dual EFI entries after GPT conversion

Anonymous

For reasons too lengthy to detail here, I was unable to use MBR2GPT for converting my current boot disk. Instead, I used Hasleo Disk Clone to clone the disk to another SSD while also converting it to GPT. This worked fine and the new drive correctly shows up as GPT with the shiny new MSR and EFI partitions. However, it left the protected/system EFI directory intact on the drive. My UEFI has been set to UEFI only with CSM=Disabled and yet I can still see entries for both EFI instances. Booting to the GPT partition works fine, but booting to the EFI directory fails. Is it possible (and safe) to either archive/rename or delete the EFI directory on C:\ so that it is no longer detected by the UEFI and disappears from the boot menu? I'm loathe to take any of the additional steps towards a Win11 upgrade without sorting this out first.

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Anonymous

(1) Even looking at the log, I'm unsure what's up with /SetREImage. But I think it is unnecessary. We'll revisit it if necessary.

(2) It looks like /Disable followed by /Enable would get the job done all by themselves. /Disable moved WinRE.wim from partition 3 into the staging area, namely C:\Windows\system32\Recovery....

2023-03-06 17:24:41, Info [ReAgentc.exe] winreCopyWIMBack moved WIM file from \?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk3\partition3\Recovery\WindowsRE\ to C:\Windows\system32\Recovery\Winre.wim successfully!

Then /Enable wanted to move it into partition 4, which it did recognize to be the Recovery partition. But it found that partition to be too small...

2023-03-06 17:24:49, Info [ReAgentc.exe] Checking partition at offset 497942528000, partition number: 4

2023-03-06 17:24:49, Info [ReAgentc.exe] MeetPartitionRequirements Partition details: {Offset: 497942528000, Free space: 467849216, Total space: 487256064}

2023-03-06 17:24:49, Info [ReAgentc.exe] MeetPartitionRequirements WinRE WIM size: 423565200

2023-03-06 17:24:49, Info [ReAgentc.exe] MeetPartitionRequirements Required free space: 478091152

2023-03-06 17:24:49, Warning [ReAgentc.exe] MeetPartitionRequirements Not enough free space req = 478091152 avail = 467849216 offset = 497942528000

2023-03-06 17:24:49, Info [ReAgentc.exe] skip partition because it does not meet WinRE requirements

(3) So, let's make it bigger. Mine is 848 MB. Your Disk Management (DM) shows the Recovery partition of 465 MB is followed by 1.56 GB of unallocated space...

Unfortunately, DM won't let you make it larger because it is a system partition. Can you easily add 383 MB to it using AOMEI Partition Assistant? If not, we can try this...

DiskPart <<<Enter DiskPart

Select Disk 3 <<<Focus on the EVO 970

List Part <<<Show its partitions

Select Part 4 <<<Focus on its Recovery partition

Detail Part <<<Show it has the Recovery type code

SET ID=ebd0a0a2-b9e5-4433-87c0-68b6b72699c7 Override <<<Basic Data Partition

Detail Part <<<Show the new type code

Exit <<<Leave DiskPart

The 2nd Detail Part should show the new type. It is now a Basic Data Partition. Reboot to be sure the whole system knows. Then open Disk Management, right-click what was the Recovery partition, & see whether you can extend volume to 848 MB. Then make it a Recovery partition again this way...

DiskPart <<<Enter DiskPart

Select Disk 3 <<<Focus on the EVO 970

List Part <<<Show its partitions

Select Part 4 <<<Focus on what was its Recovery partition

Detail Part <<<Show it has the Basic type code

SET ID=de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac Override <<<Recovery Partition

Detail Part <<<Show the new type code

Exit <<<Leave DiskPart

I would Reboot again. Then, try...

ReagentC /Disable

ReagentC /Enable

ReagentC /Info

I hope that will do it. Good luck.

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Anonymous

(1) This should move {bootmgr} back to the top of DisplayOrder...

BCDEdit /Set {FWBootMGR} DisplayOrder {BootMGR} /Addfirst

That is where it belongs. I don't know how it got to the bottom. Do a full reboot for it to register in BIOS. Then, show us a new BCDEdit /Enum All.

That's nasty that BIOS adds one back after you have deleted it.

(2) The order of the GUIDs in DisplayOrder does not have to be the same as they are in the body of the BCD. In the body, they are in the order the boot entry was created. Moving one to the top of DisplayOrder should also move it to the top in BIOS Setup (after a full reboot). It then becomes the one that will boot by default. That is, it's the one that boots unless you chose another by using the one-time BIOS Boot Options menu. I think in your Asrock that is invoked with F11. (And DEL or F2 goes to BIOS Setup).

(3) I'm confused about your BIOS. I don't have one that complex.

(a) I don't know why it's got 4 Boot Options.

(b) Are you sure it is Boot Option #1 that is executing? Maybe disable ...#2 to be sure.

(d) What is that item that is disabled within ...#1?

Our goal is to have you boot to the EVO that has Windows on it. So, that is the drive that needs to be at the top of the Boot Order in your Boot Option #1. Is it...?...

The way to know that it is the correct Windows partition that is booted is that your C: partition will be 463 GB...

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Answer accepted by question author

Ramesh 181.8K Volunteer Moderator

Rebuilding the BCD should be enough, not the entire boot files, even though rebuilding the entire boot files doesn't do any harm.

And wondering why you're trying to create a Recovery drive with system files? Is it for backup/restore purposes or only for accessing WinRE? If it's for accessing WinRE, you can uncheck "Backup system files..." and create the media.

Regarding your question about C:\EFI folder, you can simply rename it. If Windows reboots correctly, that folder can be deleted. Do this only after creating the USB setup disk or Recovery drive.

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56 additional answers

Anonymous

2023-02-20T02:00:45+00:00
(1) "I noticed that BCD info below looks completely wrong as diskpart identifies Volume10 as a USB drive."

The Volume numbers in Disk Part (List Vol) are not related to the HarddiskVolume numbers in the BCD. Your BCD says HarddiskVolume10 holds the boot manager (BOOTMGFW.EFI) which was used for this boot to Windows...

Windows Boot Manager

identifier {bootmgr}

device partition=\Device*HarddiskVolume10* <<<10th enumerated partition
```
                                                                                              starting from Disk 0
```
path \EFI\MICROSOFT\BOOT\BOOTMGFW.EFI

That turns out to be the EFI partition (2nd partition) that is on Disk 3. Disks 0-2 had a total of 8 partitions as seen in your picture of AOMEI Partition Assistant. They also can be counted using DiskPart (List Part) on all the disks as questions_ requested. But Disk Management isn't reliable for that purpose because it doesn't show the MSR (Microsoft Reserved) partitions.

That enumeration is true when booting to the Windows Boot Manager (BootMGR) in BIOS which is fit & proper in a UEFI installation. I think it gets messy when booting directly to a hard drive (which is only appropriate in Legacy mode).

(2) The Firmware Boot Manager is a window to your BIOS Boot Order screen...

Firmware Boot Manager

identifier {fwbootmgr}

displayorder {bootmgr} <<<Windows Boot Manager
```
                   {6a0a1946-aef6-11ed-84fb-a8a1594c6c15}   &lt;&lt;&lt;Partition F:

                   {6a0a1947-aef6-11ed-84fb-a8a1594c6c15}   &lt;&lt;&lt;Partition C:

                   {a24b43ad-af18-11ed-84fe-806e6f6e6963}   &lt;&lt;&lt;HarddiskVolume5
```
timeout 3

Yours shows the Windows Boot Manager to be on top of the order in BIOS. This is fit & proper for a UEFI installation. The other 3 choices should be deleted. A direct boot to the C: partition is not the same as a boot to the Windows Boot Manager as it expects to find the boot manager on C: instead of on EFI. Chances are good there isn't one there. F: is your Windows partition on Disk 2. It likely doesn't have a boot manager either. The one that was used for that is in the EFI partition that is on Disk 2 (partition 2). HarddiskVolume5 is the MSR (Microsoft Reserved) partition on Disk 2 which would never have a boot manager.

Can you boot to BIOS Setup & delete those three? I think the following would also delete them at an Administrator Command Prompt...

BCDEdit /Enum {fwbootmgr}

~~BCDEdit /DeleteValue {fwbootmgr} DisplayOrder {6a0a1946-aef6-11ed-84fb-a8a1594c6c15}~~

~~BCDEdit /DeleteValue {fwbootmgr} DisplayOrder {6a0a1947-aef6-11ed-84fb-a8a1594c6c15}~~

~~BCDEdit /DeleteValue {fwbootmgr} DisplayOrder {a24b43ad-af18-11ed-84fe-806e6f6e6963}~~

BCDEdit /Enum {fwbootmgr}

Edit: Those BCDEdit commands seem logical -- but they don't work.

The 2nd /Enum should show those three are gone. Only the Windows Boot Manager ({bootmgr}) should remain. Then reboot to finalize the deletions.

That should remove them from the BIOS Boot Order screen as well, & they should no longer show up when you use the one-time BIOS Boot Options F-key.

(3) Yes, you should clean Disk 2. Its EFI partition could be a source of confusion during a reboot. Also, I can think its Windows partition might someday get drawn into a dual boot.
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Anonymous

2023-02-19T19:40:56+00:00

The V2 log collector and bat files are well protected and are used frequently in multiple forums.

The V2 log collector provides information from multiple files for troubleshooting (dxdiag, msinfo32, event viewer, etc.)

The bat scripts provided run commands to view the viewable and hidden partitions, scannow, restorehealth, and chkdsk, etc.

This is an open forum and there are multiple members that may be able to provide help.
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