How to Fix EFI Partition Step by Step

Quick Tips

• The EFI is a small partition that contains vital UEFI files essential for startup.
• If this isn’t working correctly, you’ll need to enter Recovery Mode to fix it.
• Rename, reformat, and rebuild your EFI to ensure it’s free from corruption.

Of all partitions that might exist on your PC, none is more vital to its operation than the Extensible Firmware Interface, or EFI. It stores the essential files your machine needs to start, and if it’s faulty, you’re stuck.

Not to worry; in this article, we’re going to show you how to fix EFI partition step-by-step.

What Is the EFI?

Before we get started, you might be wondering what the EFI is and why you never really see it mentioned.

The EFI System Partition (ESP) is a dedicated partition on your drive that contains the UEFI boot files your machine needs to start the Windows operating system. It’s formatted with FAT32 and can be identified using DiskPart in Command Prompt.

How to Fix EFI Partition Windows 11 – Our Guide

If you’re having difficulty starting Windows, your EFI System Partition or its boot files might be corrupted or not working correctly. Our guide will show you how to rebuild EFI partition step by step.

Enter Recovery Mode

Let’s start by entering the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). If Windows is still accessible, hold down the “Shift” key while selecting “Restart.” If Windows won’t start, your system may automatically enter WinRE after repeated startup failures. You can also use Windows installation or recovery software to access the recovery tools.

Once in Recovery Mode, follow these steps:

Step 1. Click “Advanced options.”

Step 2. In the next menu, choose “Command Prompt.”

Step 3. Command Prompt will open. It’s time for the next part.

Identify Your Drive

The EFI System Partition (ESP) is usually a small FAT32 partition, often around 100–500 MB in size, and DiskPart normally identifies it as “System.” To find it, follow these steps:

Step 1. In “Command Prompt,” type “bcdedit” and press “Enter.”

Step 2. In the Windows Boot Loader section, look for the “osdevice” entry. This tells you the drive letter assigned to the Windows partition in the Recovery Environment. Make a note of it, as it may not be “C.”

Step 3. Type “diskpart” and press “Enter” to start the DiskPart utility.

Step 4. Type “lis vol” and press “Enter.” This displays the volumes on your PC.

Step 5. Look for a small FAT32 volume with “System” listed in the “Info” column. This is normally the EFI System Partition. Its size may vary.

Step 6. Make a note of the volume number of the EFI System Partition. Then type “select volume 5,” replacing 5 with the correct volume number, and press “Enter.”

Step 7. Type “assign letter=Z” and press “Enter.” This temporarily assigns the EFI System Partition the drive letter Z: so that you can work with it from Command Prompt.

Step 8. Type “exit” and press “Enter” to leave DiskPart.

Formatting the Partition

If your EFI System Partition has been corrupted or is listed as “RAW” rather than “FAT32,” you may need to reformat the partition before rebuilding the boot files:

Step 1. Type “format Z: /FS:FAT32 /Q” and hit “Enter.”

Step 2. Hit “Y” to begin the process.

Step 3. When prompted for a new name, enter “EFI” and hit “Enter.”

Rebuild the Boot Files

If the boot files have been corrupted, you’ll need to rebuild the BCD and boot files on the EFI System Partition using the Windows directory (your main OS disk). Here’s what to do:

Step 1. In Command Prompt, type “bcdboot C:\Windows /s Z: /f UEFI,” where the two capital letters are your main OS drive and your EFI partition. Hit “Enter” to begin the rebuild.

With all this done, your EFI partition should be rebuilt, reformatted, and ready to go.