Windows 10 cumulative update needs more EFI partition - have to move MSR

[peterparslow]

Windows 10 cumulative update needs more EFI partition - at least, that's the consensus on why it still refuses to install even when I have 1.5 Gb spare on my C drive.

Problem is that hidden just above my 260 Mb EFI partition is a 16 Mb Microsoft Reserved Partition - and most people say I should leave that alone. Or give "solutions" to not creating it in the first place - but this is how the "disk" (SSD) was set up when I bought the machine.

So, any suggestions how to move my MS Reserved Partition, in order to expand my EFI partition (thus reducing my C drive partition, but that's inevitable - short of buying a new drive).

 

[Colif]

can you show us a screen shot of your disk management screen?

right click start, choose disk management
upload image to imgur and share link here

efi partition doesn't have to be very big, usually about 450mb max?

with only 1.5gb on hdd, I would be thinking about a new hdd anyway. You wouldn't be able to install windows version updates as they need 4gb of hdd space just to download the updates.

 

[peterparslow]

As mentioned, the EFI partition is only 260 Mb. I guess Asus have been stingy, to keep the price down.

https://1drv.ms/b/s!Akmf4tzQr1NFt3zjKZpcjJwq7DvX - including what you asked for, and also the more helpful view from a third party tool, which spots the tiny MSR partition, thus explaining why I couldn't extend the EFI - even after squeezing the main partition up a bit.

I tried arguing with Asus that their machine was hardly Windows 10 compatible when I couldn't install the first cumulative update. But at least I got round that (bootable USB stick or something). This is the first one where 'collective wisdom' suggests that, although the update wizard complains about C drive space, it doesn't mean it.

Thought: if I delete some stuff from the EFI (foreign languages - can't see myself wanting to boot in Russian!), how much space will it need?

I'm not sure what you mean by "version updates"; if you're looking ahead to Windows 11 (or whatever they call it), who knows whether that will ever exist: signs from Microsoft are that it's rolling updates from now.

Anyway, I'm still open to suggestions.

 

[peterparslow]

OK, well here's what actually fixed it: I deleted the Microsoft Reserved Partition, with no ill effect, and expanded the EFI into that space. Now I have an EFI of 266 Mb, which has been enough for this cumulative update.

 

[Colif]

glad it worked out for you.

version updates: Every 6 months or so a new version of windows 10 is released as an update for free, the current one is called the Creators Edition, the next due in next few months is the Fall Creators Edition (TIL the entire world works on the Northern Hemispheres season pattern). Win 10 is continuously being upgraded, so win 11 might not happen for a long time. You need at least 4gb of free space to run the updates.

 

[peterparslow]

This is well known. Actually, 1.2 Gb was enough, plus an unknown (but relatively small) amount of free EFI partition.

I have provided my solution to the problem - but this forum won't allow me to mark my own input as the solution! It makes no sense to post further - I hope they don't raise the free space requirement to 4Gb, unless they allow for some of the unnecessary (to me) bits to be more easily removed.

glad it worked out for you.

version updates: Every 6 months or so a new version of windows 10 is released as an update for free, the current one is called the Creators Edition, the next due in next few months is the Fall Creators Edition (TIL the entire world works on the Northern Hemispheres season pattern). Win 10 is continuously being upgraded, so win 11 might not happen for a long time. You need at least 4gb of free space to run the updates.