Does Windows XP have EFI?

[Espionage724]

I've heard different things about this. Some people said no, others said that the x64 copy did (which it didn't), then some people said that the IA64 had it (which I can't verify)

If the IA64 copy did have EFI, would there be hope in trying to boot it on my AMD UEFI system?

[linuxlove]

IA-64 is Itanium, so there's no hope of you running IA-64 software on your AMD PC.

[Biohead]

IA64 isn't compatible with the AMD64 instruction set, so it won't run at all.

The IA64 XP edition does support EFI out of interest.

[Espionage724]

Ok thx for the responses. I was hoping that IA64 had some sort of compatibility with AMD64 or something, but guess not.

[Derf]

Media Center 2005 (which is 32-bit only) does actually have EFI support.

[Panda X]

Media Center 2005 (which is 32-bit only) does actually have EFI support.

I thought the only 32-bit EFI in Windows was in Windows Vista Beta 2 Build 5384.

[prayaas1998]

Yes Panda, I guess you're right. Vista Beta 2 was the FIRST & LAST one to support 32 bit EFI boot.

[Samuka]

Well....this version of Windows XP support bootmgr "normal",BCD and winload?

[Espionage724]

So wait, media center 2005 32-bit can do EFI?

[Derf]

So wait, media center 2005 32-bit can do EFI?

Yup. Not sure what implementation it supports or how it's used, but efi files seem to be there.

[Espionage724]

Does the MCE cd/dvd have the EFI files on it for an EFI installation? I have a HP copy of MCE 2005, and it didn't contain an EFI or Boot folder.

[Beta12]

Media Center 2005 (which is 32-bit only) does actually have EFI support.

What is this computer model? Do you have this OS MCE2005 on CD/DVD or partition RAW image?

This is very interesting

[AlphaBeta]

This screenshot was not taken by Derf. It's unashamedly borrowed from a MacRumors post.

[MrBurgerKing]

Doesn't XP use NTLDR? I've never seen it on uefi. Maybe those files got there by accident? All the XP standard and MCE machines I've ever seen don't have a C:/boot folder, only later versions of Windows do.

[Beta12]

I am trying to run Vista Beta 1 Build 5112 in EFI mode in VMware Workstation 8 but I can not:

• I installed Vista in BIOS mode
• using this tutorial -> Adding a driver to a UEFI firmware I added the NTFS driver ntfs_ia32.efi but to 32-bit version 6020_ntfs.bin
• I set the configuration in the .vmx file:

  Code: Select all

  firmware = "efi"
  efi32.filename = "6020_ntfs.bin"

• virtual machine boot in UEFI to Shell and I have access to files on the NTFS partition
• I trying run winldfw.efi from Boot folder but there is always error:
  Exit status code: C000000D

[Lotus Expeditor]

Media Center 2005 (which is 32-bit only) does actually have EFI support.

I thought the only 32-bit EFI in Windows was in Windows Vista Beta 2 Build 5384.

Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 are also have x86 EFI. What about Windows XP x64? Does it have EFI?

[AlphaBeta]

Windows on EFI can only boot from GPT disks, therefore you can't install it with BIOS and then flip into EFI.

[MrBurgerKing]

[Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 are also have x86 EFI. What about Windows XP x64? Does it have EFI?

The IA64 XP edition does support EFI out of interest.

Apparently only the IA64 edition, x86 and x86-64 versions of XP never supported nor shipped with files for efi boot. Itanium is incompatible with x86.

Media Center 2005 (which is 32-bit only) does actually have EFI support.

So wait, media center 2005 32-bit can do EFI?

Yup. Not sure what implementation it supports or how it's used, but efi files seem to be there.

Just read the macrumors thread, and the files in the screenshot were observed to be identical to the ones in Vista, complete with settings for UAP protection.
When installing Windows to a second partition, setup overwrites the first partition with it's own bootloader. OP had Vista December CTP installed, and realized the files weren't from XP.

[Beta12]

What about Windows XP x64? Does it have EFI?

WinXP x64 (amd64) not have EFI but support GPT disk:

Can Windows XP x64 read, write, and boot from GPT disks?

Windows XP x64 Edition can use GPT disks for data only.

[mahich03]

I've already seen those EFI files in Vista Build 5112, and after trying to run them in the EFI shell, it says "IA32 not supported by X64 shell". So they might be compatible with Itanium only

[AlphaBeta]

I've already seen those EFI files in Vista Build 5112, and after trying to run them in the EFI shell, it says "IA32 not supported by X64 shell". So they might be compatible with Itanium only

Let's first clear up some facts: IA-32 is 32-bit x86, while Itanium is IA-64. 64-bit x86 is AMD64.

Even though AMD64 is fully compatible with IA-32, 32-bit EFI executables will not run on a 64-bit EFI implementation. If you are using a virtualization software, you should switch the OS type to the 32-bit variant, which will make it use a 32-bit EFI implementation.

[mahich03]

I've already seen those EFI files in Vista Build 5112, and after trying to run them in the EFI shell, it says "IA32 not supported by X64 shell". So they might be compatible with Itanium only

Let's first clear up some facts: IA-32 is 32-bit x86, while Itanium is IA-64. 64-bit x86 is AMD64.

Even though AMD64 is fully compatible with IA-32, 32-bit EFI executables will not run on a 64-bit EFI implementation. If you are using a virtualization software, you should switch the OS type to the 32-bit variant, which will make it use a 32-bit EFI implementation.

But the strange thing is that the EFI files I've tried to run were from the x64 version of Vista 5112, even though the shell sees them as IA-32 files

[Random_User]

Having EFI is a property of the motherboard, not the operating system.

Also, I am pretty sure you can boot 32-bit versions of Windows XP on a system with EFI. It is possible to boot from MBR drives on systems with EFI.

Furthermore, Hard drives with a GPT partition table also have a legacy MBR.

[mahich03]

Having EFI is a property of the motherboard, not the operating system.

(U)EFI support actually depends on both the operating system and the motherboard.

Also, I am pretty sure you can boot 32-bit versions of Windows XP on a system with EFI. It is possible to boot from MBR drives on systems with EFI.

Technically, you can boot from a MBR disk in EFI mode, knowing that you have a FAT32 partition containing the .EFI boot files. That means you cannot boot from a Windows XP (legacy) MBR disk in EFI mode.

[Random_User]

Right, my point is that a motherboard can have EFI, and an operating system can support booting from a GPT storage device, but an operating system cannot "have EFI".