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The BCD store, with its object-and-element architecture, uses GUIDs and names such as "Default" to identify boot-related applications.īCD includes its own set of boot options. This feature is can be used for debugging and troubleshooting, especially when a BCD store must be restored while running Startup Repair, from USB-based storage media, or even remotely. You can manage BCD remotely and manage BCD when the system boots from media other than the media on which the BCD store resides. BCD is available at run time and during all phases of system setup. It is more secure than previous boot option storage configurations, and lets Administrators assign rights for managing boot options. Windows boot options are stored in the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store on BIOS-based and EFI-based computers.īCD provides a common, firmware-independent boot option interface. Once selected, the boot loaders take over the boot process and load the operating system in accordance with the selected boot parameters.įor additional detail on the Windows startup process refer to Windows Internals, published by Microsoft Press. The boot loaders reside in each Windows partition. It displays the boot menu, loads the selected system-specific boot loader, and passes the boot parameters to the boot loader. When a computer with multiple boot entries includes at least one entry for Windows, the Windows Boot Manager, starts the system and interacts with the user. In this configuration, the Windows Boot Manager is generic and unaware of the specific requirements for each operating system while the system-specific boot loaders are optimized for the system that they load. Windows includes boot loader components that are designed to load Windows quickly and securely.
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As an alternative, use the System Configuration utility (MSConfig.exe) to change boot settings. Changing some boot entry options using BCDEdit could render your computer inoperable. Administrative privileges are required to use BCDEdit to modify BCD.
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