F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop EFI partition not found in Windows 11 installation.

EFI partition not found in Windows 11 installation.

EFI partition not found in Windows 11 installation.

S
ssauce
Member
162
03-05-2021, 09:34 AM
#1
Hi everyone, I'm looking for some guidance. I set up a multi-boot system and tried using one SSD for testing TrueNAS, but it had both the EFI partition for Windows 11 and an Ubuntu install. I resized the Windows partition and created a separate EFI partition manually. I’m wondering if anyone knows how to create an EFI partition from scratch with files to boot it. I was thinking of using EasyBCD or Clover, but I’m not sure if those tools can handle that setup. I remember I should have removed all my OS drives before installing Windows 11, though it’s an ITX machine and that would be quite difficult. Thanks in advance for any help!
S
ssauce
03-05-2021, 09:34 AM #1

Hi everyone, I'm looking for some guidance. I set up a multi-boot system and tried using one SSD for testing TrueNAS, but it had both the EFI partition for Windows 11 and an Ubuntu install. I resized the Windows partition and created a separate EFI partition manually. I’m wondering if anyone knows how to create an EFI partition from scratch with files to boot it. I was thinking of using EasyBCD or Clover, but I’m not sure if those tools can handle that setup. I remember I should have removed all my OS drives before installing Windows 11, though it’s an ITX machine and that would be quite difficult. Thanks in advance for any help!

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Lexi48Heat
Member
223
03-05-2021, 06:27 PM
#2
I'm curious about setting up a small installation inside a chroot environment on the EFI partition from a live Linux USB. You mentioned copying the EFI files and placing them in the folder you already had. That sounds like a quicker alternative than using Clover or bootloaders, which might not be necessary here since you don't have the Windows .efi file ready. Your idea about downloading a Windows 11 ISO and copying the .efi file there is also a valid approach. Just remember that your Hackintosh EFI files should go in the same directory as the Windows installation if you want everything to work smoothly.
L
Lexi48Heat
03-05-2021, 06:27 PM #2

I'm curious about setting up a small installation inside a chroot environment on the EFI partition from a live Linux USB. You mentioned copying the EFI files and placing them in the folder you already had. That sounds like a quicker alternative than using Clover or bootloaders, which might not be necessary here since you don't have the Windows .efi file ready. Your idea about downloading a Windows 11 ISO and copying the .efi file there is also a valid approach. Just remember that your Hackintosh EFI files should go in the same directory as the Windows installation if you want everything to work smoothly.

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NaiROolF
Senior Member
685
03-05-2021, 08:13 PM
#3
I'm trying this approach and will check the discussion later. I attempted a Win 11 USB installer and the automatic repair didn't work. I plan to remove the EFI folder and move the files to the EFI partition using Linux. Currently, I don't have a Hackintosh installed, as it was difficult, but I wanted to experiment with different Linux distributions. I could run a quick Hackintosh just to resolve this problem. I wish Asus had included an option to disable HDDs in the BIOS to prevent this issue from occurring initially. The system has three SSDs and two HDDs that are disorganized because I wanted to add or remove drives easily. Next time I'll get a mATX system for easier management and the ability to use an M.2 riser card.
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NaiROolF
03-05-2021, 08:13 PM #3

I'm trying this approach and will check the discussion later. I attempted a Win 11 USB installer and the automatic repair didn't work. I plan to remove the EFI folder and move the files to the EFI partition using Linux. Currently, I don't have a Hackintosh installed, as it was difficult, but I wanted to experiment with different Linux distributions. I could run a quick Hackintosh just to resolve this problem. I wish Asus had included an option to disable HDDs in the BIOS to prevent this issue from occurring initially. The system has three SSDs and two HDDs that are disorganized because I wanted to add or remove drives easily. Next time I'll get a mATX system for easier management and the ability to use an M.2 riser card.

Y
yokimpiano
Junior Member
14
03-06-2021, 06:49 PM
#4
I discovered this tool on the Chris Titus Win site at https://www.easyuefi.com/
Y
yokimpiano
03-06-2021, 06:49 PM #4

I discovered this tool on the Chris Titus Win site at https://www.easyuefi.com/

T
TheHappyBunny
Junior Member
12
03-09-2021, 04:13 PM
#5
I attempted to clear all drives and reinstall everything. At first, I made an EFI partition on the drive and copied the files manually, but that didn’t work. I also tried using the Windows 11 installer recovery mode to rebuild, but it didn’t fix anything. Sorry for the hassle—I just reinstalled and everything seemed fine afterward. Thanks for the advice.
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TheHappyBunny
03-09-2021, 04:13 PM #5

I attempted to clear all drives and reinstall everything. At first, I made an EFI partition on the drive and copied the files manually, but that didn’t work. I also tried using the Windows 11 installer recovery mode to rebuild, but it didn’t fix anything. Sorry for the hassle—I just reinstalled and everything seemed fine afterward. Thanks for the advice.

G
garm1606
Member
64
03-09-2021, 05:41 PM
#6
It seems like you're reflecting on how you handled the situation. Maybe if this occurs again, you could back up the entire EFI partition, which is quite compact, to help recover from such a loss. You're right—being able to retrieve all your crucial data was achieved by chrooting into the drives.
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garm1606
03-09-2021, 05:41 PM #6

It seems like you're reflecting on how you handled the situation. Maybe if this occurs again, you could back up the entire EFI partition, which is quite compact, to help recover from such a loss. You're right—being able to retrieve all your crucial data was achieved by chrooting into the drives.

I
iLove_MySilf
Junior Member
2
03-09-2021, 08:06 PM
#7
I wasn’t aware of that before. It’s been a while since I needed to work inside chroot. I’m not too concerned. My C drive has limited information, and most of my data is stored on other drives that are reachable from my Linux setup. I wish Windows were more intuitive. It doesn’t prompt about using the alternate EFI partition—it just proceeds.
I
iLove_MySilf
03-09-2021, 08:06 PM #7

I wasn’t aware of that before. It’s been a while since I needed to work inside chroot. I’m not too concerned. My C drive has limited information, and most of my data is stored on other drives that are reachable from my Linux setup. I wish Windows were more intuitive. It doesn’t prompt about using the alternate EFI partition—it just proceeds.