Windows 10: EFI Partition on both SSD and HDD; can I safely delete the one in HDD

When I installed Windows 10 on the SSD, I didn't remove the HDD (it's on an Acer Aspire E5-475G laptop and it was difficult to physically remove it). So I created a new EFI Partition on the SSD.

Now I have an EFI partition in both my HDD and my SSD.





So I was wondering if it was safe to delete the EFI partition on the HDD.

:)

 

Access denied to entire HDD

I want to add that have you cloned your original HDD correctly? or is the PC still booting from the old HDD, because there is a hidden OEM partition on it?

Ignore what may HDD layout looks like in DIskMgmt, I created a custom layout - but the partition you'll need to look for is the first partition "EFI System Partition"

If that is still on the Old HDD, don't clean the disk. you'll need to create your partitions on the SSD correctly, and also tell your bootmanager/bios to boot from the correct EFI partition/SSD

 

Saving free space on SSD (Regarding multiple obligatory partitions on main drive)

Gerry Here just copy-paste some irrelevant response.

Well, **I've figured it out**. Here my solution (I Take no responsibility from any damage that might arise from this process, and I do not guarantee it to work for u.)

We'll assume u have 2 disks; SSD and HDD.

Also NOTE: I Work in a GPT-Disk partitioning scheme, I don't know if it's applicable on dos-style MBR partitioning.

General-methodology wich we are going to work with (or TL;DR).

• Delete all partitions on all drive
• Install Windows on the HDD Drive
• Install Windows on the SSD Drive (yes, twice!)
• Repartition the HDD to free up and reallocate as we wish (The only parition that HAVE to be there is the EUFI System (Fat) )
• After freeing up HDD space, move user folder to the HDD
• PROFIT

And in more detail:

THIS GUIDE ASSUME THIS IS A FRESH PC - THAT U DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING U NEED ON EITHER DISKS.

* - Asterisk, not a real step, just additional information

• Boot into windows 10 installation
• Clear ALL partitions on BOTH drives
• Let windows install itself onto the HDD, We'll call this installation win-hdd
  • There is no need to actually boot into this OS.
• Boot into windows 10 installation
• Let windows install itself onto the SSD. We'll call this installation win-ssd
  • *What would happen now, Is that windows detects the recovery and eufi partitions and does not need to create such additional partitions on your ssd. It would only create a 16MB windows reserved partition.
  • *Your boot partition would be hdd/eufi; But since windows detect it's own bootloader it would allow you to duel-boot between win-hdd and win-ssd(default)
• Optional: During windows-ssd first run wizard switch to audit mode (CTRL+SHIFT+F3)
  • *We would use audit mode to:
    • * Optional1: Repartition hdd
    • * Optional2: Change "Users" folder to the hdd.
    • * If u do not want to move Users folder, u can do 6.2 After win-ssd fully boots instead
  • Repartition hdd & move Users folder:
    • Using a 3rd party tool such as "MiniTool Partition Wizard" you can do the fallowing *as you wish*:
      • Delete win-hdd partition
      • Delete recovery-hdd partition
      • Delete windows reserved (16 mb) partition.
      • You can also later move the EUFI to the start of the hdd disk, if needed
      • Create new partition (free to use) on hdd.
      • Make sure to properly assign drive letters to all drive as u wish
      • Fallow
        this guide to relocate the User folder (Starting from Step 2)
• Boot into windows-ssd; If u do not know which one (int the OS selection screen) It's safe to assume that the automatically-selected one is the win-ssd.
• If u have not performed 6.2 Yet, this is the time to do that now.

GLHF.

 

Trying to delete a system partition on an HDD after reinstalling Windows 10 on an SSD

I can't delete this wretched OEM system partition on my HDD which originally had Windows 8.1 preinstalled on it. After upgrading to Windows 10 I've since bought an SSD and installed Windows 10 onto it seperately and was using dual boot for a while so I could
choose between my HDD OS and my SSD OS. I then transfered everything I needed from my original 1TB HDD to my 1TB SSD and my new 4TB HDD and I've deleted all but one partition from the original HDD, which I still want to use and simply wipe clean before I do.
It's an OEM system partition though and won't delete using an administrator command prompt and diskpart, even with the override command:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.10586]

(c) 2015 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

E:\Windows\system32>cd\

E:\>diskpart

Microsoft DiskPart version 10.0.10586

Copyright (C) 1999-2013 Microsoft Corporation.

On computer: PC2

DISKPART> list disk

Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt

-------- ------------- ------- ------- --- ---

Disk 0 Online 931 GB 0 B *

Disk 1 Online 931 GB 931 GB *

Disk 2 Online 3726 GB 0 B *

DISKPART> select disk 1

Disk 1 is now the selected disk.

DISKPART> list partition

Partition ### Type Size Offset

------------- ---------------- ------- -------

Partition 1 System 260 MB 301 MB

DISKPART> select partition 1

Partition 1 is now the selected partition.

DISKPART> delete partition

Virtual Disk Service error:

The device is in use.

The selected volume or partition is in use.

To continue with the operation use the OVERRIDE parameter.

DISKPART> delete partition override

Virtual Disk Service error:

Delete is not allowed on the current boot, system, pagefile,

crashdump or hibernation volume.

DISKPART>

I used bcdboot to move the boot manager to my E: drive which was successful but I still can't delete this partition. By the way, my new setup is intended to be:

disk 0 (1TB SSD) E: - OS (Windows 10) and games

disk 1 (1TB HDD) F: - Programs (or "Apps") which is the one I'm trying to wipe clean (formerly C

disk 2 (4TB HDD) G: - Media (documents, downloads, music, pictures and videos)

Thanks.