partition resize and clone. While trial can help you understand how this product works and test what a full license can do on a business or server OS machine.
- Will it cause any data loss after resizing the partition in EaseUS Partition Master?
-
Generally, it will not cause any data loss or boot issue by resizing a partition. However, in order to protect your data, we suggest that you backup the partition before resizing, in case of any unexpected situations such as power outages, computer hardware failures, etc. You can use EaseUS Todo Backup to backup the partition and its trial version is fully functioned for 30 days.
- What should I prepare before resizing the partition?
-
On the partition that is going to be operated, there might be some files being occupied by other programs. To ensure a successful operation, we suggest that you close all the unnecessary software before resizing that partition. Otherwise, EaseUS Partition Master will detect the partition being locked by the other software and require a reboot to resize the partition under boot mode.
Related Articles
-
Free Partition Software for USB hard drive Partition
Brithny / 2018-01-22 -
How to Extend/Increase C drive in Windows 8
Tracy King / 2017-10-18
-
Format External Hard Drive with Multiple Partitions
Brithny / 2018-01-19 -
Sony Formatting Tool | Free Download
Jean / 2018-01-03
About EaseUS Partition Master
All-round disk & partition management software for personal and commercial use. Let it manage your storage drive: resize, format, delete, clone, convert, etc.