EFI and Recovery Partition Size Recommendations


mccmw

mccmw

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A while ago I extended my Recovery Partition from the default Window size. I had heard of some previous Windows Updates failing because it was used for something...and the default one was basically showing as full. It gave it a few hundred more MBs to an even 1.00GB. I also read that some people extended their EFI partitions from the default 100MB (allegedly a minimum). Thoughts on using a Partition Manager to extend it (500MB or something else larger)? Likewise, any additional space recommended beyond the 1GB Recovery Partition?
 

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mccnavy said:
A while ago I extended my Recovery Partition from the default Window size. I had heard of some previous Windows Updates failing because it was used for something...and the default one was basically showing as full. It gave it a few hundred more MBs to an even 1.00GB. I also read that some people extended their EFI partitions from the default 100MB (allegedly a minimum). Thoughts on using a Partition Manager to extend it (500MB or something else larger)? Likewise, any additional space recommended beyond the 1GB Recovery Partition?
Click to expand...


1GB should be OK for Recovery.

As for the EFI partition, mine has been 100MB on both Win 10 and Win 11... no issues.



In Disk Management, Windows tells us the the EFI partition is full.
But when I just looked at it in EaseUS partition Master...

Image1.webp


Minitool Partition Wizard, shows the same thing...


Image1.webp
 

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Yep...I use Minitool...mine says I have 64MB free (out of 100MB). I wasn't sure if Windows uses the EFI partition for anything else...I thought it was just some initial boot files?
 

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    Windows 11
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    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
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    Intel i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    Asus Prime Z-270A
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    32GB 2666Mhz (Kingston Hyper X Fury)
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    Asus Nvidia 1050Ti
    Sound Card
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    Samsung C27F390
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    1920 x 1080
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    1TB Western Digital SN770 (System) and 2TB Western Digital SN770 (Storage)
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    Windows Security

  • At a glance

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    Operating System
    Windows 11 Home
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    Laptop
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    Dell/XPS 15 9510
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    i9-11900H
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    Unknown
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    32GB
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    Integrated Intel and Nvidia 3050Ti
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    2TB SK Hynix P41 Platinum
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mccnavy said:
Yep...I use Minitool...mine says I have 64MB free (out of 100MB). I wasn't sure if Windows uses the EFI partition for anything else...I thought it was just some initial boot files?
Click to expand...


That's pretty much all it uses it for.

The extra room is for things like dual or even triple boot.
 

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    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
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    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
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    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
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    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
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    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
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    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
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    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
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1GB is indeed plenty for the Recovery partition, that's the value I extended the partition to in my laptop in order to install that Windows update that would fail to do so due to lack of space. This partition on another PC is only 494MB big, but I didn't have that issue, go figure.

About the EFI partition, it's 100MB/63 MB total/free, and I don't see any need to extend it.
 

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If it ain't broke don't fix it.
I've never had a problem with either partition.
 

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ESET
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