I have an old 1 TB HDD, which I used as my main drive for Windows before upgrading to a SSD. Now, I want to use it to store data again, so I decided to clean it up. I formatted it and then I noticed that it still got an EFI system partition, which, if I am correct, is only used to boot Windows. Can I delete this system partition? How can I delete it using Windows Disk Manager?
Cici· Answered on Jun 04, 2024
In most cases, you can delete a partition with Disk Management. Nevertheless, technically, you can't delete the system partition on Disk Management because the protected mechanism command tool will prevent you from doing so.
Deleting the system partition might cause OS boot issues, and your computer might fail to work. If you do not need your old HDD to boot up the system on your PC, you can delete the system partition with the help of a third-party tool - EaseUS Partition Master.
Disk Management cannot delete the system partition for you. Luckily, EaseUS Partition Master can perfectly meet your requirements. It lets you delete the system partition on your HDD within a few clicks. All you need to do is insert your hard drive, download and install EaseUS Partition Master, and follow the steps. Here is a step-by-step guide for you:
Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master. Select the "Partition Manager" section.
Step 2. Choose the target partition and right-click on it. Click "Delete".
Step 3. Click "Yes" to confirm. Click "Execute 1 Task" and "Apply" to delete the partition.
🚩Note: Deleting the EFI/UEFI Partition might cause OS boot issues. Make sure you want to execute the task.
EaseUS Partition Master can help more than deleting the system partition on your second hard drive. It has many features, such as creating partitions, resizing partitions, moving partitions, and hiding partitions. You are welcome to download it and manage your partition more efficiently.
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