Mastering BCD Editor for Windows 10: A Step-by-Step Guide

What is a BCD editor?

BCD (Boot Configuration Data) is a database that preserves important information about the system’s boot configurations, providing the Boot Manager with essential details to initiate the OS, including details about installed operating systems, boot parameters, and recovery options.

BCD Editors are specialized tools used to manage and modify the Boot Configuration Data in Windows. They facilitate various tasks, such as adding boot entries, modifying boot settings, or resolving startup issues.

BCDEdit: The Most Widely Used BCD Editor for Windows 10

Although there are many editors available, BCDEdit remains the most popular choice. It is a command-line utility in Windows designed to manage the Boot Configuration Data, which can ensure system stability and restorability by managing boot configurations. With this tool, you are allowed to manage boot entries, adjust boot settings, and address various problems with ease.

Key Usage Scenarios:

Setting or changing the default operating system in dual-boot configurations

Editing boot loader options for custom startup needs

Detecting and resolving various boot issues

How to access BCDEdit via Command Prompt

Step 1. Type cmd in the search box and press Enter.

Step 2. Select Run an administrator to launch the Command Prompt.

Step 3. Type bcdedit and press Enter to display the current boot configuration.

Commonly Used BCDEdit Commands

By entering the correct BCDEdit commands, you can view, modify, add, and delete boot configurations. Below is an overview of the most commonly used BCDEdit commands:

• Display all entries: bcdedit /enum all
• Modify an entry: bcdedit /set {identifier} parameter value
• Add a new entry: bcdedit /copy {current} /d "New Entry Name"
• Delete a boot entry: bcdedit /delete {identifier}
• Set the current OS to start in Safe Mode: bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal
• Set a specific entry as the default: bcdedit /default {identifier}

After executing the commands, restart the system to check if the changes have taken effect.

4 Alternative Windows BCD Editors

In addition to BCDEdit, several other editors are available. This section highlights four popular BCD editors for Winodws 10, providing an overview and key functions of each to help you choose the one that best suits your needs.

Option 1. Visual BCD Editor

Visual BCD Editor is a user-friendly graphical interface for managing the BCD store. It simplifies the process of editing boot entries and settings, making it ideal for users who prefer a visual approach over command-line operations. Due to its broad compatibility, you can enable Visual BCD Editor on Windows 11, 10, 8, 8.1, 7 and Vista.

► Main Functions:

• Allows to modify, add, or delete boot entries without using commands.

• Supports multi-boot configurations, making it easy to set up and manage multiple operating systems.

• Supports creating backups of the BCD store and restoring them if needed.

• Enables options like safe mode, debugging, and custom boot parameters.

Option 2. EasyBCD

EasyBCD is a powerful software application designed to simplify the management of the Windows BCD. It provides an intuitive graphical interface that allows users to easily add, remove, and modify boot entries for multiple operating systems on a single machine.

► Main Functions:

• Allows to customize boot entries for Windows, Linux, macOS, and other operating systems.

• Simplifies setting up dual-boot or multi-boot configurations, allowing users to easily choose which OS to start.

• Provides tools to configure BCD settings and resolve startup problems.

Option 3. EasyUEFI

EasyUEFI is a useful tool for managing UEFI/EFI boot options, allowing you to create, edit, add, delete, and restore UEFI boot entries without accessing the BIOS. It also supports creating a bootable Windows PE image, which can be used to make a bootable USB flash drive or burned to a CD/DVD using third-party software. If your system fails to boot due to a missing or corrupt EFI/UEFI boot entry, this bootable media provides a reliable solution to restore functionality.

► Main Functions:

• Empowers users to create, edit, add, delete, and restore UEFI boot entries.

• Provides options to back up UEFI settings and restore them if needed.

• Enables the creation of a Windows PE bootable disk to perform a boot repair.

• Features tools to fix common UEFI boot issues, such as corrupt boot entries or missing boot options.

Option 4. Bootice

Bootice is a powerful boot-related utility designed to manage BCD and MBR/UEFI boot configurations. It provides full control over the MBR and PBR, allowing users to set, backup, and restore these critical boot records. In addition, Bootice supports disk partitioning, formatting, sector editing, and data wiping operations for a wide range of storage devices.

► Main Functions:

• Allows users to edit BCD, MBR, and PBR configurations, making it possible to switch between different bootloaders.

• Offers options to create, format, and manage partitions on a hard drive or USB device.

• Supports backing up and restoring MBR, PBR, and GPT records for added security.

• Provides utilities for creating bootable media and setting up multi-boot environments across different drives.

Pro Tips: Repair Boot Issues Using AOMEI Partition Assistant 

Repairing boot issues with editors like BCDEdit requires entering specific commands to execute tasks. If you’re unfamiliar with command-line operations, consider choosing AOMEI Partition Assistant to simplify the repair process.

This professional partition manager includes the Boot Repair feature to automatically identify and resolve various boot problems that prevent the computer from booting correctly. With just a few quick clicks, you can restore your malfunctioning device to normal.

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Follow these steps to repair boot issues using AOMEI Partition Assistant:

Step 1. Download and install AOMEI Partition Assistant on a working PC and connect a USB drive to it.

Step 2. Launch the software and select Recover > Boot Repair.

Step 3. Click the create a bootable disk option to create a WinPE boot repair drive.

Step 4. Connect the newly created drive to the computer that cannot function normally and set the USB drive as the primary boot device. This will enable your computer to boot and automatically load the Boot Repair tool to detect all boot issues.

Step 5. Once the process completes, you can see all boot entries on the interface. Select the boot entries you want to repair and click the Repair button.

Step 6. Once the repair completes, remove the bootable disk and restart the computer from the original system drive.

Summary

This post has presented several widely used BCD editors for Windows 10. By using these tools, you can effectively manage boot configurations and restore your system to optimal performance. Additionally, AOMEI Partition Assistant offers an alternative method for repairing boot issues, automating the process with a bootable drive for easy.