EFI Partition ManagerOne file
partmgr.efi is the whole program.
Before any OS
It runs in the firmware, on a disk that may still be empty.
A real window
With the mouse, or the keyboard.
Nothing written
Until you say so, with Write.
Below the operating system.
For people who set up, repair or test machines.
A window and the mouse
A graphical window at the screen’s own resolution, with sharp text from 640 × 480 up (tried up to 3200 × 1800), used with the mouse or the keyboard. It drives a USB mouse itself when the firmware cannot; where there is no graphics screen, text screens do the same.
GPT and MBR, read and written in full
MBR with primary, extended and logical partitions. GPT with both copies checked and, when written, repaired.
See first, write later
Every change shown and marked with a star; the disk changes only on Write, after a red warning confirmed with Y or Yes.
Backup and restore
The partition table to a small file, restored byte for byte.
Wipe
Random data, then zeros, with a progress bar, the speed and the time left.
Readable
Types from a list; sizes such as 512M, 1.5G or rest; notes on damaged or unusual tables.
Safe by design
The disk partmgr was started from is never written.
No EDK2 code
Written from scratch, with its own UEFI definitions, runtime and build tools.
Real screens, version 0.2.1.
Taken in QEMU by the project’s own tool, at 1024 × 768.
See first. Write later.
Write the GPT table to blk3 (512.0 MiB)? (Y/N)
- Every change on the screen firstMarked with a star; the disk changes only on Write.
- The boot disk is never writtenThe disk partmgr was started from is read-only.
- Backup and restoreB saves the table to a small file; S restores it byte for byte.
Tested in QEMU, said honestly.
Tested automatically in QEMU with OVMF firmware, and on disk images whose tables are checked by sfdisk and parted.
It has not been tried on real hardware yet. Until it has, use it on disks whose contents you can afford to lose, and make a backup (key B) first.
Tried it on a real machine? Send a report.
A machine where everything worked is as useful a report as one where nothing did.
Send a report →One file. Copy it, start it.
From the firmware boot menu
Copy it to a FAT-formatted USB stick as \EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI, and choose the stick in the firmware boot menu.
From a UEFI shell
Copy it next to a UEFI shell, and start it from the shell’s prompt.
Secure Boot
With Secure Boot active, sign it first with a key the machine trusts (see the user manual).
Freeware.
Free
To use, also at work and as a tool in paid work; to copy and give away unchanged, also in free collections of tools; to sign for Secure Boot.
With a written licence
Selling it, including it in a product or service that is sold, modifying it, decompiling it beyond what the law allows. Write to efipm@nicfio.it.
Version 0.2.1 was released under the Apache License 2.0 with the Commons Clause, and keeps it; the freeware licence applies from the next version.