BCDboot Command-Line Options

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744347(WS.10).aspx

BCDboot Command-Line Options

12 out of 16 rated this helpful Rate this topic

Published: October 22, 2009 Updated: October 22, 2009 Applies To: Windows 7

BCDboot is a tool used to quickly set up a system partition, or to repair the boot environment located on the system partition is set up by copying a small set of boot environment files from an installed Windows image. BCDboot als Configuration Data (BCD) store on the system partition with a new boot entry that enables you to boot to the insta You can run BCDboot from Windows PE. For information on Windows PE, see Windows PE Walkthroughs.

BCDboot is included with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 in the %WINDIR%\System32 folder. BCDbo Windows OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) and Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) under the %Program Files% directory, where <version> is either Windows OPK or Windows AIK.

BCDboot copies a set of boot environment files from a Windows image that is already on the computer. BCDboot ca files from images of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008 R2. For inform Windows image to a system, see Capture and Apply Windows Images.

BCDboot uses the file: %WINDIR%\System32\Config\BCD-Template file to create a new BCD store and initialize th files on the system partition. Specific BCD settings can be defined in the BCD-Template file. The tool also copies the boot-environment files from the operating system image %WINDIR%\boot folder and %WINDIR%\System32 folde

BCDboot copies files to the default system partition identified by the firmware. You can create this partition by usin as DiskPart. You do not have to assign a drive letter to this partition for BCDboot to locate it. For more information from the command line, or Diskpart Command line syntax.

On BIOS-based systems, the system partition is the active partition on disks using the Master Boot Record (M creates the \Boot directory on the system partition and copies all required boot-environment files to this dire

On Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)-based systems, the EFI system partition is the system partit GUID Partition Table (GPT) disk format. BCDboot creates the \Efi\Microsoft\Boot directory and copies all requ files to this directory.

BCDboot can update an existing boot environment to the system partition. Newer file versions from the Windows im system partition. If a BCD store already exists on the system partition:

BCDboot will create a new boot entry in the existing BCD store, based on settings in the BCD-Template file, a boot entries that reference the same Windows image.

If there is already a boot entry for the Windows image, and additional BCD settings are enabled for that boot values, these settings can be retained the next time BCDboot is run by using the /m option to merge the exi identified by the OS Loader GUID into the new boot entry created by BCDboot.

BCDboot Command-line Options

The following command-line options are available for BCDboot.exe. BCDBOOT source [/llocale] [/svolume-letter] [/v] [/m [{OS Loader GUID}]]

Option
1 of 3

Description

4/13/2012 2:03 PM

BCDboot Command-Line Options

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744347(WS.10).aspx

source Specifies the location of the Windows directory to use as the source for copying boot-environment files. /l /s /v /m Optional. Specifies the locale. The default is US English.

Optional. Specifies the volume letter of the system partition. The default is the system partition identified Optional. Enables verbose mode. Optional. By default, merges only global objects. If an OS Loader GUID is specified, merges the given loader object within the system template to produce

Examples
This example initializes the system partition using files from the operating system image installed on the

bcdboot C:\Windows

This example sets the default BCD locale to Japanese, and copies BCD files to a system partition that was ass using DiskPart.

bcdboot C:\Windows /l jajp /s S:

This example merges the OS loader in the current BCD store identified with the given GUID in the new BCD s

bcdboot c:\windows /m {d58d10c6df5311dc878f00064f4f4e08}

See Also
Concepts Apply Images by Using ImageX Other Resources BCDedit

Did you find this helpful?

Yes

No

2 of 3

4/13/2012 2:03 PM

BCDboot Command-Line Options

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744347(WS.10).aspx

Community Content
fix
please fix my software

GPT install from WinPE

Will bcdboot initialise the system partition of a GPT disk if booted from an MBR version of WinPE v3 - or must WinPE v3 be booted 32bit MBR booted WinPe v3 version correctly run bcdboot to make a GPT System partition bootable?i.e. if booting from a WinPE will work for a GPT hard disk when running BCDboot c:\windows /s S: (assuming S: is system ESP ptn)? boot 32-bit WinPE in MBR mode boot 64-bit WinPE in MBR mode boot 32-bit WinPE in UEFI mode boot 64-bit WinPE in UEFI mode P.S. Command Syntax is missing spaces after /s and /l commands in article.

2012 Microsoft. All rights reserved.

3 of 3

4/13/2012 2:03 PM