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BOOTICE: a boot sector manipulation utility [v0.78 released!]


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#1 Pauly

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Posted 08 September 2009 - 10:03 AM

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Hello everyone! I'm glad to introduce you this utility to modify or backup/restore your MBR(Master Boot Record) or PBR(Partition Boot Record), it's name is BOOTICE. Wish you like it.

With BOOTICE, you can easily change your MBR/PBR to another type. Supported boot records are: Grub4DOS, SysLinux, PLoP Boot Manager, MS NT52/60, .... For example, with this utility, you can install Grub4DOS to your MBR or PBR, install NTLDR or BOOTMGR to your PBR, install SYSLINUX to PBR, install the MS-DOS boot record to your PBR, and so on.

And, BOOTICE allows you to rename the boot file, e.g., you can rename Grub4DOS's boot file from "grldr" to "ggldr", NTLDR boot record's boot file, from "NTLDR" to "SMLDR" or sth. else you like.

It also has the ability to re-partition and format your flash disk drive. You can even seperate your flash disk to 2 partitions(only 1 is accessible in Windows, the other one is hidden for private data or boot images). And another useful function is to backup or restore your MBR/PBR of your disk.

v0.78 Download: http://www.ipauly.co...ootice_0.78.rar or http://filebeam.com/...c53a8cbdcebbe36 (thank maanu for sharing)

Old versionv (0.75): Attached File  BOOTICE_0.75.rar   99.56KB   852 downloads

What's new:

2010-05-12 v0.78:
----------------------
1. Upgrade Grub4DOS(grldr.mbr) to 0.4.5b 2010-05-03;
2. Upgrade SYSLINUX to 3.86 2010-04-01;
3. Upgrade PLoP Boot Manager to 5.0.10 2010-01-01;
4. Ex2/3/4 recognize problem fixed;
5. Add "EISA hide" function: change the ID of a partition to 0x12;
6. Operation of the boot sector of a .img/.ima file available.

2010-03-01 v0.76:
----------------------
1. Upgrade Grub4Dos grldr.mbr to 0.4.5a 2010-1-8;
2. Upgrade SYSLINUX to 3.85 2010-2-20;
3. Upgrade PLoP Boot Manager to 5.0.8 2010-1-18;
4. Add big-sector (2K, 4K) disks support;

2009-11-24:
----------------------
1. in the last version, when install NTLDR PBR through commandline, the last char of /boot_file parameter will be trimmed, this bug is now fixed;
2. the current label of a USB-FDD will be read out correctly now.

2009-11-12:
----------------------
1. Add commandline parameters support! Press F1 at the main screen or run bootice /? to view supported commandline parameters. For example, "bootice /device=f: /pbr /install /type=grub4dos /boot_file=NTLDR" will install grub4dos onto F:, and GRLDR name will be renamed to NTLDR;
2. MS NT 5.x MBR come back!
3. USB-FDD, USB-ZIP, USB-HDD (up to 4 partitions supported) formatting supported now;
4. when unhide a partition, a drive letter will be assigned to it, and when hide a partition, it's drive letter will be removed.

Attached Files


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#2 maanu

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Posted 08 September 2009 - 10:48 AM

finally u made ur trip to bootland . but i must insist u to stay . it is very nice place even more then wuyou .

thank u so much once again for keeping my request of an english version of ur excellent utility .
and i sincerely welcome u my friend to bootland .

@ Sir Jaclaz

i hope u remember ,thats what i was talking about :(

#3 Pauly

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Posted 08 September 2009 - 12:01 PM

finally u made ur trip to bootland . but i must insist u to stay . it is very nice place even more then wuyou .

thank u so much once again for keeping my request of an english version of ur excellent utility .
and i sincerely welcome u my friend to bootland .


Yeah, it's a great place to study boot technologies. ;)

#4 was_jaclaz

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Posted 08 September 2009 - 12:03 PM

It seems like a nice tool. ;)

Welcome to boot-land Pauly. ;)

One question, if I may.

From the screenshots it seems like the grub4dos and Syslinux are "embedded" in the app, or am I mistaken?

Since both apps are frequently updated, it would be a nice feature in next release to add the possibility of using an external file for getting from a later version the grub4dos MBR or the Syslinux PBR.

Or, viceversa, there are some cases where it might be needed to revert to an older version.

:(

jaclaz

#5 maanu

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Posted 08 September 2009 - 12:12 PM

One question, if I may.

From the screenshots it seems like the grub4dos and Syslinux are "embedded" in the app, or am I mistaken?

Since both apps are frequently updated, it would be a nice feature in next release to add the possibility of using an external file for getting from a later version the grub4dos MBR or the Syslinux PBR.

Or, viceversa, there are some cases where it might be needed to revert to an older version.

;)

jaclaz


no .u'r not . bt AFAIK only mbr files is embedded in it . we have to copy grldr manually to usb or hdd.

pauly updates it whenever new G4D or syslinux version out .thats what he has been doing i guess .

bt yes this can be a great feature to use external files .

@ Pauly
we already have this function in fbinst gui (fbinst tool )

#6 Pauly

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Posted 08 September 2009 - 12:36 PM

From the screenshots it seems like the grub4dos and Syslinux are "embedded" in the app, or am I mistaken?

Since both apps are frequently updated, it would be a nice feature in next release to add the possibility of using an external file for getting from a later version the grub4dos MBR or the Syslinux PBR.


Yes, both grldr.mbr and ldlinux.bin are embedded in the app, but however, BOOTICE support reading external grldr.mbr and ldlinux.bin too. For example, if a file named grldr.mbr is in the same dir, BOOTICE will check this file, and if this check passes, it will use the external grldr.mbr file rather than the internal one.

The same mechanism to SYSLINUX, if a file named ldlinux.bin is in the same dir, it will be used.
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#7 MedEvil

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Posted 08 September 2009 - 12:39 PM

Very clever solution! ;) :( :(

;)

#8 was_jaclaz

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Posted 08 September 2009 - 01:07 PM

Yes, both grldr.mbr and ldlinux.bin are embedded in the app, but however, BOOTICE support reading external grldr.mbr and ldlinux.bin too. For example, if a file named grldr.mbr is in the same dir, BOOTICE will check this file, and if this check passes, it will use the external grldr.mbr file rather than the internal one.

The same mechanism to SYSLINUX, if a file named ldlinux.bin is in the same dir, it will be used.


;)

;)

jaclaz

P.S.:
@maanu
you might have missed this:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=8958
http://www.boot-land...?...c=8958&st=2
I MEAN it. WRITE IN ENGLISH, please, avoid abbreviations!

#9 was_JFX

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Posted 11 September 2009 - 12:31 PM

This is a great tool. Thanks a lot.

I search long for an alternative of bootsect.exe, I think I just found something much better. :(

Would you like to give it a commandline for updating the PBR and it's respective MBR?

:(

#10 Pauly

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Posted 11 September 2009 - 04:15 PM

Sorry, there's no commandline version now. :)

#11 Lancelot

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Posted 12 September 2009 - 06:03 PM

Sorry, there's no commandline version now. :)

maybe in future :),
Thanks for sharing this nice utility, switch trick is cool :)

#12 Brito

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Posted 12 September 2009 - 09:41 PM

Very good tool.

It's mentioned on our newsletter as reference for the future.

:)

#13 canilio

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Posted 12 September 2009 - 11:30 PM

Wow this is a great utility. Thank you! A perfect companion of Win PE.

#14 Natan

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Posted 13 September 2009 - 12:57 AM

Hi there,
it's a long-awaited utility, something very nice to see.
Is there any plan to port it to linux, with command lines ?
Regards
Natan

#15 dablakmark8

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Posted 13 September 2009 - 06:32 AM

nice one,i will be tying it out on usb today

#16 ktp

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Posted 13 September 2009 - 08:43 AM

@Pauly

Thank you for your nice utility. It might replace other existing utilities like grubinst_gui.exe or Grub4dos toolbox for Windows.
I have some remarks/suggestions:

1) MBR screen: Exit button should be replaced with either Back or Return button. 'Exit' means for me exiting the whole program.

2) PBR screen: add Back or Return button for coherence with MBR screen.

3) Save PBR: maybe automatic default values to be presented depending on detected file system (FAT/FAT16=1 sector, FAT32=6 sectors, NTFS=16 sectors)

4) MBR screen, Current MBR type: if grub4dos, adding mention of grub4dos version would be better if possible (using embedded version/date/time string).

5) Same remark for Syslinux version.

6) PBR FAT32/NTFS(ntldr): add option for CHS knockout (to bypass buggy MS boot sector code). References:
http://www.911cd.net...o...1702&st=129
http://blog.clemens....ndows_3170.html
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=8528

7) Display the HDD choice at first screen on all subsequent MBR/PBR screens (this avoids any user error).

8) PBR screen, Syslinux part:
Typo error: "Another power full boot record..." should be: "Another powerful boot record..."

#17 DLINUX

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Posted 13 September 2009 - 11:11 AM

Hi


I downloading this file, but when unzip appears message to invalid archives.



Thanks


Regards

#18 maanu

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Posted 13 September 2009 - 12:42 PM

try downloading it again ,

do u have any AV/anti spyware installed ?

#19 xcraft

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Posted 13 September 2009 - 02:03 PM

This tool is very cool, well done :)

#20 poppyq

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Posted 14 September 2009 - 03:19 AM

I would love to see a command-line version of this so that I can automate it.

#21 Filip Hasa

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Posted 14 September 2009 - 06:52 AM

@Pauly

Please can you compile for amd64 version OS? Thank you

#22 RePete

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Posted 14 September 2009 - 11:20 PM

Here's an utility to modify or backup/restore your MBR(Master Boot Record) or PBR(Partition Boot Record), it's name is BOOTICE. Wish you like it.

Thank you very much...

#23 ratskie

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Posted 15 September 2009 - 03:36 AM

Thanks for the share,have a nice day.. :)

#24 tikbalang

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Posted 15 September 2009 - 03:40 AM

bootice is great.

i was able to make my 4gb ufd bootable by installing grub to mbr and using plop bootmanager to get around the bios problems.

on an older 256mb ufd, bootice can't force format fat32 - can anyone else confirm?
what is PBR and when should i mess with it? is it ok if mbr and pbr are different on the same ufd?

#25 was_jaclaz

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Posted 15 September 2009 - 06:27 AM

what is PBR and when should i mess with it? is it ok if mbr and pbr are different on the same ufd?


Read here:
http://www.ranish.com/part/primer.htm
http://www.boot-land...?...=8965&st=18

The MBR is the Master Boot Record, first sector of a disk.
The PBR is the Partition Boot Record or bootsector, first sector of a partition.

jaclaz




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