New to easyBCD

[joemardo1]

Hi folks,

I have just ordered a new computer which will come with windows 7 (32 bit) OEM installed. I am reasonably computer literate and have 3 copies of xp on my old computer all in different partition, all usiing the windows dual boot loader.

I will try to add xp as well to my new computer to make it a dual boot system and maybe even windows 98 that will only play a few old games that I have got.

I have searched on the net about installing earlier windows os after windows 7 and found the easyBCD but new to it

1 I wonder if anyone can tell me if it works ok and will do as I want i.e. install the earlier version of windows in the partitions on the hard drive that I will create.

2 does easyBCD display a screen at start-up which will display a list of the os installed, or does it just modify the master boot record so that windows will give me list of os?

3 can it be removed easily enough if I decide it’s not for me and is unlikely to damage my copy of windows 7?

4 One further question about easyBCD. As computer will come with windows 7 and then I will install xp, can I set up the computer to boot into windows 7 (default os) without having to manually select windows 7 in the easyBCD os menu or will easyBCD set xp as the default?

I can't use virtual machines as my oem copy of windows 7 doesn't have that option.

Hope someone who has used easyBCD can shed some light on this,

many thanks

 

[JustinW]

You should install 98 in a Virtual Machine (VM); your new computer well probably be overkill for it. You can use VirtualBox which is free. XP should be fine in dual-boot. EasyBCD is simply a Windows application that modifies entries in the Windows 7 bootloader. At startup it displays those entries. You can remove EasyBCD just like any other program in control panel at any time.

 

[Terry60]

EasyBCD takes absolutely no part whatsoever in the booting or the running of any of your systems.
It's simply an application, installed and uninstalled like any other, that will assist you in manipulating the contents of the W7 boot manager's configuration database, and contains lots of extras that will enable you to interface the BCD with other boot managers (like those of XP and Linux).
Please read the sticky, particularly the early links which will give you essential background knowledge of the whole multi-boot world.