BCDBOOT - CMD

Overview

BCDBOOT is a command-line tool used in Windows to configure the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store. This tool copies boot environment files from the installed Windows partition to the system partition and creates a new system BCD store. It is essential for setting up the system boot files after deploying a new Windows image or recovering from a boot corruption issue. It is highly effective in environments where system deployment and recovery are frequently performed tasks.

Syntax

BCDBOOT source [/l locale] [/s volume-letter] [/v] [/m [{OS Loader ID}]] [/addlast]

source: Specifies the path of the Windows directory to use for copying boot files.
[options]: Represents various command line options to customize the behavior of the tool.

Options/Flags

/l locale: Sets the locale for the created BCD store. The locale is defined using a language code like en-US.
/s volume-letter: Defines the system partition where the boot files will be copied. This is typically a drive letter like C:.
/v: Enables verbose mode, which displays detailed output of what BCDBOOT is doing.
/m [{OS Loader ID}]: Specifies the identifier for the OS loader to be associated in the BCD store. Useful in multi-boot configurations.
/addlast: Adds entries to the end of the display order in the BCD store, commonly used during setups where multiple OSs are managed.

Examples

Basic BCD setup:
```
bcdboot C:\Windows
```
This copies the boot files from C:\Windows to the system partition and initializes the boot configuration data.
Specify system partition and locale:
```
bcdboot C:\Windows /s D: /l en-US
```
Copies boot files from C:\Windows to the D: partition and sets the locale to English (US).
Verbose mode with multi-boot configuration:
```
bcdboot C:\Windows /s D: /v /m {boot-loader-id}
```
Installs the boot files onto the D: drive with verbose output and specifies the boot loader identifier.

Common Issues

Access Denied: Ensure you run the CMD as an administrator to avoid permission issues.
Failed to copy files: This might occur if the specified source is incorrect or inaccessible. Verify the path to the Windows directory.
Locale not supported: Double-check that the locale code is correct and supported.

Integration

BCDBOOT can be used with disk partitioning tools like diskpart to fully automate the setup of system partitions and boot configuration, ideal for deployment scripts:

diskpart /s setupdisk.txt
bcdboot C:\Windows

Where setupdisk.txt contains commands to create and format partitions.

BOOTSECT: Updates the master boot code for hard disk partitions to switch between BOOTMGR and NTLDR.

For further reading, consult the official Microsoft documentation and knowledge bases, which provide comprehensive guides and troubleshooting tips.