Can EFI System & Recovery partitions size be reduced

[RonEvo]

I posted in Notebook Operating System & recovery 10 days ago. Just wondering if I posted in correct board for question on reducing the size of these partitions, as only half used & disk space needed desperately.
No reply yet.

Ron

[Raj_05]

Hi @RonEvo,

Welcome to HP Support Community.  

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

Yes, it is possible to reduce the size of the EFI System and Recovery partitions on an HP Notebook 14, but it is not recommended unless you have a specific need and are aware of the potential risks involved.

The EFI System partition is a small partition that contains the boot files and firmware settings for the computer. Its size is typically around 100-200 MB, and it is required for the computer to boot properly. Modifying or reducing the size of this partition can cause boot issues and make your computer unbootable.

The Recovery partition, on the other hand, is usually larger and contains the factory default settings and recovery image for your computer. This partition allows you to restore your computer to its original state in case of system issues or to perform a factory reset. Reducing the size of the Recovery partition may limit your ability to restore the system or perform a factory reset in the future.

If you still want to proceed with reducing the size of these partitions, you would need to use specialized partition management software, such as EaseUS Partition Master or MiniTool Partition Wizard. These tools can help you resize and manage partitions on your hard drive. However, keep in mind that this process carries a risk of data loss and system instability if not done correctly.

Before making any changes to your partitions, it's crucial to back up your important data to ensure you have a copy in case anything goes wrong.

I hope this helps. 
 

Take care and have a good day.

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Alden4
HP Support 

[RonEvo]

Alden4,

Thank you very much for replying. My situation is I brought this laptop just to do emails etc while I was away from home, but now use Office & MYOB on it, so free space on eMMC drive is always less than 3 GB & often goes down to few hundred MB. I've used DISM via Power Shell to uninstall Windows features I don't use & delete Windows updates before 30 days, CCleaner to delete unneeded files, uninstalled all apps I don't need. A post here told me cost of upgrading this type of drive is about same as new laptop.

I've already made an image of the eMMC drive using Acronis True Image 2019. That showed EFI partition is 260 MB, but only 88 MB used, & Recovery Partition 979 MB, but only 490 used.

My questions please:-

1. Should MiniTool Partition Wizard FREE be OK to do the job? Or paid version necessary?

2. How much spare space do you suggest I leave in each? I'm guessing Recovery files won't grow size as not being updated, but is free space needed to unpack files or whatever if Recovery is used? I doubt there are any updates to EFI either, as laptop is a few years old [but runs well when it has disk space].

Thanks again for your help,

Ron  

[RonEvo]

Alden4,

On 2nd thoughts, do I need a Recovery partition when I have imaged the whole "hard" drive onto external drive?

Thanks for your help,

Ron

[Raj_05]

Hi @RonEvo,

Thank you for your response, 

Due to limited support, I would request you contact our HP Support and our Support Engineers should be able to sort this out. HP Support can be reached by clicking on the following link.

https://www.hp.com/contacthp/

Please feel free to contact us here anytime you need any further assistance.

Have a great day!

Alden4
HP Support