Question about BCD...

Here's the situation:

I have 5 disks (you can see them in my system spec).
I have an old XP installation in WDC 320GB.
I have Windows 7 installation in one WDC 1TB (I use the other 1TB for data).

Currently, the "boot" device is WDC 320GB, it contains the boot manager for Windows 7 (BCD). Here's the question: How do I install a new boot manager on my 1 TB drive?

Here's what I've done:
1. Set the Win7 partition as "Active" (did it in the past).
2. Installed a boot sector into it (bootsect /nt60 c: [c: = Win7's partition]).

Once I've done that, I tested by restarting Windows and manually select the 1TB disk as boot. The boot sector data is indeed written, but it contains no boot manager, which brings me here...

Note: I don't want to delete the current boot manager installed in the WDC 320 disk, I just want a new one on my 1TB disk, let the old one alone. I've downloaded EasyBCD, poked around in it, I found nothing that enables me to install another boot manager into another boot device... It only lists the current boot manager installation. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

zzz2496

zzz, I don't think you can use two boot managers (XP and 7) at the same time. Can't you just set up a dual boot environment using Win7 boot manager?

wallyinnc said:

zzz, I don't think you can use two boot managers (XP and 7) at the same time. Can't you just set up a dual boot environment using Win7 boot manager?

Umm... I think you got the wrong idea. The current boot manager is fine, it's working perfectly. This is the case where I want to make a new boot code with new boot manager on my 1TB disk. Just in case if I format my 320GB disk, I'd still be able to boot into my Win7 installation.

gregrocker said:

Mark Win7 HD Active in XP Disk Mgmt, shut down, unplug XP and all other HD's except Win7, plug XP HD cable into Win7 HD or set it first to boot in BIOS setup.

Now boot the WIn7 DVD Repair console or REpair CD, click through to Recovery Tools list to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots to write the System MBR to Win7 HD and start it.

This will work unless you have messed up your Win7 with previous attempts.

When Win7 starts, shut down and replug XP, set preferred HD as first HD to boot in BIOS setup (after DVD) then if you want to boot the other HD, use the Fkey given on first bootup screen for one-time Boot Menu.

This BIOS-managed Dual Boot. keeps the HD's independent to come and go as you please.

Greg, I'm aware that method. I hope that's the last resort... This is a 100% operational system, I hope I won't need to do that

I know that there's a CLI command somewhere, I just can't find it. I use bcdedit.exe, I have zero idea how it works. It says that it works by data stores, I've created new data store, I'm still figuring out how to install new BCD code to my 1TB disk... In Linux, it's easy because GRUB will ask me where I want to install it, is it in the boot sector of first partition, or in MBR, or wherever I want. I just can't find that switch in bcdedit.exe.

zzz2496

Bill2 said:

Try rebuilding the bcd using the bootrec command. To do this, type the following commands at the Windows RE command prompt. Each command should be on a separate line. Hit Enter after each command.:

• bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup
• c:
• cd boot
• attrib bcd -s -h -r
• ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
• bootrec /RebuildBcd

Ouch, few hours too late. I found out the "Boot" folder in the 320GB disk, and I literally copied it to the 1TB disk, did the rebuild after that. All is well now... But thanks for the recommendation :)

zzz2496