How to clean up mess with multiple BCD stores on multiple drives


  1. Posts : 7
    Windows
       #1

    How to clean up mess with multiple BCD stores on multiple drives


    Hi. In my computer I have 3 drives, 1 M.2 and 2 HDDs and 2 OS: Windows 10 on WD M.2 and Windows 7 on Toshiba HDD. After some messing around with switching drives, moving partitions, restoring bootloaders and so on, I ended with funny situation.

    My MSI motherboard has standard boot device selector (by pressing F11 at boot), which automatically detect UEFI bootloaders on EFI partition (in my setup there is only one on M.2 WD drive), but also allow to choose boot drive without recognized EFI bootloader, in which case it load OS in legacy mode. I guess proper CSM BCD configuration is stored on M.2 drive, because when I choose M.2 drive 2 OS entries are listed and both of them working fine. However Windows bootmanager screen is showing for other 2 drives also. For Toshiba HDD it showing 2 Windows entries (both work), and for HGST HDD 2 Windows 10 entries and one for Windows 7 (non working properly - problem with detecting winload).

    So I guessed that other drives also containing old BCD stores, and maybe it isn't huge problem, but I really want to clean up that mess.

    I know that I could load these stores with command:
    bcdedit /store <patch> /enum.
    But really haven't idea how <patch> parameter should look like and where on partition BCDs are stored.

    Any help?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 4,592
    several
       #2

    to load efi bcd store you could use letter

    bcdedit -store Z:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bcd

    or device path

    bcdedit -store \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolume6\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bcd
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 295
    Windows 10 Pro
       #3

    You can go about it the command prompt way, or the GUI way with a program like EasyBCD. There are others... Like Visual BCD Editor.

    Hiren's BootCD has EasyBCD installed too. You can boot Hiren's via Ventoy...

    Download | Hiren's BootCD PE

    Ventoy
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 7
    Windows
    Thread Starter
       #4

    But EasyBCD load only current/default BCD store.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Does Z:/EFI storing only efi boootloaders or CSM/BIOS also?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 648
    WIN 10 19045.4291
       #5

    bcdedit -store \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeN\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bcd

    HarddiskVolumeN ==> N=....
    You have to find out the number N and where it is!
    Use diskpart.
    For CSM it's BIOS instead of EFI
    Last edited by Pentagon; 16 Feb 2024 at 10:18.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 4,592
    several
       #6

    pclam said:
    But EasyBCD load only current/default BCD store.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Does Z:/EFI storing only efi boootloaders or CSM/BIOS also?
    For bios boot
    \Boot\bcd

    for efi boot
    \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bcd

    csm is compatibility support so older os can efi boot
      My Computer


 

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