100MB empty space at the start of disk

thenodger · 2025-09-03 13:32:03

Hey everyone. I'm setting up an Arch and Windows 11 dual boot. I installed Windows 11 first, which gave me a 100MB EFI system partition, nvme0n1p1, at the start (2048) of my drive, followed by some Windows partitions and then the majority of the drive after that empty, which I am installing Arch into. I followed https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/EFI_sy … larger_one to resize this partition to 1GB.
This has left me with my EFI system partition in that free space after the Windows partitions, and the 100MB space it used to inhabit empty. Is there any way I can recover this space, for example having the root partition I am soon to create span across it as well as the empty space after my new EFI system partition?
Thank you.

seth · 2025-09-03 14:26:25

Since this is a great opportunity to shred your system, please illustrate the status quo w/

lsblk -f
fdisk -l

If I got you right, you want to shrink the windows partition so you can grow the original ESP there and restore it as ESP.
This is not directly possible, instead you'll move partition and data.
#1 have a backup!
#2 have a backup!
#3 have a backup!
#4 gparted offers a live distro and GUI abstraction of the process and you're probably better off using that - or resize the partitions from windows (notably if you're using bitlocker)
#5 now it's to late for a backup…

switcher · 2025-09-03 14:32:16

You can use parted to expand or shrink the partition size.
Share disk structure using - parted > print free

cryptearth · 2025-09-03 14:57:20

whenever manipulating filesystems and partitions: avoid shrinking to the right!
when moving the start of a partition data at that location has to be moved - this can break stuff
if possible always shrink from the right to the left as you will only eat into the free space at the end of it - this avoids copying maybe large amount of data
modern uefi is no longer required to have partitions in order: #2 can start at +100mb and span some size and then follow a move #1 esp
yes, you will get a warning but this shouldn't cause any issues
also: jeez - it's 100MB !!! - why even bother about it? do you even have data that would fit into that amount without fragmenting anyways?

mpan · 2025-09-03 16:39:06

All the risk to gain 100 MB? C’mon? I’d argue it’s a waste of your time to start this thread. Much less reasonable to actually do anything with it! :)

If you really want, you may put swap there. It’s a quick, simple, and relatively safe operation. (don’t, I didn’t notice it’s a NVMe)

Perhaps it’s best to TRIM that area and leave it unused, giving the flash controller some more air to juggle blocks around.

Last edited by mpan (2025-09-03 16:41:39)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2025-09-03 17:42:13

You could use btrfs or zfs or LVM to join the two non-contiguous partitions into a single functional volume but it seems like a lot of trouble for 100MiB.

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2025-09-03 17:42:48)

thenodger · 2025-09-04 11:15:28

I've finished installing my system now, and yeah, it's only 100MiB, so I've decided to let it go. Womp womp.

seth · 2025-09-04 12:33:44

Please always remember to mark resolved threads by editing your initial posts subject - so others will know that there's no task left, but maybe a solution to find.
Thanks.

Arch Linux

#1 2025-09-03 13:32:03

100MB empty space at the start of disk

#2 2025-09-03 14:26:25

Re: 100MB empty space at the start of disk

#3 2025-09-03 14:32:16

Re: 100MB empty space at the start of disk

#4 2025-09-03 14:57:20

Re: 100MB empty space at the start of disk

#5 2025-09-03 16:39:06

Re: 100MB empty space at the start of disk

#6 2025-09-03 17:42:13

Re: 100MB empty space at the start of disk

#7 2025-09-04 11:15:28

Re: 100MB empty space at the start of disk

#8 2025-09-04 12:33:44

Re: 100MB empty space at the start of disk

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