Configuring the Bootloader

The "Configure Boot" screen in EasyBCD is where you can modify some of the global variables for the bootloader and entry-specific settings for others. Global variables include bootloader selection time-out & the default boot target, while entry-specific settings allow you to rename the entry, and change the drive letter.

The "Configure Boot" Screen

The EasyBCD 1.5 "Configure Boot" screen would look something like this:

Global Bootloader Variables

Setting the Default Operating System

In the Windows Vista bootloader (and in most other bootloaders as well), an entry can be set as the "Default Boot Target," meaning that if you don't manually select an entry while your PC is booting within the time-limit set, the default boot target will automatically load. This is so your PC doesn't get stuck at the bootloader screen waiting for your input. There is no way to disable this feature - an entry will always be specified as the default boot target, even if you don't select one.

In the drop-down list titled "Default OS" you will find all the visible entries configured in the bootloader. Simply select the entry you would like to be the default boot-target, and press the "Save Settings" button to commit changes.

Configuring the Bootloader Timeout Option

The "Bootloader Timeout Option" is the global BCD variable that determines how long the Vista bootloader will wait before it boots to the default boot target. The value is set via the numeric up-down box on the "Configure Boot" screen, and its unit is in seconds. Shorter timeout periods generally mean faster boots - unless of course you stay in front of the PC while it loads and don't mind pressing the <Enter> key to speed things up.

Although above we mention that it is not possible to disable the default boot target; by setting the bootloader timeout value to a very high number you can effectively bypass this limitation. The remaining time is displayed on the bottom of the bootloader screen, and counts down to zero from the initial value you set here. Press the "Save Settings" button to commit your changes - no reboot is necessary.

Entry-Specific Settings

Renaming an Entry

When you install Windows Vista for the first time, by default it assigns your entries two names: "Microsoft Windows" for the Vista entry, and "Legacy Versions of Windows" for older (Windows XP and under) entries that may or may not have exsited. From the "Configure Boot" screen, it is possible to rename any entry to your liking. This is especially advisable because of the overly-generic default descriptor.

You can rename an entry to anything you like and there is no limit on name length. However, keep in mind that the entries will be displayed on a low-res 800x600 bootloader screen, and it doesn't take much for words to scroll off the side of your monitor. Keep it short and simple: it'll look great and you'll be able to know what you're actually booting into.

To rename an entry, simply select the one to be changed from the drop-down list, and enter the new name of your liking in the text box below it. Pressing "Save Settings" will commit your changes to the BCD store, and EasyBCD will automatically re-scan the bootloader and incorporate any changes just made to entry names.

Changing the Drive Letter

Warning! Don't change the drive letter before you read this section of the documentation very thoroughly and make sure you fully understand what's being done! Failure to do so can result in a non-booting system! If your system works, don't mess with this option!

In cases where the drive letters change depending on what OS you're booted into, all changes should be made according to the drive letters you currently see in My Computer. EasyBCD automatically converts drive letters to the appropriate Drive and Partition numbering scheme, so enter the drive letter as you see it from the OS you are in at the time. If/When you run EasyBCD from another partition, enter the letters according to that install as well!

For a Windows Vista or Longhorn Server Entry

For Windows Vista or Longhorn Server entries, the "Drive:" box should contain the letter of the drive that the Vista install in question is installed to.

For instance, on a system with Drives C: and D: where C: is a Windows XP install and D: is Windows Vista, enter "D:" (without the the quotes) as the drive and press "Save Settings" to commit changes. If you have multiple Vista installs, enter the respective drive letters for each operating system. Don't forget: you have to press "Save Settings" for each entry seperately!

For Other Windows Entries

As of EasyBCD 1.5, the "Drive: " textbox must contain the letter of the drive with Boot.ini, ntldr, ntdetect.com, and the folder "Boot." This is not necessarily the drive that the Operating System is installed to!

For instance, on a two-partition setup with Vista installed first to Primary Partition 1 ("Drive C:"), and then XP installed to Primary Partition 2 ("Drive D:"), the drive letter would be "C:" and not "D:" because that's where all the boot files are! EasyBCD tells the Vista bootloader to load Boot.ini and NTLDR - and those files then load the appropriate entry for you. As such, setting drive "D:" as the drive letter will result in failed messages like "NTLDR not found" or "the specified file is corrupt or missing."

For Linux, Mac OS X, and BSD

The drive letter instructions for Linux, Mac OS X, and BSD are similar to those of "For Other Windows Entries" above. The "Drive" textbox must contain the letter of the the boot drive, usually drive C:, that contains a folder called "NST" in the root of the drive. Again, this is not the Drive Letter of your Linux install, but the drive that has the "Boot" & "NST" folders in it.

For instance, if the "NST" folder is on drive D:\, you must set the "Drive" text box to "D:" (without the quotes), and so on & so forth.