Clean install Windows 10, preserving the EFI partition

I want to clean install Windows 10 on a new hp laptop, to get rid of the hp bloatware.

What I usually do to clean install, is boot from a Windows 10 installation USB, use a diskpart script (by pressing Shift+F10 at setup) to create the 4 reuired partitions, namely:
EFI (100MB), MSR (16MB), Windows (Rest of disk – 950MB), WindowsRE (950MB).
The script is the following:

Code:

rem ================ Disk preparation =================
select disk 0
clean
convert gpt

rem ============= 1. EFI System partition =============
create partition efi size=100
format quick fs=fat32

rem ====== 2. Microsoft Reserved (MSR) partition ======
create partition msr size=16

rem ============== 3. Windows partition ===============
create partition primary
shrink minimum=950
format quick fs=ntfs
assign letter="W"

rem =============== 4. WinRE partition ================
create partition primary
format quick fs=ntfs label="WinRE"
set id="de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac"

The problem that I want to solve is to clean install, delete all partitions with the exception of the EFI partition, which is currently set to 260MB and not the usual 100MB, as it holds in an “HP” directory the hp Diagnostics (run when we press F2 at boot) and data used for BIOS updates.

This HP directory, I wanna preserve is currently as follows:

Code:

    Directory: F:\EFI\HP

Mode                LastWriteTime         Length Name                                                                  
----                -------------         ------ ----                                                                  
d-----       16/01/2020     12:01                DevFw                                                                 
d-----       16/01/2020     01:17                BIOS                                                                  
d-----       16/01/2020     01:17                BiosUpdate                                                            
d-----       16/01/2020     01:17                SystemDiags

Mind you that the current EFI partition is already saved in a Macrium Reflect image.



What are the proposed steps to do this, clean install by preserving the existing EFI partition?

What I though was to alter the script to create a 260MB EFI partition, clean install normally and after completion, restore the 260MB EFI from the Macrium Image. Will that work, or more things are needed?

Any suggestion is more than welcomed!

Select Disk 0
Select Partition 3 & Format
Select Partition 4 & Format
Install windows using current disk format/Partitions

OR Manually Delete the 3 Partitions - Keeping the EFI

Code:

rem ================ Disk preparation =================
select disk 0

rem ====== 2. Microsoft Reserved (MSR) partition ======
create partition msr size=16

rem ============== 3. Windows partition ===============
create partition primary
shrink minimum=950
format quick fs=ntfs
assign letter="W"

rem =============== 4. WinRE partition ================
create partition primary
 format quick fs=ntfs label="WinRE"
set id="de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac"

Kyhi said:

Select Disk 0
Select Partition 3 & Format
Select Partition 4 & Format
Install windows using current disk format/Partitions

OR Manually Delete the 3 Partitions - Keeping the EFI

Code:

rem ================ Disk preparation =================
select disk 0

rem ====== 2. Microsoft Reserved (MSR) partition ======
create partition msr size=16

rem ============== 3. Windows partition ===============
create partition primary
shrink minimum=950
format quick fs=ntfs
assign letter="W"

rem =============== 4. WinRE partition ================
create partition primary
 format quick fs=ntfs label="WinRE"
set id="de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac"

Thanks a lot Jimmy.
Reading about the diskpart commands, I saw that

You cannot delete the system partition, boot partition, or any partition that contains the active paging file or crash dump information.

i.e the windows partition.

That's why I posted the question, so sorry for sounding stupid, but how to delete them manually? Boot to PE and use minitool?

Assuming you've already have backup of this drive.
Saving the EFI partition might not be enough, The BCD might contain custom key(s) and WinRe.wim might contain the diagnostic software.

You can try to install Windows using dism command, leave everything else alone:

1. Boot up Windows Installation media. On first screen, Hold SHIFT+F10 to get command prompt.
2. Type: echo list disk | diskpart to identify the Windows OS drive letter, it might not be C. Also the drive letter of the installation media.
3. Format X drive: format X: /y /Q /FS:NTFS /V:WINDOWS where X is the drive letter of Windows found in step 2
4. Navigate to root folder of the installation media found in step 2, find out if sources\install.wim or sources\install.esd existed, use it on the next command,use install.esd if install.wim does not exist:
   dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:sources\install.wim ==> get index # of Windows edition you want to install and use it on the next command
   dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:sources\install.wim /index:# /ApplyDir:X:\
   where X is the drive letter formatted in step 3 and # is the index for the Windows edition.
5. reboot

topgundcp said:

You can try to install Windows using dism command, leave everything else alone:

1. Boot up Windows Installation media. On first screen, Hold SHIFT+F10 to get command prompt.
2. Type: echo list disk | diskpart to identify the Windows OS drive letter, it might not be C. Also the drive letter of the installation media.
3. Format X drive: format X: /y /Q /FS:NTFS /V:WINDOWS where X is the drive letter of Windows found in step 2
4. Navigate to root folder of the installation media found in step 2, find out if sources\install.wim or sources\install.esd existed, use it on the next command,use install.esd if install.wim does not exist:
   dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:sources\install.wim ==> get index # of Windows edition you want to install and use it on the next command
   dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:sources\install.wim /index:# /ApplyDir:X:\
   where X is the drive letter formatted in step 3 and # is the index for the Windows edition.
5. reboot

Thank you Dino. I really appreciate it!

you may also want to look into C:\Recovery for a custom *.ppkg file
this would be the OEM customizations package (wim)

Some OEM's (Dell) also create an EFI.wim which is the EFI partition package

Creating OEM Rescue Media will contain all the Bare Metal Reset Packages

Kyhi said:

you may also want to look into C:\Recovery for a custom *.ppkg file
this would be the OEM customizations package (wim)

Some OEM's (Dell) also create an EFI.wim which is the EFI partition package

Yep...you're right.

Code:

PS C:\windows\system32> dir C:\Recovery\Customizations\


    Directory: C:\Recovery\Customizations


Mode                LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                -------------         ------ ----
-a----       16/01/2020     11:32     5947892758 FactoryApps_TU.ppkg

but this looks to me a backup of the bloatware I want to avoid.

I'm thinking of booting with the legendary Kyhi Rescue disk, delete with minitool or AOMEI the 3 partitions and then start the usual installation process by creating the 3 deleted partitions.

that package also contains the OEM Drivers....
But yes Mostly the Bloatware....
I would also use DISM to export the current 3rd Party Drivers from Current OS...

One Note about Dino's command - WinPE will be assigned drive letter X
So the proper drive letter to assign would be to assign drive letter W

I have an Image-Prep Batch file that will prep the Install.wim with Exported Drivers, Genuine Ticket for activation
and also allow you to add driver to WinRE in case of Touch PC
https://www.tenforums.com/attachment...-image-prep.7z

Just Mount the New OS media - drag-drop the Install.wim or esd onto the cmd
Follow the screen prompts

@ddelo
If you wish to fresh install Windows 10. Here's a little program I wrote, just copy the executable to the root folder of the installation media then run. Answer 3 questions: Windows Edition, Mode (gpt/mbr), disk # to install on. Take about 5 min. Once done, reboot.

You can also install Windows on another disk while Windows is running without having to disconnect anything.

EZWinInstall.rar

@Kyhi
Jimmy,
One of the reasons I wanna clean install is the 3rd party drivers installed in the hp factory image.
They have installed every possible driver for all possible devices they use with the current laptop model. So for instance I have more than 10 audio device drivers whereas I only need the Realtek one. So exporting the current drivers won't help a lot.
That's why I thought of using your (customized) rescue disk and delete the 3 partitions leaving only the EFI, before using the W10 installation disk (iso).