Can't get easybcd 2.0 to start

J

jcafaro10

Member
Just downloaded the latest EasyBCD 2.0 beta build and tried to run it on XP but got an error "Error Accessing BCD Registry" , "Easy BCD is unable to access the BCD store. The boot configuration data could not be opened."

I want to dual boot XP and OS X on a PC. I read that you don't need vista to get BCD to work, just the files, so I copied C:\Windows\Boot from a Vista PC and literally just stuck it in C:\Windows on my laptop so now I have a C:\Windows\Boot folder on my laptop
 
Hi JC, welcome to NST.
The Windows\boot folder is where the boot files are installed from.
The active boot folder is C:\boot
If you search the wiki, there's a set of instructions for installing the Vista boot on XP somewhere.
Sorry can't think of the link at the moment, and I'm off to bed. It's nearly dawn here, and I should have been in bed hours ago.
 
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I'm pretty sure that I read somewhere that I should copy the C:/Windows/Boot folder from a Vista installation and move it to C:/Windows/Boot on my XP installation but since it didn't work I tried it your way and moved the Vista C:/Windows/Boot folder to C:/Boot on my XP installation but still got the same error.

Here's the wiki I looked at as per your suggestion:
Windows XP - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki

but it doesn't say how to install the bootloader

Addendum:

Here's directions I found to install the vista bootloader but these are what I was following in the first place. The instructions don't work for me. Having a C:/Windows/Boot folder in XP with the contents of the C:/Windows/Boot folder in Vista doesn't resolve the error.

How to: Install the Vista Bootloader on Windows XP The NeoSmart Files
 
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You'll get that error if the BCD is not on the "active" partition - a problem that I also have with my customized boot setup. I've asked CG if it could locate the BCD from the "system" flag rather than "active" (for 99.999% of users they're the same place, so it's not exactly a high priority)
Is that the case on your PC ? If so you can workaround by flipping the flag when you want to run EasyBCD. If you want the Vista BCD in control of the boot, it will have to be "active" anyway for the MBR to locate it.
 
I assume by active you mean the OS the boots up normally is on the partition that's active? I only have one HD with one partition. XP is the only OS on my computer. There are no other partitions. I have Windows XP and that's it on my hard drive. I installed Easy BCD 2.0 (the latest beta release). I have the C:/Windows/Boot folder from Vista. I've tried them both in the folder C:/Windows/Boot and C:/Boot on my XP machine and I still get the same error. I've also tried a couple of other versions of this beta software.

Addendum:

One thing...the PC I got my vista files from is running Vista Business x64. Could that be the problem? My laptop is running regular 32bit XP so maybe it doesn't like the x64 vista bootloader from my desktop.
 
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In that case the active flag is obviously not a factor.
Those instructions were written a while ago, and Easy2 is a major rewrite rather than mod of 1.7.
Try it again using Easy1.7 in case Easy2 handles a missing BCD in a fundamentally different way, making those instructions u/s.
 
Well I'm using Easy BCD 2.0 (attempting to) because I wanted to be able to use it to dual boot xp with leopard on a pc. I wasn't sure that Easy BCD 1.7 allowed that. Do you know who to ask who would know about Easy BCD 2.0

Where does Easy BCD 2.0 look for the Windows boot folder?
 
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Try 1.7 just to get the Vista boot installed as per the instructions.
Then use 2.0 to add OSX.
 
I think I see what to do. I did some messing around in EasyBCD 1.7 and told it to Rescue my BCD or something and I see that it added some Boot folder to C:/ but I'm not positive I wanted that to happen. How do I undo this and start over?

Addendum:

Ok so, I think I set it up correctly. I copied the Vista folder C:/Windows/Boot to C:/Boot on XP and ran EasyBCD 1.7 and it looked like it set it up correctly.

This is what I see:
Entry #1

Name: Windows Vista
BCD ID: {default}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe
Windows Directory: \Windows

But when I restart, I don't see a bootloader, it just boots into XP like normal. I figure I'd at least see a menu with Vista as the only choice (and it would just boot into XP because it's just called Vista) but there's no menu!
 
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I'll give that a shot when I get home. So I should only have to remove the vista entry and add a Windows XP entry through EasyBCD and I should have the vista bootloader upon reboot?

Addendum:

Argh, that didn't work! I removed the one entry that was there. It was a vista entry. I added an XP entry and clicked save. Then I rebooted. Still no boot menu, it just boots into XP. I realize I only have one OS/partition etc. but I should still get a boot menu no? Did I miss something?
 
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No, Any boot manager, whether it's Vista's , NTLDR, grub or anything else, will only present you with a menu if a) There's a choice os OSs and b) timeout is not 0.
Any other circumstances it doesn't bother to ask a question if it already knows the answer.
When you add your OSX entry, you'll see a menu.
 
Ok so taking your word for it, I upgraded to EasyBCD 2.0 and added an entry for OS X. I didn't install OS X yet but I just wanted to test it out. I rebooted and there it was! Thanks so much! Now to try and install OSX!

Addendum:

Quick question while OS X is installing...if I won't be able to see the OS X partition because its of a file system that XP won't recognize, how will I be able to add an entry that points to the OS X partition? It won't know what the drive letter is.

Addendum:

Well, worse than that, it decided to make the os x partition the active one so it doesn't even use the boot menu and just boots straight into the (non-working) OS X install. How do I reclaim my XP installation
 
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I'm not an OSX user so won't advise you on that, but it sounds like the install has overwritten the MBR and removed all your hard work. I assume that like Linux, it should have an option to prevent it taking over the boot. Wait around for one of the OSX boys to advise on that.
Meanwhile, you need to "repair install" XP to fix the XP boot, then go through the Install BCD routine again, as before.
 
jcafaro10 said:
Ok so taking your word for it, I upgraded to EasyBCD 2.0 and added an entry for OS X. I didn't install OS X yet but I just wanted to test it out. I rebooted and there it was! Thanks so much! Now to try and install OSX!

Addendum:

Quick question while OS X is installing...if I won't be able to see the OS X partition because its of a file system that XP won't recognize, how will I be able to add an entry that points to the OS X partition? It won't know what the drive letter is.
Click to expand...
Correct. Since the OS X partition will have a filesystem that Windows doesn't recognize, you can hardly assign a drive letter to it...and no need to either. Once OS X is installed, boot from the Vista repair disk (downloadable from this site), and run Startup Repair to put the Vista boot code back. Now once you're seeing the menu with choices XP and OS X again, simply boot into XP, re-add the OS X entry in EasyBCD 2.0, under the Mac tab in the Add/Remove Entries section. Select EFI mode.

You should then have a dual-boot. :smile:

Cheers.

Jake
 
Xp and Win7

I've never used Vista so don't have any Vista boot files, so how do I use EasyBCD? I want to dual boot XP and Win7. I have partitioned my hard-drive, have XP installed one one partition, but have not installed Win7 on the other partition yet. I've got the EasyBCD 2.0 beta and installed it, but get an error when I run it "Easy BCD is unable to access the BCD store. Problem Details: The boot configuration data store could not be opened."

Do I need to install Win7 before running EasyBCD 2.0 Beta?

Grateful for advice, Thanks ETV.
 
eriktviking said:
I've never used Vista so don't have any Vista boot files, so how do I use EasyBCD? I want to dual boot XP and Win7. I have partitioned my hard-drive, have XP installed one one partition, but have not installed Win7 on the other partition yet. I've got the EasyBCD 2.0 beta and installed it, but get an error when I run it "Easy BCD is unable to access the BCD store. Problem Details: The boot configuration data store could not be opened."

Do I need to install Win7 before running EasyBCD 2.0 Beta?

Grateful for advice, Thanks ETV.
Click to expand...
Yeh, the Vista and Win 7 bootloaders are basically the same.
Install Win 7 first, then use EasyBCD 2.0 beta, and you wont have that problem. The reason you're getting that message now is because there is no BCD (a Vista/Win 7 boot file) on your computer, and so you can't use EasyBCD (a tool for modifying the BCD) yet. However, once you install Win 7, there will be a Win 7 BCD, and you will be able to use EasyBCD to dual-boot. :smile:

(BTW, welcome to NST)

Cheers.

Jake
 
Coolname007 said:
Yeh, the Vista and Win 7 bootloaders are basically the same.
Install Win 7 first, then use EasyBCD 2.0 beta, and you wont have that problem. The reason you're getting that message now is because there is no BCD (a Vista/Win 7 boot file) on your computer, and so you can't use EasyBCD (a tool for modifying the BCD) yet. However, once you install Win 7, there will be a Win 7 BCD, and you will be able to use EasyBCD to dual-boot. :smile:

(BTW, welcome to NST)

Cheers.

Jake
Click to expand...


That's just the ticket. Many thanks old chap.

ETV.:happy:

Addendum:

Installed Win7 on new partition and all is well. WinXP still works too! Amazing.

Is there any way of running the programs that I are installed under XP in Win7 without having to reinstall them?

Many thanks,

ETV (dual boot convert).:lol::lol::lol:
 
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If they are very old apps (too old to put details in the registry), then you can execute them directly from the XP library with a shortcut from W7.
If they keep any information in the registry they'll need to be reinstalled.
 
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