BCDEDIT – Boot Configuration Data Store Editor – Step by Step Instructions

So you’ve gotten into a Dual boot Scenario in Windows Vista, Server 2008, Windows 7 or Server 2008R2.

And you just discovered that there seems to be no easy way to edit the entries.   You can change some of your defaults with MSCONFIG and Delete entries.  If you’re fluent in WMI you can do a lot in that aspect.  Especially if you like Powershell which can navigate WMI as easily as it can navigate directories.

But just HOW do you edit those silly names?

In a Dual boot (or triple if you’re getting REALLY fancy on us) it gets more than a little confusing with all the entries called “Windows 7”

But it’s not difficult.  And it’s not a nightmare.  It’s actually on some levels VERY easy.  

You just need to be introduced to the utility.  Run from Command line.  Very powerful.   Incredibly effective. 

And your friend.

World.   Let me introduce you to BCDEDIT.  BCDEDIT say hello to the world.

Step one.  Start the Utility.

If you’re going to work with BCDEDIT, you need to run it with Administrative Privileges.  In a command prompt of course.  

BCDEDIT is actually a little daunting at first when you run the BCDEDIT /? to see what it can do.   It’s powerful.   Here is the output and what’s in store for you.

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BCDEDIT - Boot Configuration Data Store Editor

The Bcdedit.exe command-line tool modifies the boot configuration data store.
The boot configuration data store contains boot configuration parameters and
controls how the operating system is booted. These parameters were previously
in the Boot.ini file (in BIOS-based operating systems) or in the nonvolatile
RAM entries (in Extensible Firmware Interface-based operating systems). You can
use Bcdedit.exe to add, delete, edit, and append entries in the boot
configuration data store.

For detailed command and option information, type bcdedit.exe /? <command>. For
example, to display detailed information about the /createstore command, type:

     bcdedit.exe /? /createstore

For an alphabetical list of topics in this help file, run "bcdedit /? TOPICS".

Commands that operate on a store
================================
/createstore    Creates a new and empty boot configuration data store.
/export         Exports the contents of the system store to a file. This file
                can be used later to restore the state of the system store.
/import         Restores the state of the system store using a backup file
                created with the /export command.
/sysstore       Sets the system store device (only affects EFI systems, does
                not persist across reboots, and is only used in cases where
                the system store device is ambiguous).

Commands that operate on entries in a store
===========================================
/copy           Makes copies of entries in the store.
/create         Creates new entries in the store.
/delete         Deletes entries from the store.
/mirror         Creates mirror of entries in the store.

Run bcdedit /? ID for information about identifiers used by these commands.

Commands that operate on entry options
======================================
/deletevalue    Deletes entry options from the store.
/set            Sets entry option values in the store.

Run bcdedit /? TYPES for a list of datatypes used by these commands.
Run bcdedit /? FORMATS for a list of valid data formats.

Commands that control output
============================
/enum           Lists entries in the store.
/v              Command-line option that displays entry identifiers in full,
                rather than using names for well-known identifiers.
                Use /v by itself as a command to display entry identifiers
                in full for the ACTIVE type.

Running "bcdedit" by itself is equivalent to running "bcdedit /enum ACTIVE".

Commands that control the boot manager
======================================
/bootsequence   Sets the one-time boot sequence for the boot manager.
/default        Sets the default entry that the boot manager will use.
/displayorder   Sets the order in which the boot manager displays the
                multiboot menu.
/timeout        Sets the boot manager time-out value.
/toolsdisplayorder  Sets the order in which the boot manager displays
                    the tools menu.

Commands that control Emergency Management Services for a boot application
==========================================================================
/bootems        Enables or disables Emergency Management Services
                for a boot application.
/ems            Enables or disables Emergency Management Services for an
                operating system entry.
/emssettings    Sets the global Emergency Management Services parameters.

Command that control debugging
==============================
/bootdebug      Enables or disables boot debugging for a boot application.
/dbgsettings    Sets the global debugger parameters.
/debug          Enables or disables kernel debugging for an operating system
                entry.
/hypervisorsettings  Sets the hypervisor parameters.

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“Oh my!” you eyes pop open as you wonder how you’ll ever put a leash on this beast.   But it’s not so scary.

Really there’s only a few options I’ve had to learn to work with to get the control I need.

Really.  That’s it.

BCDEDIT /COPY (To make copy of an entry to work it)

BCDEDIT /DELETE (To delete an Entry)

BCDEDIT /SET (To set information within an entry)

So how do we use them?  I’ll try and keep this as simple as can be.

First you run in that Command Prompt a BCDEDIT /V to see what entries you do have.

What you’re seeing is the equivalent to the old “BOOT.INI”  The top half marked “Windows Boot Manager” is similar to the old [boot loader] section

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

The next section marked “Windows Boot Loader” is the equivalent to the individual lines you used to have under the [operating systems] entry in “BOOT.INI” like below

[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

---------------------------------------------------------

So the basics. 

First off, we’re going to make a copy of an existing entry and work with that copy.

You’ll notice in each entry displayed by BCDEDIT is a line marked “identifier”.  Since we’re editing entries for bootable operating system, we’re going to copy a “Windows Boot Loader” entry.

The process is dead simple.   Execute a

BCDEDIT /COPY {SID} /D “Name of New Entry”

where the {SID} is the unique number to the right of the identifier line in the “Windows Boot Loader” entry you wish to copy and “Name of New Entry” is the description you wish to give that Entry.

Here's an example

The line highlighted in WHITE is the {SID} for the Windows Boot Loader entry.

So to make a copy of that entry execute the following command

BCDEDIT /COPY {cc5ea394-dec9-11dd-9550-00166f474543} /D “MY NEW WINDOWS 7 ENTRY”

You’ll get the following result.  Yes I wasn’t very creative with my naming was I? :)

The new entry will be identified by the line highlighted in White above.   The end results can be viewed with a BCDEDIT /V command

The new entry is highlighted in White (Sorry, my command prompt may not be the prettiest environment in colours.  But it is incredibly powerful) ;)

Setting or edit changes, now that you understand where the {SID} is, is quite easy.

To change a value in this entry use the

BCDEDIT /SET {ID} <datatype> <value>

We’re going to change the “description” from “MY NEW WINDOWS 7 ENTRY” to something more useful like “WINDOWS 7 TEST”

BCEDIT /SET {cc5ea39d-dec9-11dd-9550-00166f474543} description “WINDOWS 7 TEST”

You will find the entry is now changed.  As can be seen below

IF you wish delete this entire “Windows Boot Loader” entry just execute a

BCDEDIT /DELETE {ID}

Like so…

BCDEDIT /DELETE {cc5ea39d-dec9-11dd-9550-00166f474543}

and if you run a BCDEDIT /V you’ll find the list is now missing the new entry since we have deleted it.

And now all your work is gone. (or done depending on how you view it)   Personally I prefer to use MSCONFIG to delete the entry.  Somehow feels a little safer.

But I’m hoping this takes a LITTLE mystery out of the BCDEDIT command.  There’s a LOT more you can do with this.   Next blog post I’ll show you how to make a change to Add in a bootable VHD file.  Or at least to tell that one is there :)

Sean
The Energized Tech