Understanding Windows 10's System Reserved Partition and EFI Partition
When installing Windows 10 on a Master Boot Record (MBR) Hard Disk Drive (HDD), the installer creates a System Reserved partition to store the boot loader. However, when installing Windows 10 on a GUID Partition Table (GPT) HDD or Solid State Drive (SSD), the installer creates an EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) partition instead.
System Reserved Partition
The System Reserved partition is a small partition (usually around 500 MB) that is created during the installation of Windows 10 on an MBR HDD. This partition is used to store the boot loader for Windows 10, as well as other system files that are necessary for the boot process.
The System Reserved partition is typically created automatically during the installation process, and it is usually not visible in Windows Explorer. However, it can be managed using the Disk Management tool in Windows 10.
EFI Partition
The EFI partition is a small partition (usually around 100 MB) that is created during the installation of Windows 10 on a GPT HDD or SSD. This partition is used to store the EFI boot loader for Windows 10, as well as other system files that are necessary for the boot process.
The EFI partition is typically created automatically during the installation process, and it is usually not visible in Windows Explorer. However, it can be managed using the Disk Management tool in Windows 10.
Key Concepts
- Windows 10 creates a System Reserved partition on MBR HDDs and an EFI partition on GPT HDDs or SSDs
- The System Reserved partition stores the boot loader for Windows 10 on MBR HDDs
- The EFI partition stores the EFI boot loader for Windows 10 on GPT HDDs or SSDs
- The System Reserved and EFI partitions are typically created automatically during the installation process
- The System Reserved and EFI partitions can be managed using the Disk Management tool in Windows 10
References
- Configure UEFI/GPT-based hard drive partitions
- Configure BIOS/MBR-based hard drive partitions
- Overview of Disk Management
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In summary, when installing Windows 10 on an MBR HDD, the installer creates a System Reserved partition to store the boot loader. On the other hand, when installing Windows 10 on a GPT HDD or SSD, the installer creates an EFI partition instead. These partitions are typically created automatically during the installation process and can be managed using the Disk Management tool in Windows 10.