boot - Since EasyBCD is no more free as beer, what can I use instead?
2014-07
Is there an easy-to-use and reliable alternative?
The EasyBCD only costs for a commercial license.
The built in BCDEDIT
does a great job, as long as you read the help that follows along with it
Given this BCDEDIT table:
Windows Boot Manager -------------------- identifier {bootmgr} device partition=Y: description Windows Boot Manager locale en-US inherit {globalsettings} default {current} resumeobject {3e25c382-bae5-11de-a75b-e7fc07f62dc4} displayorder {ntldr} {current} toolsdisplayorder {memdiag} timeout 0 Windows Legacy OS Loader ------------------------ identifier {ntldr} device partition=Y: path \ntldr description Earlier Version of Windows Windows Boot Loader ------------------- identifier {current} device partition=C: path \Windows\system32\winload.exe description Windows 7 locale en-US inherit {bootloadersettings} recoverysequence {3e25c384-bae5-11de-a75b-e7fc07f62dc4} recoveryenabled Yes osdevice partition=C: systemroot \Windows resumeobject {3e25c382-bae5-11de-a75b-e7fc07f62dc4} nx OptIn
What should I do to remove the XP installation on Y: and completely remove that partition's dependency on booting, move the boot manager to C: and mark C: active (System) so I can boot from it?
The "guides" I've found are a bit contradictory and some use bcdedit, some use bcdboot and some a manual thing with bootrec /fixmbr + bootrec /fixboot triage.
I am going to answer this myself somewhat.
I ended up doing this:
• copied Y:\Boot\* to C:\Boot. Some files could not be copied. I expected this, and the next step should take care of it.
• exported system store
bcdedit /export C:\Boot\BCD• changed Windows Boot Manager location
bcdedit /store C:\Boot\BCD /set {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795} device partition=C:• changed Windows Memory Tester location
bcdedit /store C:\Boot\BCD /set {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d} device partition=C:• changed Windows Legacy OS Loader location
bcdedit /store C:\Boot\BCD /set {466f5a88-0af2-4f76-9038-095b170dc21c} device partition=C:• updated master boot code
Windows_7_DVD:\BOOT\BOOTSECT /NT60 C: /FORCE• changed the active partition
DISKPART select disk 0 select partition 1 active
However, it didn't work anyway. I had to do a repair because "BOOTMGR is missing". I believe I should have also copied bootmgr from Y: to C:, but I'm not sure if that was all I missed.
I'm still curious if this is a really bass-ackwards way of doing this process, and I would very much want to know where I went wrong.
Thanks for all the contributions.
If you install EasyBCD it gives you a nice user interface to editing the BCD.
Get it here . It's free too.
the best thing to do is first to log into the account u want to remove then take the necesssary backup from that drive (My Doc, My Pic, My Fav, etc etc.)
then restart and log into the other O.S. then select the drive in which the other O.S. to be removed is installed Right click and format
then restart
u will notice that the boot option still exists
for that log into the existing o.s. go to RUN on the start menu else type "Windows + R"
a small screen comes up now write "msconfig"
there seleact the BOOT tab Make the current os as default and delete the other one.
now if asked select not to show the warning again. Restart
there u go the un wanted os has been safely removed..............
Enjoy ............!!!!!!!!!!!! WARICK
Right click on My Computer>Properties>Advanced>Startup & Recovery>First remove the row which includes XP,then format the disk which includes XP.It should be OK.