Is damaged ESP important?

Winuser · Jan 9, 2024

hsehestedt said:
Interesting. I think that Windows typically uses 100 MB unless it is on an Advanced Format 4k Native HDD. On the system where it is 256 MB, is that a factory installation? If so, maybe that's just how the manufacturer created it.

In the end, it really doesn't matter.

Yes, The 256 MB is how the OEM set it up. And I have to whole heartily agree that as long as it works it doesn't matter.

TM21 · Jan 9, 2024

After reading this entire thread, I'm actually glad that I don't understand what all the fuss is about.
Of all the partitions that the Windows Installer creates on my HD's or SSD's the only one I ever split and resize is the OS or C: partition.
I always split it, so I can create a Storage partition. Because that's where I keep all my data files.

My very first SSD was a 120 GB PNY . It died after only a month of service, and PNY refused to fix or replace it, even though I had bought it Directly from them. So, PNY is on my "Never More" list. Nowadays, I only buy Crucial/Micron drives, usually purchased directly from Crucial. I have several of them now, and they have all been faultless.

Happy 2024 Mates,
TM

Topgundcp · Jan 11, 2024

The problem you have is due to install/uninstall third party software (AOMEI and Acronis) that added extra Files and Folders into this partition, also added entries into BCD file under \EFI\Microsoft\Boot which become invalid.
You can follow the concensus to ignore it or try to fix it to avoid any unexpected behavior in the future.

It is your PC so if you decide to fix it. It only take few minutes to correct the problem.
Here's how:
step 1: Open Teminal in Admin mode (Win+x ->Terminal(Admin)), type the commands shown in screenshot below to disable the Recovery Environment if Enabled.

Step 2: Open Disgenius, Hilite the ESP(0) partition then Click on Format icon then click on Format as hown below:

Once done, you'll get a screen:

Click Cancel.
Step 3: Open Terminal (Admin) again and type as shown below:
NOTE: In my case, the ESP(0) partition was assigned to Letter M:, Use the Letter that was assigned to your ESP(0) partition

Step 4: Reboot your PC, open Terminal(Admin) again then type:
reagentc /enable to re-enable the Recovery Environment.

dbookbinder · Mar 27, 2024

TechnoMage2021 said:
After reading this entire thread, I'm actually glad that I don't understand what all the fuss is about.
Of all the partitions that the Windows Installer creates on my HD's or SSD's the only one I ever split and resize is the OS or C: partition.
I always split it, so I can create a Storage partition. Because that's where I keep all my data files.

My very first SSD was a 120 GB PNY . It died after only a month of service, and PNY refused to fix or replace it, even though I had bought it Directly from them. So, PNY is on my "Never More" list. Nowadays, I only buy Crucial/Micron drives, usually purchased directly from Crucial. I have several of them now, and they have all been faultless.

Happy 2024 Mates,
TM

Just saw this thread, as I have a similar issue. I noticed your comment on Crucial drives. I just bought one, too, based on their fine reputation. Although it cloned just fine, it wouldn't pass its own extended DST. The Samsung drive I bought to replace it seems to be error free, but the Samsung Magician software they provide for disk migration put my WinRE partition in the wrong place and disabled WinRE. Meanwhile, the two PNY thumbdrives I bought years ago are still working fine, and I use them daily for secondary backups.

Whether one gets a decent piece of hardware or software seems to me to be almost random these days, alas.

SIW2 · Mar 27, 2024

If you need to specify an esp partition , the device path will do

e.g.

bcdboot c:\windows /s \Device\HarddiskVolume1

it is easily found from diskgen

Tombar · Mar 28, 2024

SIW2 said:
I think that is probably connected to acronis recovery manager. You could check if there is an entry in bcd. If you unistalled acronis it might have removed the bcd entry and left the efi files on your esp. They could be just sitting there doing nothing.

I expect it's just my brain switching off from old age, but what are bcd and esp?

tigerwife · Aug 12, 2024

Topgundcp said:
The problem you have is due to install/uninstall third party software (AOMEI and Acronis) that added extra Files and Folders into this partition, also added entries into BCD file under \EFI\Microsoft\Boot which become invalid.
You can follow the concensus to ignore it or try to fix it to avoid any unexpected behavior in the future.

It is your PC so if you decide to fix it. It only take few minutes to correct the problem.
Here's how:
step 1: Open Teminal in Admin mode (Win+x ->Terminal(Admin)), type the commands shown in screenshot below to disable the Recovery Environment if Enabled.
View attachment 83846

Step 2: Open Disgenius, Hilite the ESP(0) partition then Click on Format icon then click on Format as hown below:
View attachment 83849
Once done, you'll get a screen:
View attachment 83850
Click Cancel.
Step 3: Open Terminal (Admin) again and type as shown below:
NOTE: In my case, the ESP(0) partition was assigned to Letter M:, Use the Letter that was assigned to your ESP(0) partition
View attachment 83852
Step 4: Reboot your PC, open Terminal(Admin) again then type:
reagentc /enable to re-enable the Recovery Environment.

Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!! I have searched solutions for few days without success, you solved my problem in a minute, Praise!!!! ^_^

jay2 · May 4, 2025

Topgundcp said:
The problem you have is due to install/uninstall third party software (AOMEI and Acronis) that added extra Files and Folders into this partition, also added entries into BCD file under \EFI\Microsoft\Boot which become invalid.
You can follow the concensus to ignore it or try to fix it to avoid any unexpected behavior in the future.

It is your PC so if you decide to fix it. It only take few minutes to correct the problem.
Here's how:
step 1: Open Teminal in Admin mode (Win+x ->Terminal(Admin)), type the commands shown in screenshot below to disable the Recovery Environment if Enabled.
View attachment 83846

Step 2: Open Disgenius, Hilite the ESP(0) partition then Click on Format icon then click on Format as hown below:
View attachment 83849
Once done, you'll get a screen:
View attachment 83850
Click Cancel.
Step 3: Open Terminal (Admin) again and type as shown below:
NOTE: In my case, the ESP(0) partition was assigned to Letter M:, Use the Letter that was assigned to your ESP(0) partition
View attachment 83852
Step 4: Reboot your PC, open Terminal(Admin) again then type:
reagentc /enable to re-enable the Recovery Environment.

I created an account just to personally thank you for this incredibly detailed guide and the helpful screenshots. I was dealing with the same Damage issue, followed your steps exactly, and it completely resolved the problem.

Truly appreciate you sharing this!

zbook · May 4, 2025

hsehestedt said:
Follow-up to my last response: Here is another partitioning oddity...

So, to be on the safe side, here is how I always partition my drives:

EFI - 260 MB

In this 2023 link: (another oddity)

UEFI/GPT-based hard drive partitions

learn.microsoft.com

System partition

The device must contain a system partition.
On GPT drives, this is known as the EFI System Partition, or the ESP.
This partition is usually stored on the primary hard drive.
The device boots to this partition.

The minimum size of this partition is 200 MB, and must be formatted using the FAT32 file format.

This partition is managed by the operating system, and should not contain any other files, including Windows RE tools.

hsehestedt · May 4, 2025

I think that you missed my point. I do this to accommodate 4K native drives. You CANNOT create a FAT32 partition smaller than 260 MB on such drives.

I create my scripts in such a manner as to allow them to work on any drive, including native 4k drives.

zbook · May 4, 2025

What happens to default partition sizes and performance when Windows is clean installed on a 4K drive?

Transition to Advanced Format 4K Sector Hard Drives | Seagate US

Hard drive companies are migrating from 512 bytes to a larger, more efficient sector size of 4096 bytes, referred to as 4K sectors. Learn about this transition.

www.seagate.com

jimbo45 · May 4, 2025

hsehestedt said:
I think that you missed my point. I do this to accommodate 4K native drives. You CANNOT create a FAT32 partition smaller than 260 MB on such drives.

I create my scripts in such a manner as to allow them to work on any drive, including native 4k drives.

So are you really saying that one needs to "go all round the houses" because of these drives -- what's wrong with creating an EFI partition of 260Mb instead of typically on Windows systems of 100mb. You can still then format it fat32 and install the boot loader on it via bcdboot.exe. Then make other partitions to suit - easy enough to install windows via dism /Apply-Image in any case.

As these disks have been around for years - I'm sure standard Windows install procedures work well enough -- if there was a major problem this would have been well publicised by now.

You IMHO seem to love making not too difficult things hideously complex and possibly error prone too !!! Perhaps a bit of old fashioned Engineering School might be in order -- K.I.S.S !!!!!

cheers
jimbo

hsehestedt · May 4, 2025

zbook said:
What happens to default partition sizes and performance when Windows is clean installed on a 4K drive?

Darn good question, but I'm not sure. I would hope that Windows would be smart enough to figure this out, but I have not tried it.

jimbo45 said:
You IMHO seem to love making not too difficult things hideously complex and possibly error prone too !!!

Not at all. In fact, this greatly simplifies things. Remember: I am all about automating Windows setup. By going with a size of 260 MB in my scripts I guarantee that it works on all drives. So, let's say 2 years from now I encouter a system with a 4k native drive and my current scripts fail. I might not realize at the time that the issue is a 4k native drive leading to time wasted troubleshooting. This way it will work, guaranteed. Plus, if I cannot spare 60 MB of space then I'm doing something else wrong anyway.

FreeBooter · May 4, 2025

In this video, i will show you how to create EFI partition from within Windows Recovery Environment.

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