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#11
Glad you had it sorted out, Barefootkit.
Bcdedit is really powerful, it's only problem is that it cannot boot via the bootsector written on the disk or partition, it needs a boot loader file to do that, unlike GRUB or others.
Bcdedit edits a file called bcd , which is currently located in the hidden partition under \boot\bcd.
By typing just bcdedit to list you entries, you see next to the idenfiers their UUIDs in {}.
The standard identifiers are explained below:
{bootmgr} = the boot manager
{current} = the OS you selected to boot at startup.
{default} = the default OS selected to boot the PC.
{ntldr} = Windows Legacy OS Loader (for windows xp)
there are others like {memdiag} or {ramdisk} but they can't be of much use.
IMPORTANT: make a backup of your bcd file first. To do that, type:
bcdedit /export C:\SAVEDBCD
This will create a file c:\savebcd which is your boot entry backup.
If you mess up, you can always undo changes by:
bcdedit /import c:\savedbcd
Now to see how we can control the above entries, here are some examples:
bcdedit /set {current} description "My edited Windows Boot Entry"
This changes the title of the boot menu entry {current}
bcdedit /set {ntldr} device partition=E:
This tells bcd that windows xp partition is on drive E:
bcdedit /set {ntldr} path \ntldr
this tells bcd that the ntldr file which is the winxp bootloader is on root folder \ (of drive e: )
bcdedit /displayorder {ntldr} /addfirst
this places winxp as the first (default) OS on the menu list.
bcdedit /displayorder {33342343-3424-2342342342-2344} /addlast
This tells bcd that the boot entry with UUID 3334... should be the last entry on the menu.
You can copy your existing VISTA or W7 boot entry to another identical. Then you can change settings on the new entry to experiment. You will always have the first entry available, so it's safe.
bcdedit /copy {current} /d "New boot entry I just copied!"
this will give you a line:
The entry was successfully copied to {4c21825f-e04b-11dd-b760-00195b61617a}.
"/d" means "new description to give:"...
The {4c21825f-e04b-11dd-b760-00195b61617a} is the UUID of the new entry that the system just created. Yours will be different than mine! This is its identifier and you should use this to address that entry. Example:
bcdedit /set {4c21825f-e04b-11dd-b760-00195b61617a} numpoc 2
This adds the 2 CPU Core support during boot, like you do in msconfig.
bcdedit /deletevalue {4c21825f-e04b-11dd-b760-00195b61617a} numproc
This deletes the numproc parameter from entry {4c21825f....}
You can always type just bcdedit to see your current settings.
Now that we've learnt a few things, let's see how we could move the BOOT LOADER from the hidden partition to drive C: , and delete the hidden partition completely!!!
1. Assign a drive letter to your hidden partition, e.g. E:
2. Copy all of its contents to the root of C: (including hidden files! -> Folder options , Show hidden files and folders, and uncheck "Hide protected operating system files". We choose copy "here" and not "move" , for security reasons. If it works, we can then delete them.
3. Tell the {bootmgr} entry that C: is the new partition, instead of the hidden one on which it looks right now.
bcdedit /set {bootmgr} device partition=C:
4. That's it. If you copied the boot files from your hidden partition, which you unhide first, to C: (including the \bootmgr file), you should boot now having C: as you only needed drive to boot. You can then delete the extra 200MB partition completely.
Final note: BCDEDIT works from installation boot dvd too. If you mess up with a setting and you cannot boot, just boot from DVD and enter Repair Computer, then go to command prompt and there you go. You can play again with bcdedit to restore your system back.
edit: You gave me the idea and I just posted this as a turotial.
BCDEDIT - How to Use
Last edited by limneos; 22 Jan 2009 at 09:51.
I've seen too much bcdedit since I screwed up my MBR twice
The 7BCD is is too similar to the Vista one.. MS should try a gui driven BCD next time.. lol
Information
The new bcdedit version 6.1 coming with W7, has one major different with the one in Vista , version 6.0:
It supports mounting VHD image files to boot from.
So, if you want this feature in Vista too, all u have to do is copy the bcdedit.exe from W7 to Vista's system32.
More info:
Take Ownership of file - Vista Tutorials
Boot from a VHD using Windows 7
What? WHY?? There's a reason general users never knew about FDISK or DISKPART, etc. This is why Microsoft abandoned the text-based BOOT.INI from Windows 2000 and Windows XP - it was too easy for normal users to screw things up.
Now you want to give them a GUI to one of the most powerfull boot configurations tools ever included in the box with Windows???
BCDEDIT by its very nature is designed for system admins and power users, In honesty, slapping a GUI on the thing will likely slow them down!
Hi,
That can be done easily with bcdedit - if you are not comfortable with that, download Easybcd free from here
Download EasyBCD 1.7.2 - NeoSmart Technologies
Click Change Settings, select the name to change in the drop-downflap, Cilck on Name and type the name you want, Click Save Settings.
Hope it helps
SIW2