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WinPE and bootmenu

winpe bootmenu bcd

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#1 sagazine

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Posted 16 November 2022 - 05:49 AM

Hello,

 

I want to run VHDX files at boot. Alternative bootmanagers fails to run it properly.

Running VHDX in the Windows bootmenu works perfect.

 

Is it possible to only install a Windows bootmenu or is it possible to start WinPE with a Windows bootmenu?

I tried several things but WinPE crashes after editing BCD file.

If so are there tutorials with step by step explanations?

 

 

Thanks

 



#2 Rootman

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Posted 16 November 2022 - 12:37 PM

Wow, I could have sworn I saw other replies to this post earlier, and even replied to it myself.  

 

Yes, it's possibly.  I've done it a few times.  I'm old school and got familiar with the boot.ini and MBR system, I've yet to master the BCD as well.  So I cheat and bought a copy of EasyBCD.  It makes it easy with a GUI interface.

 

I used to have a VirtualBox VM that I had on a VHD file, I also set it in the BCD to boot directly to it as well.  I had an app that just did not perform well under virtualization.  I happen to run this on a Win 10 enterprise system, so the Windows activation didn't get hosed whenever I switched.  After a while I migrated away from the app and no longer boot the VHD any longer.

 

I boot my winpe from the WIM file I pulled out of the ISO I created with Winbuilder.  I set it up on all my PCs and once a week boot to WinPE to do some disk cleanup.  



#3 sagazine

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Posted 16 November 2022 - 05:27 PM

Thanks for your reply.

 

EesyBCD I used. it works. But I think my question is not so clear.

 

What I want is to make a WinPE 10 iso. When I installed this with rufus or other tool i must boot with a windows 10 bootmenu.

If I install the complete windows 10 version at an external disk I can change the bootmenu easily, but with a WinPE installation I have problems. 



#4 Tokener

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Posted 16 November 2022 - 06:23 PM

Hello sagazine

 

I can change the bootmenu easily, but with a WinPE installation I have problems.

If the processes were described a little more precisely, a solution to the problem could certainly be found.

 

 Regards   T.



#5 Bootney Lee Farnsworth

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Posted 27 November 2022 - 01:03 AM

I had to create somthing like this a few years back; very possible but was a pain to tweak exaclty how I wanted it(Lots of trial and erorr with bcdedit).

I'm going to assume you already have a bootable disk (using bootmgr) with multiple vhdxs on it.

 

Here's the info I used to refrence when building mine:

 

https://learn.micros...attach-the-vhdx

 

It sounds like you could skip alot of those steps and start right above Step 4 where it says "Attach the VHDX".

 

 

A coupleof notes worth mentioning:

 

*If these vhdxs are on a USB drive, you may need to make sure its using mbr instead of gpt partition formatting. In my experience, it was seemingly hit or miss with usb drives. Some drive types (vendor), I was able to partition them using gpt and they would boot fine; Others I'd have to use mbr formatting and lay down the boot sector with bootsect command(ex: bootsect /nt60 d: /mbr). 

I cant recall 100% but I beleive I had to format with ntfs on the usb when using mbr partition type due to the size.

 

*The easiest way that I have found to make a 100% microsoft/windows native bootable usb for windows/winpe is to download and use the microsoft windows media creation tool:

 

https://support.micr...f-40c3b507420d 

After installing/running it, let it download windows and format the usb drive however it needs to and after its complete, delete all of the files and copy over the whatever your wanting to boot (ex: If winpe iso, extract winpe iso to usb and it should boot with no other changes needed; keyword "should"...It worked in the scenarious I was using but posisble may not work for all acenarios).

 

 

Hope this Helps

 

-A

 

 

 

 

 

Attach the VHDX Attach the VHDX Attach the VHDX




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