Changing the boot order

cereberus said:

The easiest way to change order and which boot entry, rename entry and set default boot time/entry is to use easybcd.

Is the latest version 2.4.0.237? One site says latest update Jul 10, 2023, the other says 2018.

How do I handle this?



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Pentagon said:

In order to have a better identification of the systems during startup (boot options) you can use the command

Change Operating System Name in Boot Options at Startup in Windows 10

cmd (admin)
bcdedit /set {current} description "Windows 1"
"Windows 2"
"Windows 3"
including the "..."

Before you boot to the next/different OS make the change in
a) Advanced system settings or
b) msconfig

It is import to do that when you run Windows Update
It's also possible to use only one Recovery Environment

I'm sure I've gotten ahead of myself here. I ran the command. I'm feel I was supposed to do modifications?

C:\WINDOWS\system32>cmd (admin)
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19045.3930]
(c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>bcdedit /set {current} description "Windows 1"
The operation completed successfully.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>"Windows 2"
'"Windows 2"' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>"Windows 3"
'"Windows 3"' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>including the "..."

kitpzyxmsir said:

I'm sure I've gotten ahead of myself here. I ran the command. I'm feel I was supposed to do modifications?

C:\WINDOWS\system32>cmd (admin)
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19045.3930]
(c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>bcdedit /set {current} description "Windows 1"
The operation completed successfully.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>"Windows 2"
'"Windows 2"' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>"Windows 3"
'"Windows 3"' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>including the "..."

That command is to rename the boot menu item. You would need to repeat the full command for each boot menu item you want to rename instead of just the identifier.

Change Operating System Name in Boot Options at Startup in Windows 10

Re. Easybcd - download latest version.

Re. uefi message - just ignore and click ok.

You will find it so easy to manage multiple boot entries compared with faffing around with bcdedit commands which becomes tedious with multiple entries greater than two.

@kitpzyxmsir

You can do it also without identifier ids

go to "Advanced system settings" or "msconfig" and select the system you want to be
"Windows 2"
reboot
Then type
bcdedit /set {current} description "Windows 2"
go to Advanced system settings or msconfig and select the system you want to be
"Windows 3"
reboot
Then type
bcdedit /set {current} description "Windows 3"

The running system always has the identifier {current}
or run
C:\WINDOWS\system32>bcdedit /enum bootmgr

Windows-Start-Manager
---------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume1
path \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi
description Windows Boot Manager
locale de-DE
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
resumeobject {f95db696-5d69-11ee-8d4b-9fa08e457d58}
displayorder {current}
{cbe2efc6-7046-11ea-81f0-aa68f145d461}
{c9230bf5-3b6a-11ee-8b6d-98e7f4d34096}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 3

and do it in one step by selecting the {id} from your displayorder list and replace it in the bcdedit-command
bcdedit /set {cbe2efc6-7046-11ea-81f0-aa68f145d461} description "Windows 2"
bcdedit /set {c9230bf5-3b6a-11ee-8b6d-98e7f4d34096} description "Windows 3"

Pentagon said:

@kitpzyxmsir

You can do it also without identifier ids

go to "Advanced system settings" or "msconfig" and select the system you want to be
"Windows 2"
reboot
Then type
bcdedit /set {current} description "Windows 2"
go to Advanced system settings or msconfig and select the system you want to be
"Windows 3"
reboot
Then type
bcdedit /set {current} description "Windows 3"

The running system always has the identifier {current}
or run
C:\WINDOWS\system32>bcdedit /enum bootmgr

Windows-Start-Manager
---------------------
identifier {bootmgr}
device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume1
path \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi
description Windows Boot Manager
locale de-DE
inherit {globalsettings}
default {current}
resumeobject {f95db696-5d69-11ee-8d4b-9fa08e457d58}
displayorder {current}
{cbe2efc6-7046-11ea-81f0-aa68f145d461}
{c9230bf5-3b6a-11ee-8b6d-98e7f4d34096}
toolsdisplayorder {memdiag}
timeout 3

and do it in one step by selecting the {id} from your displayorder list and replace it in the bcdedit-command
bcdedit /set {cbe2efc6-7046-11ea-81f0-aa68f145d461} description "Windows 2"
bcdedit /set {c9230bf5-3b6a-11ee-8b6d-98e7f4d34096} description "Windows 3"

I was able to change names, used "add last" to move disk 3, with the lowest boot priority, to 3rd in the boot list, and also added Macrium to the boot list



after which, msconfig changed from this



to this



but C:\ is still not on the top of the list. So I haven't achieved the goal of reprioritizing the boot order.
However, Macrium has become a factor. If I go into the Macrium recovery environment, and choose which disk to boot with, even if it already the default boot disk



The boot menu revert back to the way it originally was,



and if I don't choose to change the default OS, and let it time out



the system will boot to Disk 3

and msconfig is now back to this



So where do we go from here. Why is Macrium stuck on Disk 3 and this boot order? Can we manage Macrium to conform to the plan?

@kitpzyxmsir
bcdedit /displayorder {identifier} {identifier} {identifier}
is the right command for you
Select the identifier from
bcdedit /enum bootmgr
just copy & paste
and you are ready

Why did you add Macrium before the first step is done?
Never use Macrium FIX BOOT again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
run the command below
bcdedit /enum all >> %userprofile%\Desktop\BCDEditALL.txt
and upload the textfile from your desktop

Now you have run the brilliant Macrium Reflect fix windows boot option, it is really easy to sort this now.


You have three entries shown in msconfig. The order in MSconfig does not matter - what matters is which Windows you want as default.

All you need to do is boot to the C drive, install easybcd, and use edit menu option to sort the drives and rename them.

Optionally, reinstate Macrium Reflect option from Macrium Reflect menu (you can even sort that with easybcd)

Here is my pc using easybcd.

Pentagon said:

@kitpzyxmsir
bcdedit /displayorder {identifier} {identifier} {identifier}
is the right command for you
Select the identifier from
bcdedit /enum bootmgr
just copy & paste
and you are ready

Why did you add Macrium before the first step is done?
Never use Macrium FIX BOOT again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
run the command below
bcdedit /enum all >> %userprofile%\Desktop\BCDEditALL.txt
and upload the textfile from your desktop

Forgive me if I did not do a competent job of rendering my step by step [procedure, but I tried to make it clear that Macrium didn't enter the picture until all the preparation I was given here was already completed. Then and only then did I 'Create Rescue Media" within the Macrium app.

I had a lot of trial and error trying to implement the advice I got here, so I already experienced Macriums role here. I thought maybe I was missing something, or mishandling something, so I had to be as meticulous as my ignorance would allow.

It was working, when it came to renaming and ordering the boot menu, as evidenced by the images, but not the most important aspect, which was straightening out the boot priority problem. This is how I set things up

cmd (admin)
bcdedit /set {current} description "Windows 1"
bcdedit /set {915d01fe-b70f-11ee-8ef0-d050998538f1} description "Windows 2"
bcdedit /set {915d0200-b70f-11ee-8ef0-d050998538f1} description "Windows 3"

I need Macrium, to take advantage of all it's assets, which includes it's rescue environment.

Thanks, I now have BCDEditALL.txt

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cereberus said:

Now you have run the brilliant Macrium Reflect fix windows boot option, it is really easy to sort this now.


You have three entries shown in msconfig. The order in MSconfig does not matter - what matters is which Windows you want as default.

All you need to do is boot to the C drive, install easybcd, and use edit menu option to sort the drives and rename them.

Optionally, reinstate Macrium Reflect option from Macrium Reflect menu (you can even sort that with easybcd)

Here is my pc using easybcd.

Hi cereberus,

I gotta say, easybcd scares me a little bit. First thing that happened yesterday after I opened it, it changes the name of my "current' drive with no confirmation. I had a feeling, so I rebooted, and there it was, "Windows 1".

In the process of trying to use it, several interesting things happened.







I'm gonna try to follow what you have done, but as you can see, I didn't have a lot of luck last time.