BCDEDIT - How to Use

You're welcome.

Dual Boot problem

On an XP Pro machine I have installed Win7 (setup not completed) on a seperate partition. Now no boot whatever.

However I can get into a command prompt via Win7 setup DVD and wish to edit the BCD.

The tutorial above is very helpful. I have exported successfuly the current BCD (even though it obviously does not work) and understand how to edit same. However:

I don't understand how to make the edited BCD go into effect. Do the changes go into effect immediatly? Or is the identifier stuff required? I get lost there. Help would be appreciated.

For the record, I think this system sucks. M$ made something even harder than it used to be, and needlessly. I try to delete old entries in here, using the supplied identifier and the system says it doesn't recognize that .. stupid. Why not make us a decent gui tool to modify these entries so that we don't have to see OLD os's..

WW

Type msconfig in start search. Click it when it pops up. Under the Boot tab , you have the option of setting the default entry, deleting any others, and setting the time out ( length of time the boot menu is displayed).

For more options, try Easybcd 2.0 (free):

EasyBCD 2.0 Beta Builds - The NeoSmart Forums

Hope it helps

Hello! Please help me. I've read alot about bcd but still its too complicated so im afraid to ***** up my system.

I was installing 7, first - to give it a try to second partition. (xp on 1st). So it created a boot menu - "windows 7" and "old windows". I was satisfied with 7, formatted second partition to clear it and started install over xp into 1st.

Now i have windows 7 installed in 1st partition, clear 2nd partition....and startup menu with two "windows 7", one of which doesnt exist.......how do i get rid of this menu?

I launched bcdedit and thats what i got:



I assume i need to launch /delete on third entry. But how do i address it? They are both windows 7. By what system understands which one i mean? This is so stupid complex. Please help.

Type msconfig in start search box.

Click it when it pops up.

Under the Boot tab , highlight the unwanted entry ( the one that is not default) , click Delete. Apply, OK , exit without restart.

Hope it helps

SIW2
Thank you! It worked, and was much easier. Wish Microsoft were making things simplier...even their support guy was not aware of this way and told me to use bcdedit.... :\

Hi kul kat,

Thanks for posting back.

Glad it worked for you

I changed the timeout of my bootloader by using following command

Code:

bcdedit /timeout 0

which returned: The operation completed successfully.

Just for verification I checked the timeout by executing

Code:

bcdedit /enum

and the timeout was set to 0 as expected.

Problem:
When I restarted my system by executing shutdown -r -t 0, the bootloader booted again counting down from timeout = 28

Should I do something else too?

Hy

Im happy to see a forum than can help , excuses for my poor english .


On same HD in diferent partitions Im using vista 32 since 2 years , but now I want to test Win7 x64.

I have installed it on a second partition on same device , the only way I can lounch it is with original dvd.

on C:/ Vista 32

on F:/ Win7 x64

Here is bcdedit verbose from Vista 32:

----------------------------------
Identificador {bootmgr}
device partition=C:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale es-ES
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
resumeobject {efc489c9-f5e8-11dc-bd77-e152f566c6f0}
displayorder {current}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30
resume No
Cargador de arranque de Windows
-----------------------------
Identificador {current}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Microsoft Windows Vista
locale es-ES
inherit {bootloadersettings}
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {efc489c9-f5e8-11dc-bd77-e152f566c6f0}
nx OptIn
pae ForceEnable


And here is bcdedit verbose from Win7 x64

----------------------------------
Identificador {bootmgr}
device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume1
description Windows Boot Manager
locale es-ES
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
resumeobject {e47840a4-edac-11de-823a-960ec645fc85}
displayorder {current}
{e47840a1-edac-11de-823a-960ec645fc85}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 30
Cargador de arranque de Windows
-----------------------------
Identificador {current}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7
locale es-ES
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {e47840a6-edac-11de-823a-960ec645fc85}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {e47840a4-edac-11de-823a-960ec645fc85}
nx OptIn
Cargador de arranque de Windows
-----------------------------
Identificador {e47840a1-edac-11de-823a-960ec645fc85}
device unknown
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7
locale es-ES
inherit {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence {e47840a2-edac-11de-823a-960ec645fc85}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice unknown
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {e47840a0-edac-11de-823a-960ec645fc85}
nx OptIn



Looks like Windows7 is unable to make the boot folder in the apropiate partition,it is creating it on E:/ wich is a diferent hard disk .

I supose that I must copy some values form boot loader Win 7 to Win 32 Vista , but really I dont know how to start .

Any help is much apreciated to make a stable dual boot

Thanks