I recently installed Pop!_OS on my machine, aiming to partition my 2TB SSD. I wanted to allocate 500GB for Pop!_OS and leave the other 500GB accessible for both Windows and Pop!_OS to install games. However, during the process, I mistakenly deleted the Windows EFI Partition. I've tried various methods, including Balena Etcher and Ventoy, but nothing seems to work in restoring my system. Is there a way to recover the EFI partition, or am I facing a complete reinstallation of Windows? Additionally, if I do need to reinstall, what steps do I need to follow to cleanly install Windows 11? Thanks for any help!
5 Answers
Honestly, dual-booting Windows 11 and any Linux distro can be tricky, especially with how aggressive the Windows bootloader is. If you can, pick between Windows and Pop!_OS to minimize headaches. For the Linux side, you really don’t need 500GB for just the system; that could be cut down to about 100GB and use the rest for gaming and personal files on a separate partition!
You're not doomed yet, but it looks like your best option might be to reinstall Windows. If you'd like to go this route, here’s a solid step-by-step: borrow a Windows machine to use the Media Creation Tool, create a USB with the Windows installer, and follow the instructions for a 'Custom Installation'. This way, you can wipe your disk clean, ensuring no Linux remnants interfere. Just make sure to delete existing partitions until you have 'Unallocated Space' before continuing with the setup!
Always keep a separate EFI partition for each OS! Automatic partitioning tools can get messy. If you really ended up deleting the Windows EFI, you might want to borrow a Windows PC to use the Media Creation Tool for creating a new installation USB for Windows 11. Just make sure you select the option to create the installation USB for any PC, not just the one you're using to make it. Having a backup of your data is crucial here—ensure you're covered before diving into installations!
If you're looking for a good guide on recovering the EFI partition, check out this resource I found. It’s really detailed and though it's in German, it covers a lot of ground. Just use Google Translate for clarity on the technical stuff. A good recovery tutorial could be what you need right now!
It's a bit tricky to recover a deleted EFI partition, but there are some resources that can guide you through the process. You might want to check out a couple of YouTube tutorials: one from MDTechVideos on recovering or creating an EFI partition, and another by Chris Titus Tech that focuses on fixing boot issues related to the EFI partition. Both sources are pretty reliable and user-friendly!
Yeah, I did have a backup, but it's still a hassle having to reinstall everything. Thanks for clarifying about the USB setup!