Windows Move Windows EFI

AlphaSkull

AlphaSkull

Contributor
Hey TE ,
Recently I downsized my pc from a ATX to ITX ,in the process I had to remove my old hard drive.
Here's the problem now the old HDD has Windows EFI boot on the HDD and without that the windows won't boot .
I am trying to find solutions on how to move the EFI into my new SSD so that I don't have to plug in my HDD 24x7 every time I try to boot into windows.
I already have too much data on my SSD so formatting and clean installation is not in the option. Please help and guide me through moving this EFI into the other drive .
*Image shows how the current setup looks like to boot into windows
 

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I am in a similar situation, and I searched around a little, there were no good solutions. Some people suggested shrinking the existing partitions on the SSD using external tools to try to make space for the windows recovery and boot partitions, but I could not find something I could trust.

It might be time to bite the bullet, move all data to an external drive, reformat/reinstall, and move the data back.
 
enthusiast29 said:
Why can't you just clone your existing windows installation to the SSD using a reputed tool like Acronis?
Click to expand...
I think the problem here is that OS itself was already on a SSD but the Windows EFI Partition is on the HDD.

I am trying to find solutions on how to move the EFI into my new SSD so that I don't have to plug in my HDD 24x7 every time I try to boot into windows.
Click to expand...
The easiest solution is obviously to wipe and do a fresh windows installation, but its not an option as you mentioned.

Not sure if this would work, but You could wipe all other partitions on HDD except the EFI partition> Then Clone the Entire SSD to the HDD (Cloning process should not wipe the EFI but I'm unsure regarding this)> Remove SSD and try to boot Windows from the HDD> If you succeed booting from HDD then you can wipe the SSD and clone entire HDD to SSD.
 
Easy.

1. Connect your HDD. Boot to Windows.

2. Create a new partition of 30-40 GB on your SSD. (For temporary fresh Windows install on that partition)

3. https://www.ventoy.net/en/index.html Flash Ventoy to your USB. Copy the windows ISO to your USB.

4. Disconnect the HDD and boot straight to your USB drive.

5. Install Windows on that new partition. Now you can boot to this fresh windows install without your HDD.

6. Boot to that temp new Windows install. Install/launch this tool. https://github.com/Neverous/efibooteditor

7. Let that tool find and add your actual Windows install on your SSD. Add it your EFI entry.

8. Done.
 
tearphones said:
You, sir, have a very different definition for "Easy" than I do. All power to you.
Click to expand...
Step 9: Boot to your OG windows install, now from your SSD, without the HDD. Wipe the fresh windows install on the new partition. Remove the entry for that now nonexistent windows install from your EFI.
tearphones said:
I could not find something I could trust.
Click to expand...
You can trust this. https://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html

You can also block this application from firewall should you wish.
 
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AlphaSkull said:
Can't i just use this tool to get the EFI from the hard drive directly from the existing windows?
Click to expand...
Not sure if this tool can do that but I have ideas:

Idea 1:

1. Boot to Windows with your HDD connected as you are doing right now.

2. Launch this tool: https://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html. Create empty space or "Unallocated Space" of around 500-600 MB 'before' the Windows partition/first partition of the 'SSD'.

3. Now shut it down, disconnect HDD and boot to Windows Installation screen from USB boot drive. Click on "Repair your computer" Follow these steps: https://www.thewindowsclub.com/boot-or-repair-windows-10-using-the-installation-media

Startup Repair should fix anything that's amiss. If it somehow doesn't; then there is another way from the same USB boot thing:

Idea 2:

This. Follow the steps in "Restore EFI Partition in Windows via Command Prompt" to fix your EFI from USB installation media/drive: https://recoverit.wondershare.com/computer-problems/restore-efi-partition-on-windows-10.html

These ideas are definitely much less time consuming than the one I had posted last night. Tell me if these don't work.

enthusiast29 said:
Why can't you just clone your existing windows installation to the SSD using a reputed tool like Acronis?
Click to expand...
I reckon the objective here is to get it done in a flash. I have never cloned Windows Installations myself but cloning and restoring that would likely be just as time consuming as steps I mentioned on my first post here.

That being said, I can't understand how my steps would be too inconvenient. Installing Windows to SSD takes less than 10 mins so it'd be over in 20 minutes max.

What do you think about my ideas from in this post?
 
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rootyme said:
2. Launch this tool: https://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html. Create empty space or "Unallocated Space" of around 500-600 MB 'before' the Windows partition/first partition of the 'SSD'.
Click to expand...
Your ideas are intriguing, and the 'startup repair' path seems more 'official' to me, which is appealing. Do you know if creating empty space /before/ an existing windows partition actually works or not? What I remember from long ago when I was into these types of things was that it is hard to actually create space at the beginning of the partition, as opposed to the end.
 
tearphones said:
Do you know if creating empty space /before/ an existing windows partition actually works or not?
Click to expand...
It does. Every single time. No reason for it not to.
tearphones said:
it is hard to actually create space at the beginning of the partition, as opposed to the end.
Click to expand...
Nope. It's exactly the same stuff, same process.
tearphones said:
'startup repair' path seems more 'official' to me
Click to expand...
That and the CMD thing, both are official. If sth works on CMD, then it's official (Unless CMD is purposefully used by some third party tool). The steps in CMD mentioned here involve no 3rd party stuff. So, simple. :)
 
tearphones said:
Do you know if creating empty space /before/ an existing windows partition actually works or not? What I remember from long ago when I was into these types of things was that it is hard to actually create space at the beginning of the partition, as opposed to the end.
Click to expand...
With HDD, the data has to be physically moved to create free space at the beginning of the disk. Like on a book shelf you have to move all the books to the right, if you want to create space on the left.

With SSD, the physical area where the data is actually stored is irrelevant, only the onboard controller knows, PC won't know/care about it
 
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enthusiast29 said:
Bootable disk is what you want and it's easy to grab from anywhere man, no license check on bootable iso.
Click to expand...
I tried something like macrium reflect and did not like it. And also cloning drives is not a good option if ones come from Intel to AMD platform and vice versa.
Will try all of the mentioned methods .
And also do you know the reason why I am not able to set any of the partition as active .
 
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Just create a fat32 partition of sufficient size like 300mb, copy paste from old efi partition to this, then use a disk tool like GPartEd to set the boot flag on the partition.

Then your bios should automatically pick up the bootloader(s) from the new efi partition if it's the only disk attached else set boot order in bios settings.

Then hope for the best.

I didn't read the thread fully but not sure why you didn't just use a free clone tool in the first place?
 
vishalrao said:
Just create a fat32 partition of sufficient size like 300mb, copy paste from old efi partition to this, then use a disk tool like GPartEd to set the boot flag on the partition.
Click to expand...
Wait you can copy paste ? I don't think so.
vishalrao said:
I didn't read the thread fully but not sure why you didn't just use a free clone tool in the first place?
Click to expand...
So basically I had 3rd gen Intel processor at the time I did not own any SSD so had win 7 on the HDD and on the started upgrading so did not realise this was an issue. Since i was on ATX platform I did not care about it and it was fine for me. Now since I got into itx it's a pain.:confused:
If I can will try copy pasting
Update:
Unable to copy boot files.
Have tried 2 methods as of now. Both failed 1st is nritech and 2nd one from rootyme’s 2nd idea as these both were similar to each other. Have attached the image.:cry:
 

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AlphaSkull said:
2nd one from rootyme’s 2nd idea
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just fyi, I helped @Aman1829 with this exact same issue (win 10 on ssd wouldn't boot because boot partition on hdd with win 7 installed unless it is connected) & everything was resolved perfectly. Use minitool partition wizard free & create around 110MB partition in front of C drive on ssd & format it as fat32 & mark it active.
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Once the system reboot & operation is completed successfully then check everything is fine & shutdown the pc. Now disconnect the hdd & boot system from windows bootable pen drive (make sure the version is same aka 32bit or 64bit, home pro etc doesn't matter) use bootrec tool to repair the boot loader/sector by running fixboot & rebuildbcd commands.

Use Bootrec.exe in the Windows RE to troubleshoot startup issues - Microsoft Support

Describes how to use the Bootrec.exe tool to troubleshoot and repair startup issues in Windows Vista and Windows 7.
support.microsoft.com support.microsoft.com
 
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