how to put the EFI partition on the beginning of the disk to be able t

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  1. ziomario
    Posts : 52
    linux
       New #1

    how to put the EFI partition on the beginning of the disk to be able t


    Hello,

    I'm trying to understand the reason why sometime qemu / kvm / tianocore and also virt-manager can't boot Windows 10 physically,sometimes it can. And maybe I found the reason. Infact I found that when Windows 10 installs the EFI partition as first partition of the disk,qemu / kvm / tianocore / virt-manager can boot it. But sometimes it happens that windows makes another kind of disk structure,for example it can make something like this :

    1) 128 mb : microsoft reserved partition

    2) 500 mb recovery partition

    3) 99 mb EFI partition

    in this case,windows 10 will not boot. So,in this case I don't know what to do. Maybe it can work it I delete the 128 and the 500 mb partitions and I expand the EFI partition until the beginning of the disk space. But I'm not sure. I read that I shouldn't erase the 128 mb partition or the system will not boot. So,what should I do ? One thing I'm sure : The EFI partition should be the first partition if I want to boot Windows 10 with tianocore. But I'm not sure about how to do that. Please understand,I don't want to reinstall Windows.
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  3. dalchina
    Posts : 42,985
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       New #2

    You can manipulate partitions with any decent 3rd party partition manager. E.g. Minitool Partition Wizard, Aomei Partition Assistant..

    Make sure you have a full backup just in case e.g. disk images or a clone perhaps.
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  4. ziomario
    Posts : 52
    linux
    Thread Starter
       New #3

    what I want to know is if I can erase the "128 mb : microsoft reserved partition" without to damage the ability of windows 10 to make the boot. I don't want to erase it without to be sure of that. I don't know what to do if I erase it and then windows will not boot anymore. I don't want to reinstall it from scratch.
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  6. dalchina
    Posts : 42,985
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       New #4

    Correct, you shouldn't delete that.
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  7. ziomario
    Posts : 52
    linux
    Thread Starter
       New #5

    so,what should I do ? can u explain to me the procedure to convert this disk structure :

    how to put the EFI partition on the beginning of the disk to be able t-2020-05-18_14-31-45.png

    into this :

    how to put the EFI partition on the beginning of the disk to be able t-2020-05-18_14-31-10.png
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  8. dalchina
    Posts : 42,985
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       New #6

    Thank you for your reply.

    Using a 3rd party partition manager is basically visual- you simply extend and shrink partitions by dragging the margins, delete them with a button or option, and move them around. That's all on the GUI.

    Finally, click Apply - usually when changing things on C: the PC will then reboot for the operations to be performed.

    I suggest you read some tutorials- read the Help file- watch some Youtube videos. Sorry, I'm not going to try to teach you how to use one.

    You don't show the reserved partition in your second screenshot. A UEFI installation is normally 4 partitions.

    If you are unsure as to what any are there for, you can use Google to find out.
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  9. ziomario
    Posts : 52
    linux
    Thread Starter
       New #7

    Infact on the second screenshot windows 10 boots without the MSR and the recovery partitions.
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  10. dalchina
    Posts : 42,985
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       New #8

    You might be happier with a MBR configuration. Fewer partitions- potentially 2 or even 1.

    But MBR is 'old hat' - GPT is more robust.

    windows - Can I merge the System reserved partition to C: drive? Will it cause boot problems if I do so? - Super User
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  12. ziomario
    Posts : 52
    linux
    Thread Starter
       New #9

    I've just removed the MSR and the recovery partition and I have extended the EFI partition. It is still able to boot.
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  13. jimbo45
    Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       New #10

    ziomario said:
    Hello,

    I'm trying to understand the reason why sometime qemu / kvm / tianocore and also virt-manager can't boot Windows 10 physically,sometimes it can. And maybe I found the reason. Infact I found that when Windows 10 installs the EFI partition as first partition of the disk,qemu / kvm / tianocore / virt-manager can boot it. But sometimes it happens that windows makes another kind of disk structure,for example it can make something like this :

    1) 128 mb : microsoft reserved partition

    2) 500 mb recovery partition

    3) 99 mb EFI partition

    in this case,windows 10 will not boot. So,in this case I don't know what to do. Maybe it can work it I delete the 128 and the 500 mb partitions and I expand the EFI partition until the beginning of the disk space. But I'm not sure. I read that I shouldn't erase the 128 mb partition or the system will not boot. So,what should I do ? One thing I'm sure : The EFI partition should be the first partition if I want to boot Windows 10 with tianocore. But I'm not sure about how to do that. Please understand,I don't want to reinstall Windows.
    Hi there
    @ziomario

    For QEMU / KVM you don't need to do anything with the HDD to have tianocore to boot a UEFI VM.

    The W10 VM can use tianocore (UEFI boot) even on an MBR only machine. It's software !!!!

    First on your Linux distro as well as QEMU / KVM install OVMF (that's the software UEFI boot mechanism for KVM VM's).

    If you have a GUI install also the Virtual machine manager --easier than messing around with the XML VM config files.

    I'd also install / download the WIN VIRTIO iso from FEDORA site ---it doesn't matter what Linux distro you have -- these are good Generic Windows paravirtualised drivers for the VM

    Now create your VM -- for the HDD create a virtio RAW format for the main HDD and ensure the isos's (the win virtio and the windows install iso's) are added to your hardware for the VM.

    In the boot options ensure UEFI is selected in the boot method -- drop down choice BIOS / UEFI

    how to put the EFI partition on the beginning of the disk to be able t-screenshot_20200518_163231.png

    enable boot menu and choose the windows iso as the boot device then begin installation

    You'll get message "No HDD's -- load driver" or similar in the Windows install -- just point to the Virtio iso and select load driver

    Then Windows installs etc etc

    Absolutely no prob -- you don't need UEFI computer to create a QEMU/KVM UEFI Windows VM.

    Cheers
    jimbo
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