Applying BCD in replacement windows XP ntldr: missing file

Graveen

Member
Hello,

First, thanks to this piece of code. version 2+ really rocks.

Second, i tryed to replae NTLDR bootloader with BCD. Although it was given 'working' by EasyBCD, i had to manually copy bootmgr file at my root partition.

As you really provide the whole BCD structure, i was wondering why this file is missing and is not in your archive.

I noticed XP's resume from hibernate skip BCD, but for a plain old reboot, it works like a charm, and really allows correct use of a boot manager (boot from iso, plop for usb keys on system with bioses not allowing usb boot, etc...). I love BCD over Grub4Dos, because it is simple and efficient; i have no problems in replacing NTLDR by BCD.

Perhaps this is a license issue which disallows you to shipand install bootmgr ?

Thank you,
Graveen.
 
You can't use EasyBCD to install a pirate Vista/7 boot on an XP-only system.
It's only for use by someone with a legitimate Vista/7 licence, normally in a Vista/7 - XP dual-boot, but as long as you own a Longhorn licence, you can workaround the restriction manually.
 
Ok, thank you, so it seems it is really a license restriction, which forbid shipping/installing this file.

Anyway, i'd point EasyBCD is installing BCD entries (the boot folder, with languages, and a BCD file). Why theses parts are not under similar licensing, and bootmgr file is not ? Microsoft released this part, or are there specific licensing issues about them ? Can you point me to a link ? :smile:

The fact is: EasyBCD allows to install a BCD on any hard disk: either EasyBCD policy is "the user must take care of the licensing issue and we ship all the necessary files" or "EasyBCD does not want to be involved with files under copyright".

TYVM, soory if i go deep in the question, it's interesting for me to know the answer.
 
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EasyBCD takes files _already on your machine_ and does xxxx with them. It doesn't matter what xxxx is, you own your license of Windows and you can copy the files to a different disk to boot from it, etc. freely and legally.

What EasyBCD can't do is realize that these files aren't available, then say "to hell with it, let the user deal with the legal mess" and give you a copy of those files anyway.

Addendum:

And in the case you were referring to in the first post, EasyBCD doesn't copy any binary files to your XP-only PC.

It only creates a _configuration_ file.
 
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