dual EFI entries after GPT conversion

Anonymous
2023-02-18T01:49:50+00:00

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.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Install and upgrade

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Anonymous
2023-03-07T05:38:10+00:00

(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...

Image

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
2023-02-23T12:27:49+00:00

(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.

(c) Show us the contents of ...#2 as you showed ...#1 below.

(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...?...

Image

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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Ramesh 181.8K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2023-02-23T03:26:03+00:00

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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  1. Anonymous
    2023-02-25T02:07:51+00:00

    It's true you can do without the partition if you've got the Recovery drive. I like to have both. Only the partition is updated with each new feature update (version) of Win 10. You'd have to make a new drive afterward. (But I guess there won't be new Win 10 versions now.)

    (1) I think it best to have WinRE.wim in a separate partition to be kept out of harm's way. I guess you've already got one there, but let's see...

    DiskPart <<<Enter DiskPart

    List Disk <<<Show the disks

    Select Disk 3 <<<Select the 970 EVO

    List Part <<<List its partitions

    Select Part 4 <<<Focus on Recovery

    Assign Letter=R <<<Give it letter R:

    Exit <<<Leave Diskpart

    DIR R:\Recovery\WindowsRE\WinRE.wim /a <<<Is WinRE.wim there?

    Here is mine...

    C:\WINDOWS\system32>DIR R:\Recovery\WindowsRE\WinRE.wim /a

    Volume in drive R is WinRE 21H2 <<<Oops - I forgot to relabel it. That's 22H2!

    Volume Serial Number is 9AB3-01BA

    Directory of R:\Recovery\WindowsRE

    11/22/2021 01:12 AM 530,417,571 Winre.wim 

        1 File(s)    530,417,571 bytes 

    0 Dir(s)     336,211,968 bytes free

    The date is the date of your last feature update (or repair-install) as seen at "right-click Start, System". The size is the size of a 22H2 WinRE.wim (I hope).

    (2) If all looks good, this should point the system to it...

    ReagentC /Info <<<Shows partition 3 has RE

    ReagentC /Disable

    ReagentC /SetREImage /Path R:\Recovery\WindowsRE /Target C:\Windows

    ReagentC /Enable

    ReagentC /Info <<<Hopefully shows it's partition 4 now

    === Reboot here ===

    DiskPart

    Select Vol=R

    Remove Letter=R <<<Remove letter from Recovery partition

    Exit

    ReagentC /Info

    BCDEdit /Enum All <<<Let's see the BCD

    I hope that will work. Good luck.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-02-24T21:41:10+00:00

    Reagentc /info confirms that the recovery path points disk3\part3 = C:\windows\system32\recovery and I'm inclined to leave it alone rather than fighting further to convince it to point to disk3\part4 since I now have a fresh working USB recovery drive. However, I'm open to hearing the rationale for changing that path if it's reasonably simple.

    Running Bootrec requires booting from that USB drive to get into the correct environment. I'll make a mental note to do that at some point, but I'm not going to sweat a few extra seconds at this stage. I could delete the extraneous entries using BCDedit or turn on FastBoot in UEFI as well if it becomes really annoying. Thanks!

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