Changing bootloader path

M

MaltaCross

Member
I need to change the bootloader path for some (but not all) of my systems, from: \Windows\system32\winload.efi
to: \Windows\system32\winload.exe

This is because my Windows 7 systems have only winload.exe. They do not have winload.efi, and so currently they cannot boot.

I have EasyBCD 2.4 (Community Edition).

PS. On a related note, could you please suggest a new bootloader path for my Windows XP system, which has neither winload.efi nor winload.exe in the system32 folder? (It does have winlogon.exe though).
 
Just to clarify, the problem lies in that I don't know how to use the EasyBCD Power Console, to change bootloader paths. Can anyone please help?
 
If the BCD contains .efi, that indicates that the OS was installed in UEFI mode (i.e. on a UEFI PC)
How did you get where you are, unable to boot an OS which installed successfully ?
 
Interesting question. I will try to be brief, Terry.

Originally, I had Windows 7. (I was probably already multi-booting at that time, between two Windows 7, and Windows XP.)

In 2017, I bought a new PC, but kept my original hard discs, and added yet another for a new Windows 10 installation. The motherboard was now UEFI, but I am not sure if the installation was UEFI, since the BIOS is designed to accept legacy operating systems.

So I was multi-booting between all those various mentioned systems, when something happened in November 2021, that jinxed up the booting records. In an effort to solve the problem, I purchased the latest EasyRe, which unfortunately slapped on UEFI Bootguards (which could be the reason why my Windows 10 systems now have .efi), but failed nonetheless to give me access to my Windows 10. My access was limited only to Windows 7.

Late in December, I made yet another attempt with (my rather limited knowledge of) Diskpart commands to get my boot records in order, and from then on I could then access my Windows 10 at last, BUT now I could not access my Windows 7!

So I wish to change some of the bootloader paths so as to be able to access all systems (as was the case right up to November 2021).
 
I recommend
docs.microsoft.com

Windows and GPT FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Windows and GPT.
docs.microsoft.com
to understand what happens when you try to mix UEFI and MBR systems, but what it boils down to is that UEFI PCs won't boot MBR OSs via the efi bootmgr.
When this PC was new (2014) I created my first UEFI dual-boot from scratch with W8.1 and W7 on a GPT SSD which was pretty much state of the art back then and both booted fine via the .efi loader.
When W10 was in Beta, I didn't want to compromise my PC by letting it upgrade either existing OS, but I installed a copy on a spare patch of MBR HDD and let it control the resulting triple boot, which was of course via its mbr version of bootmgr which wa quite happy to boot both existing OSs via their .exe loaders.
The W10 MBR BCD used the .exe loaders while the main BCD if I chose to boot via the SSD would boot W7 and 8.1 via their .efi loaders but would not have been capable of booting W10beta for the above reason and the inability of earlier versions of Windows bootmgr being unable to boot via a later version of winload (Invalid digital signature error)
EasyBCD can't edit the loader type in the BCD for the simple reason that it wouldn't work.
With a mix of systems like you have, you'll need to be booting via an MBR bootmgr, It will have to be the version from W10 and when you add entries for your other OSs they'll all automatically use the .exe loaders
 
Just because now right now I have access only to my Windows 10, does not mean that it is not booting via an MBR bootmgr. In fact, in December, the situation was the reverse, and I only had access to my Windows 7, whilst priorly, I had access to BOTH Windows 10 and 7.

All that I need is to know really is how to edit the bootloader path. In the meantime I have found this:


Looks interesting.
 
That;s 14 years old before UEFI was even thought of.
It won't help.
Please post a screenshot of your Disk Management and EasyBCD "view settings"
 
MaltaCross said:
Just because now right now I have access only to my Windows 10, does not mean that it is not booting via an MBR bootmgr. In fact, in December, the situation was the reverse, and I only had access to my Windows 7, whilst priorly, I had access to BOTH Windows 10 and 7.

All that I need is to know really is how to edit the bootloader path. In the meantime I have found this:

https://neosmart.net/forums/threads/editting-the-boot-loader-path.2981/

Looks interesting.
Click to expand...
thanks!
 
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