Editing The Boot.ini File In Windows 7
Sometimes dual-booting a system is a handy way to test new software, a new operating system, or an application that needs to be run in a specific version of Windows. Other reasons to dual-boot might include replication of a client environment. Windows handles dual-booting by using boot.ini to display a menu of bootable choices or partitions found on the current system. In Windows Vista and later versions of Windows, the bootloader was moved from boot.ini to a utility called BCDEdit. Recently, I decided I could make better use of some disk space that I had set aside to create a bootable VHD for Windows Server 2008 R2. There was no data other than the OS installation contained within the file because I had used it only to prepare a blog post about booting from Virtual Hard Disks. To free up the space, I deleted the VHD.
122 related questions. This article describes how to view and manually configure the Boot.ini file in Windows XP from within the Startup and Recovery dialog. In Windows XP, you.
Note: Always make sure to back up any data that you want to keep before deleting or modifying partitions on VHDs. Your changes could make the partition unbootable. Once I had the VHD removed, I thought Windows would be smart enough to clean up the boot loader, but I was not so lucky. I had Windows 7 set as the primary OS, so I was not without a system. I started looking around for boot.ini and was directed toward the Boot Configuration Data Editor (BCDEdit) as the utility to use when editing boot loader information in Windows 7 (and in Vista too).
Editing the Boot.ini File. 2 minutes to read. Contributors. In this article This topic describes the boot options supported in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. If you are changing boot options for Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Vista, see. Prior to Windows Vista, BIOS-based computers running Windows store boot options in a Boot.ini text file.
You can edit the Boot.ini file by using Bootcfg (bootcfg.exe), a tool included in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, or by using a text editor such as Notepad. Bootcfg is documented in Windows Help and Support. You can also view and change some boot options in Control Panel under System. Gallagher turbo tape. In the System Properties dialog box, on the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery. Because this functionality is limited, it is not discussed in this section.
For information about the Startup and Recovery dialog box, see Help and Support Center. Bootcfg Bootcfg is a command-line tool that edits boot options on local and remote computers. Using the same Bootcfg commands and procedures, you can edit a Boot.ini file or the boot options in Extensible Firmware Interface, Non-Volatile Random Access Memory (EFI NVRAM). Bootcfg is included in the%Systemroot% System32 directory in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
(The Bootcfg display is slightly different on systems that store boot options in EFI NVRAM, but the commands are the same.) You can use Bootcfg to add, delete, and change all boot entry parameters and boot options; however, you cannot use it to set an indefinite boot time-out value. You can also use Bootcfg commands in a script or batch file to set boot options or to reset them after you replace or upgrade an operating system. Unlike manual editing, Bootcfg edits boot options without changing the protective attributes on the Boot.ini file. It also helps you avoid typing errors that might prevent the operating system from starting.
Boot File For Windows 7
You must be a member of the Administrators group on the computer to use Bootcfg. For detailed instructions about using Bootcfg, see Help and Support Center. Editing in Notepad You can edit use a text editor, such as Notepad, to edit the Boot.ini file. However, because this method is prone to error, use it only when Bootcfg is not available. Before editing the Boot.ini file, you must remove the file attributes that Windows uses to protect the file from inadvertent changes. When the Boot.ini file is on an NTFS drive, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the computer to change its attributes. Use the following procedure to prepare the Boot.ini file for manual editing.
This procedure removes the system, hidden, and read-only attributes of the file. To configure the Boot.ini file attributes for editing. At a command prompt, navigate to the root of the boot directory. Type the following text at the command line: attrib -s -h -r Boot.ini System, hidden, and read-only attributes are removed from the file. When your editing is complete, you can restore the file attributes to protect the Boot.ini file. However, Ntldr can use the Boot.ini file with any attribute set. At a command prompt, type the following text: attrib +s +h +r Boot.ini This restores the attributes that protect the Boot.ini file.