Formatting of HDD

Here is the boot menu option for Ramdisk that was added by Easybcd:



Boots up perfectly.

SIW2 said:

Here is the boot menu option for Ramdisk that was added by Easybcd:



Boots up perfectly.

If Easybcd put it there, then BCDEdit should also...

What do you 'see' when you boot this option ?

A W7 window with selectable Recovery options? <-- AutoExpansion: I typed 'w.7 window', no dot
An Admin command prompt with 'Help' ?

I had seen the word 'ramdisk' using the 'all/verbose' options, but the word was also strewn
amongst the multiple .vhd entries I have in there.
So I just ignored it, since all the .vhds worked OK from BootMgr menu.

This seems like pretty useful stuff if we're eliminating the DVD boot.
What does the 'NST' mean? (NST WinPE)

Hi Chuckr,

I used Easybcd to add all the entries for WinRe to bcd, because I copied it to a different partition (and as a reminder of how Easybcd does it)

NST is for NeoSmartTechnologies - the makers of Easybcd.

When you boot WinRe from the HD, you see the same as when you boot System recovery options on the dvd.

As you already have the entries for WinRe on your 7 installation - you do not need to do that.

If you simply want to add the option to boot WinRe directly from the boot menu - use /displayorder command to add it to the boot menu , like this:

bcdedit /displayorder id{...} [ /addfirst | /addlast].

To find the {identifier}:

D:\Windows\system32>bcdedit /enum all /v


<SNIP>

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {587e9dad-8402-11de-b60c-9ed3ec668626}
device ramdisk=[D:]\Recovery\9bd6ff3c-4cfe-11de-aa8d-ab30a7c73d
2e\Winre.wim,{587e9dae-8402-11de-b60c-9ed3ec668626}


To add it to boot menu:


D:\Windows\system32>bcdedit /displayorder {587e9dad-8402-11de-b60c-9ed3ec668626} /addfirst

The operation completed successfully.


The Boot Menu selection now looks like this:

logicearth said:

I posted screenshots of what is in the 100 MB partition here:
https://www.sevenforums.com/226923-post14.html

Thanks, logicearth, but I think you're missing one more 'important' picture:

That one being: System Reserved (B:), contents of folder \boot\

This seems to be the 'meat' of that 100 MB special.
I still feel its the same as DVD:\boot\, where all the 'good stuff' is...

Thanks,
Chuck

SIW2 said:

I suspect it is the more like the one on the root of the drive (if you don't have 100mb system partition):



Boot folder on dvd :

Wow,

The more information I get, the more confusered i yam...

Now that I'm booted with w7, I was going to go thru it all tonight and set up the HDD_boot Recovery w/ menu select. (may still do that after sorting things out).

Firstly, siw2, I want to say "Thank you" for your clear and excellent technical posts!

Next, the discrepancies I see (and have to sort out) are probably attributed to two factors:
1. I have 32-bit. I believe yours is 64.
2. I run 'build 7201' and can check 7100RC in .vhd if nec. I'm sure yours is 7600 RTM.

For example, my DVD:\boot has 8 files, memtest.efi missing (64?)

Ahh, found it: its my "SystemDriveC:"\boot that has those language stuff folders.

Guess we'll have to wait for someone to post the System Reserved (B:), contents of folder \boot\ to actually see the 100 MB version...
Googled words are: 'backup', 'bitlocker', etc. With hacks to delete it... :)

PS:
Is the 'label' of "NST WinPE Image" correct?
Seems "NST WinRE Image" should be there IMHO. (This ain't your father's Vista.)

SIW2 said:

As you already have the entries for WinRe on your 7 installation - you do not need to do that:

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {587e9dad-8402-11de-b60c-9ed3ec668626}
device ramdisk=[D:]\Recovery\9bd6ff3c-4cfe-11de-aa8d-ab30a7c73d
2e\Winre.wim,{587e9dae-8402-11de-b60c-9ed3ec668626}


To add it to boot menu:

D:\Windows\system32> bcdedit /displayorder {587e9dad-8402-11de-b60c-9ed3ec668626} /addfirst

Yup,

A real "piece of pie"!! Sweet! Nice!

Got it now, 'RAMdisk options" on the BootMgr menu.
Goes to "Install USA K/B", mandatory Admin password (like XP),
and eventually to 'Recovery options', like the DVD turtle does:
1.) Fix boot problems, 2.) Recover Win7 image, ...., DOS-box, etc.

Seems like the only option that my install is missing, for real Recovery of everything, is the "MS DaRT" (Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset), also sometimes called "MS Winternals ERD-2007".
Must be on a .vhd somewhere...
Thanks again, siw2.

Now, to wait for the SystemReserved_B:\boot\ contents...