The EFI System Partition (ESP) is a special, hidden area on a computer’s storage drive that contains the files required to boot the operating system. Used by computers with Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) instead of older BIOS systems, the ESP stores boot loaders, drivers, and utilities needed during startup. Without a functioning EFI System Partition, the computer may not be able to start the operating system or access important recovery tools. It is typically created automatically during the installation of modern operating systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux.