How Do I Move The Windows 11 Boot Folder?

Awhile ago, I installed Windows on a separate drive, and I already had Ubuntu on another. M.2 are cumbersome to take out, so I left it in there.
Windows will put the boot drive on another drive if one is on there, at least if it is Linux. I'm replacing the Linux drive and I really don't want to have to reinstall Windows and reload and set everything up again.

If it possible to just move the folder somewhere on the Windows drive? Right now it's located in the EFI folder for Ubuntu and it won't boot without it.
I tried taking out the Ubuntu drive, it can't boot without it. I tried rebuilding the boot, but I can't complete the whole process as it says Access is denied. If I just copy and paste the folder where it should go, will it work?

You can create it on the windows disk. By m2 do you mean nvme ? Posting a screenshot of disk management would help.

you can use a live Linux USB and then copy and paste the boot files from the boot partition on the Linux install and then transfer the windows boot file to the Windows EFI partition on the Windows drive.
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you may need to be in a root nautilus to do this .. terminal > sudo nautilus
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but first check that the boot files are already still on the Windows drive as Ubuntu may just have a copy in its boot manager
for GRUB to be able to boot both via the Linux boot loader.

any new install of Linux should pick up the Windows installation and enable duel boot via the Linux boot menu.
best of luck Steve ..

I have done it with EasyBCD with succes and very easy. There is a free version

EasyBCD

We dont know the partitioning situation on the windows disk until the OP posts a screenshot

Kamryn said:

Awhile ago, I installed Windows on a separate drive, and I already had Ubuntu on another. M.2 are cumbersome to take out, so I left it in there.
Windows will put the boot drive on another drive if one is on there, at least if it is Linux. I'm replacing the Linux drive and I really don't want to have to reinstall Windows and reload and set everything up again.

Click to expand...

You should have deleted the existing EFI system partition during Windows Setup; Windows Setup would then have created a new EFI system partition on the disk you selected for installation.

Kamryn said:

I tried rebuilding the boot, but I can't complete the whole process as it says Access is denied.

Click to expand...

Many of the instructions provided are incorrect and include unnecessary commands that are not applicable to UEFI systems.

Kamryn said:

If it possible to just move the folder somewhere on the Windows drive?

Click to expand...

Run the command shrink desired=300 to shrink the Windows or data partition. This will free unallocated space, which can then be used to create a new EFI system partition. You can resize the EFI system partition, but note that for disks with 4K sector size, the minimum size is 260 MB.

The physical location of the EFI system partition on the disk does not matter. However, if a recovery partition and a data partition are located after the Windows partition, it is recommended to shrink the data partition. This ensures that the location of the recovery partition remains unchanged.

If there is no data partition after the recovery partition, first run the following command:

reagentc /disable

And then after the bcdboot command run the following command:

reagentc /enable

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Run the following commands at an administrator command prompt:

diskpart
list volume
select volume # (select the volume you want to shrink)
shrink desired=300
create partition efi size=300
format quick fs=fat32
assign letter=z
list volume (check the volume letter of your Windows partition)
exit

bcdboot x:\windows /s z:

- replace "x" with the volume letter of your Windows partition
- /s z: means your new EFI system partition

The bcdboot command copies the required UEFI boot files from the Windows partition to the new EFI system partition, and creates a Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store on that partition.

It is quite easy to create the EFI partition on the Windows drive.

As already asked, please post a whole window Disk Manager image of ALL your drives. Don't forget to expand the columns so we can read them. How to Post a Screenshot of Disk Management
If you have a MiniTool or AOMEI Partition use it instead or Windows disk manager.

I hope this is not hijacking the thread
I have a *similar* (sort of) situation . . .
I pick my operating system from the BIOS boot menu. Each disk drive has it's own operating system but Win-11 (was Win-10) shows the Windows Boot Manager and selecting the Windows Boot Manager does not open the boot manager but it launches Win-11. It's not a big deal because it's been like this a few years but I would rather it show the drives.

In the pic . . .

* * * SS: Samsung SSD 860 is actually the Win-11 drive
but when I selecte it from the BIOS it launches Win-7 64 bit

This just seems wrong and I would like to fix it and know why it's doing this

I also dont think I need that recovery partition on Disk 4 but that's not a big issue but I like simplicity

@john1955
From the partition Manager screen. Both Windows 7 (x86 bit and x64) are running in MBR Mode, each has its own System Reserve partition marked as Active to boot from via Boot Menu. Only Windows 11 is running in GPT mode and boot from the EFI System partition and shown as Windows Boot Manager.
In Modern MB, You can only select either Legacy(MBR) or UEFI(GPT).

For example: If you have 2 Windows OS installed using GPT, you would have 2 entries of Windows Boot Manager. Only case you have only one Windows Boot Manager is when you set up as Dual Boot and select from the Graphical Menu.

So if you want to rename "Windows Boot Manager" to something else, the only Partition Manager that I know of, is DiskGenius which has a tool to do so.

selecting the Windows Boot Manager does not open the boot manager but it launches Win-11
Samsung SSD 860 is actually the Win-11 drive
I would rather it show the drives

Click to expand...

I presume you mean the win11 disk
when booted into it you could
bcdedit -set {bootmgr} description "boomgfw SSD 860"


or as topgun said, a useful module can be found in diskgenius free version










When I played with it a while ago, the motherboard clung onto the old names . So I deleted the offending entry and rebooted into a different entry which cleared it and then set it up the with new name. That might not be the case with your motherboard.

Does it matter which operating system I install DiskGenius in?

No. Also you could use the portable version

You might want to add the fallback bootx64.efi and give it a name. Makes it easier if you have to delete the original entry if your motherboard clings tenaciously to the old description. My motherboard is stubborn.

Your PC is setup correctly and running fine. You should leave it alone.
As shown below, I renamed all my other WinPE boot devices so I can differentiate which one is which to boot from.
except Windows Boot Manager.
Renaming Windows Boot Manager will stay for a while but will reverse back to its name and worse, it will create a duplicate entry.
Trust me, been there done that.

SIW2 said:

I presume you mean the win11 disk
when booted into it you could
bcdedit -set {bootmgr} description "boomgfw SSD 860"


or as topgun said, a useful module can be found in diskgenius free version


View attachment 157771







When I played with it a while ago, the motherboard clung onto the old names . So I deleted the offending entry and rebooted into a different entry which cleared it and then set it up the with new name. That might not be the case with your motherboard.

Click to expand...

The option for Set UEFI Bios Boot Entries is greyed out in the one I just downloaded

Also while I was there I checked partition tables for errors and my Win-XP disk showed this.

bootx64 entry



changed the entry name for windows boot manager

Topgundcp said:

Your PC is setup correctly and running fine. You should leave it alone.
As shown below, I renamed all my other WinPE boot devices so I can differentiate which one is which to boot from.
except Windows Boot Manager.
Renaming Windows Boot Manager will stay for a while but will reverse back to its name and worse, it will create a duplicate entry.
Trust me, been there done that.

View attachment 157778

Click to expand...

Maybe I'll do just that and leave it alone. Plus the option is greyed out in Disk Genius

john1955 said:

The option for Set UEFI Bios Boot Entries is greyed out in the one I just downloaded

Also while I was there I checked artition tables for errors and my Win-XP disk showed this.

View attachment 157787

Click to expand...

The option for Set UEFI Bios Boot Entries is greyed out

Click to expand...

You obviously need to be booted in efi mode for that to show up. So boot into one of your other os that is running in efi mode

It is not difficult. I have just done it and supplied screenshots in post#15

Also while I was there I checked artition tables for errors and my Win-XP disk showed this.

Click to expand...

If there is partition table error, better correct it. cant remember if need to click save all after, it will tell you if so

bootx64.efi works fine as expected