I recently reinstalled Windows 11 after a few misadventures with my system, but I noticed something strange: there's no EFI partition on my main drive, even though Windows boots up just fine. However, my external drive still has an EFI partition from when I experimented with dual booting Ubuntu a while back. During the installation, I only selected the unallocated space on my main drive and didn't intend to use any existing EFI partitions. I've heard that if the external drive is plugged in during the installation, Windows might install the boot loader files onto that external EFI partition, which seems risky. I'm concerned that if I ever try to boot up without that external drive plugged in, my system might not start at all. Is there a way to resolve this issue without going through another Windows reinstall? My SSD is already showing signs of wear from all the reinstalls, and I want to avoid overusing it.
1 Answer
You should try disconnecting the external drive and then rebooting your system. That way, you can check if it still boots without it. If it does, you're in the clear. If it doesn't, you might have to think about recovery options, but honestly, reinstalling could end up being quicker if you find yourself stuck.
I really don’t want to go through another reinstall. My SSD’s lifespan is already looking shaky, and I’d prefer not to add to that if possible. How would I actually go about repairing it, if it gets to that point?