Index Introduction The BCD Store The System BCD Store Default Paths\Setup (BIOS) Default Paths\Setup (UEFI) BCDEdit - The Basics Check Entries in a BCD Store Devices Devices - locate Backing up the BCD Store Examples - Part 1 Examples - Part 2 Examples - Part 3 Examples - Part 4 BCDEdit Commands BCDEdit Versions Mounting the BCD Store... Acknowledgements Appendices ========= Glossary BCDEdit (version 6.0.6001) BCDEdit (version 6.1.7601) BCDEdit (version 6.3.9600) Device Partition - Data Objects and Elements Alternatives to bcdedit UEFI, BIOS, GPT and MBR

Alternatives to BCDEdit

There are alternatives to using BCDEdit to manipulate BCD Stores, some of these are already discussed in these notes. Remember that the BCD Store is a binary file that uses the same format as a Windows registry hive - consequently any tool capable of read/write access to registry files can be used to modify BCD Stores.

Alternatives include, but are not limited to, the tools listed below. Please note that I have not tested all of these tools or methods and make no recommendations - they are not listed in any particular order.

• EasyBCD - "...is a powerful bootloader-modification tool that has a wide-range of applications and usages. It can perform a variety of tasks ranging in complexity and application from the most basic to advanced and highly-customizable features....". EasyBCD is a GUI tool available from NeoSmart Technologies - cost at time of writing is $29.95.

• Visual BCD Editor - "...Visual BCD Editor is an advanced GUI version of Windows bcdedit utility..."

• BCD Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Provider - "This component exposes an API that provides management tools with complete access to all BCD stores on the system..."

• Modify Windows BCD using Powershell - "...This article will cover using the BCD (Boot Configuration Data) WMI provider to manipulate BCD stores from Powershell. Complete code for interacting with BCD stores, objects, and elements is provided...."

• hivexsh - library capable of read/write access to registry files in Linux.

And the following tools that are covered elsewhere in this guide -

• OfflineReg
• Reg.exe
• Regedit

And lastly, two tools that are briefly covered below -

• BCDboot
• bootrec

OfflineReg

Offlinreg can be downloaded from here. There are several posts in the Create a Windows System from scratch using Linux topic on the reboot.pro forum (including here and here) that contain batch files for creating a BCD Store.

Using Offlinereg to modify BCD Stores has some limitations - you will need to set GUID values manually for example, as they are not automatically generated.

The Devices - Locate and Mounting the BCD Store as a Registry Hive sections of these notes contain some useful information and examples of editing existing elements in a BCD store.

Reg.exe

The Devices - Locate and Mounting the BCD Store as a Registry Hive sections of these notes contain some useful information and examples of editing existing elements in a BCD store with reg.exe.

Limitations are similar to those identified in the offlinereg information in the preceding section of this page.

Regedit

Whilst I wasn't personally able to use regedit to modify settings in a mounted BCD Store other people have reported that they were able to do so without any difficulty - see Mounting the BCD Store as a Registry Hive section of these notes.

Please also refer to post #36 (here) in the Create a Windows System from scratch using Linux topic on the reboot.pro forum for more information and an example.

bcdboot

The bcdboot tool is not, strictly speaking, a tool for editing BCD stores. It can however be used to create or repair a BCD store on an existing system. Further information and commandline usage is covered here - BCDboot Command-Line Options

Usage includes -

BootRec

BootRec is included in the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) - refer to Use Bootrec.exe in the Windows RE to troubleshoot startup issues .

Usage includes -