Increasing size of UEFI bios partition

[kuff1]

I accepted the solution from Erico on this issue too soon. Upon trying his solution he advised in one step shrinking the size of the original UEFI partition under diskpart command but when I tried the system refused saying it was not allowed. I need to install a BIOS update which evidently is too large for the original partition(100MB). So I need the complete procedure to create a new UEFI partition that is double the size of the original.

[Rachel571]

Hi @kuff1,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

Creating a new UEFI partition that is larger than the original and moving your existing UEFI files to the new partition involves several steps. This process can be somewhat technical and carries a risk of data loss, so ensure you have a complete backup of your system before proceeding. Here's a generalized procedure you can follow:

Backup Your Data: Before making any changes to your disk partitions, it's crucial to back up your data. This step will help you recover your data in case something goes wrong during the process.

Create a Windows Recovery Drive: This is helpful in case you need to repair your installation after modifying partitions. Search for "Create a recovery drive" in Windows and follow the instructions.

Shrink an Existing Partition: You'll need space to create a new, larger UEFI partition. You can shrink an existing partition (like your main Windows partition) to free up space. To do this:

• Right-click the Start button and select “Disk Management.”
• Right-click the partition you want to shrink (typically your C: drive) and select “Shrink Volume.” Follow the prompts to shrink the partition by the desired amount. For a new UEFI partition, you might want, for example, 200MB, so you’ll need to shrink it by at least that much.

Create a New EFI Partition: With the unallocated space from the previous step, you can now create a new EFI partition.

• Right-click the unallocated space in Disk Management and select “New Simple Volume.”
• Follow the wizard to create a new volume. Format it as FAT32, which is required for EFI partitions. Assign it a drive letter temporarily; you'll remove the drive letter later.

Copy UEFI Files to the New Partition: You’ll need to copy the EFI files from the old EFI partition to the new one.

• To access these files, you might first need to assign a drive letter to the old EFI partition using Disk Management.
• Once both EFI partitions are accessible from File Explorer, copy all files from the old EFI partition to the new one.

Change the EFI Partition in the UEFI Firmware: This step involves telling your computer’s firmware to use the new EFI partition instead of the old one. The exact steps can vary by manufacturer, but generally, you will:

• Restart your computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings. This usually involves pressing a key like F2, F10, or Del during boot.
• Find the boot order settings and select the new EFI partition as the primary boot option.

Remove the Drive Letter from the New EFI Partition: To prevent the EFI partition from showing up in File Explorer, you should remove the drive letter you assigned to it. This can be done in Disk Management by right-clicking the partition and selecting “Change Drive Letter and Paths,” then removing the letter.

Test Your System: After completing these steps, restart your computer to ensure it boots correctly from the new EFI partition. If there are any issues, you might need to use the Windows Recovery Drive created earlier to repair the startup.

Delete the Old EFI Partition: Once you've confirmed everything is working correctly with the new EFI partition, you can delete the old EFI partition and extend an adjacent partition to reclaim the space if desired.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Rachel571 

HP Support

[kuff1]

Thanks Rachel. I believe your solution will work but I already resized the partition with a third party program. However, it did assign a drive letter to the partition which causes it to show up in file explorer. I tried using disk management as you suggested but all actions for the partition are greyed out including changing the drive letter and path. Do you have any other suggestions on removing the drive letter?

[Rachel571 · Accepted solution]

Hi @kuff1,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you so much for your response. I am glad the issue is resolved.

I have shared all the information on this with you on this. I hope that helped.

Is there anything else that I can help you with today?

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Take care and have a great day ahead!

Rachel571 

HP Support