EasyBCD is a tool for configuring booting of multiple operating systems. This version has rewritten Linux support, among many other improvements. Keep reading →

Two of the methods I describe on this site are included (See tip #9 & tip #50) and a third that requires use of a Linux boot disc. Keep reading →

Programs that manipulate volume blocks during the boot process, either directly or by using the FSCTL_MOVE_FILE control code, may cause data corruption or data loss in Windows Vista and in Microsoft Windows Server 2003. In this case, a drive volume may become unmountable. Additionally, you may be unable to start Windows.

Note: Defragmentation programs that perform tasks early in the boot process, before the Autochk.exe program finishes, are one example of the kind of program that may experience this problem.

Most dual-boot scenarios start with Windows XP and then add Vista. This one starts with Vista, and then adds Windows XP… Keep reading →

When you start Windows Vista, you receive the following error message:

File: \Boot\BCD
Status: 0xc0000034
Info: The Windows Boot Configuration Data file is missing required information

You may experience the following problems on a Windows Vista-based computer that is using an NVIDIA nForce 430/410 (also known as MCP 51) Southbridge chipset:

• When you start the computer, no operating system is found. Additionally, you may receive an error message that resembles the following:
  

  No Operating System (OS) Found

  This problem may occur even though the computer has been operating correctly for some time. For example, the computer may have been operating for hours, for days, or for weeks. When you examine the NTFS file system boot sector, the NTFS boot record may have been moved by a multiple of 4 bytes.

• Random data corruption may affect any files on the computer.

When you try to start a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer after an unsuccessful upgrade to Windows Vista, the computer does not start. Instead, a black screen appears together with a blinking underscore.

You may experience this issue if the computer uses a third-party boot manager program such as PowerQuest BootMagic or GRand Unified Bootloader (GRUB).

When you try to run the BitLocker Drive Encryption program, you receive the following error message in a BitLocker Drive Encryption Error dialog box:

Cannot run.
The path specified in the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) for a BitLocker Drive Encryption integrity-protected application is incorrect. Please verify and correct your BCD settings and try again.

When you try to upgrade an earlier version of a Microsoft Windows operating system to Windows Vista, you receive the following error message:

Windows could not update the computer’s boot configuration. Installation cannot proceed.

If you examine the contents of the drive:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\Panther\setupact.log file that Windows Vista creates, you notice the following information:

<date> <time>, Info       [0x060216] IBS    CallBack_MungeBootIni:Failed to modify boot entries GLE = 50

In this log entry, GLE error code 50 corresponds to the following error message:

ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED

Note: Generally, drive is drive C on the computer. However, Windows Vista creates the temporary installation folder depending on many factors. Therefore, this drive may be any supported drive that Windows Vista detects.

The typical non-technical computer user doesn’t want to see extra information about what the computer is doing as it will probably just confuse them. That’s why modern OS’s hide most of what’s going on underneath and just show pretty pictures and allow users to point and click on things. The more technical users, often called Geeks (I put myself in this category) like to type in commands, and see what is going on behind the scene. What better way to display your Geekness, and impress your friends with your technical prowess than to have your computers boot screen scrolling all kinds of technical information? Keep reading →