Comments on: VistaBootPro – manage boot configuration with a GUI tool http://4sysops.com/archives/vistabootpro-manage-boot-configuration-with-a-gui-tool/ For Windows Administrators Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:37:59 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Malcolm g http://4sysops.com/archives/vistabootpro-manage-boot-configuration-with-a-gui-tool/comment-page-1/#comment-90248 Malcolm g Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:30:05 +0000 http://4sysops.com/?p=1326#comment-90248 Neophite:: Ok, when vista installs, it gives the installation partition on of those complacated numbers ie {xxxx..-xxx-...}and then when it installs on another (primary}partion, it give that partn another number, right? If I install dos [w95, w2k etc] on another primary partition, will it give that partition a complicated number too? How do I give a partion one of those numbers? :-| (confused emotocon) Neophite:: Ok, when vista installs, it gives the installation partition on of those complacated numbers ie {xxxx..-xxx-…}and then when it installs on another (primary}partion, it give that partn another number, right? If I install dos [w95, w2k etc] on another primary partition, will it give that partition a complicated number too?
How do I give a partion one of those numbers?

:-| (confused emotocon)

]]> By: Michael http://4sysops.com/archives/vistabootpro-manage-boot-configuration-with-a-gui-tool/comment-page-1/#comment-73201 Michael Fri, 30 May 2008 18:19:23 +0000 http://4sysops.com/?p=1326#comment-73201 Bob, I know that I overwrote the boot partition, but I think Vista’s setup program should have recognized that and restore the BCD database. And you are right, booting from a DVD to solve such a problem would have been more time consuming. And time is always my primary concern. Leonardo, I think the BCD database is a good thing because it offers more options. What makes it complicated is that Microsoft didn’t give us a front-end to manage this database. Marty, I am quite aware of the fact that many admins don’t agree with me here. To a certain degree, it is a matter of taste. However, I think you didn’t get the point of my example. Of course, if you know already the syntax of a command it is not a big deal to make such a change on the command prompt. My example demonstrated that I was able to solve this problem faster with a GUI even though I had to find the tool first on the web. This is just a matter of fact. And I claim that it would have been the same for everyone who didn’t know bcdedit before. It is impossible to know the syntax of every command line tool. So you always have to learn it first which costs time. If you work in a special field where you always need the same tools it is okay to invest this time. But if you work like me in many different areas it is impossible. As far as I am concerned, I am bored by syntax. I am only interested in the technology behind the tool. So I don’t want to waste my time with learning syntax. If a GUI tool is well programmed like VistaProBoot, you can just use it. This is all I need. I wrote more about the “power argument” in <a href="http://4sysops.com/archives/why-powershell-servermanagercmd-and-co-don%e2%80%99t-really-rock-on-the-command-prompt/" rel="nofollow">this post</a>. Bob, I know that I overwrote the boot partition, but I think Vista’s setup program should have recognized that and restore the BCD database. And you are right, booting from a DVD to solve such a problem would have been more time consuming. And time is always my primary concern.

Leonardo, I think the BCD database is a good thing because it offers more options. What makes it complicated is that Microsoft didn’t give us a front-end to manage this database.

Marty, I am quite aware of the fact that many admins don’t agree with me here. To a certain degree, it is a matter of taste. However, I think you didn’t get the point of my example. Of course, if you know already the syntax of a command it is not a big deal to make such a change on the command prompt. My example demonstrated that I was able to solve this problem faster with a GUI even though I had to find the tool first on the web. This is just a matter of fact. And I claim that it would have been the same for everyone who didn’t know bcdedit before. It is impossible to know the syntax of every command line tool. So you always have to learn it first which costs time. If you work in a special field where you always need the same tools it is okay to invest this time. But if you work like me in many different areas it is impossible. As far as I am concerned, I am bored by syntax. I am only interested in the technology behind the tool. So I don’t want to waste my time with learning syntax. If a GUI tool is well programmed like VistaProBoot, you can just use it. This is all I need. I wrote more about the “power argument” in this post.

]]> By: Marty http://4sysops.com/archives/vistabootpro-manage-boot-configuration-with-a-gui-tool/comment-page-1/#comment-73138 Marty Fri, 30 May 2008 12:56:03 +0000 http://4sysops.com/?p=1326#comment-73138 That's the exact opposite of my opinion, I'm glad Microsoft is finally giving sysadmins real power without the need for logging on interactively to use a silly GUI. You could wake me from a deep sleep and I could tell you the syntax for bcdedit, but I wohn't be able to tell you the names of the controls in a GUI tool. Most people I know associate command line tools as more power, yet you think this is "a good example of the general weakness of command line tools". I think it is rather "a good example of how different people's brains work/don't work". That’s the exact opposite of my opinion, I’m glad Microsoft is finally giving sysadmins real power without the need for logging on interactively to use a silly GUI. You could wake me from a deep sleep and I could tell you the syntax for bcdedit, but I wohn’t be able to tell you the names of the controls in a GUI tool. Most people I know associate command line tools as more power, yet you think this is “a good example of the general weakness of command line tools”. I think it is rather “a good example of how different people’s brains work/don’t work”.

]]> By: Leonardo http://4sysops.com/archives/vistabootpro-manage-boot-configuration-with-a-gui-tool/comment-page-1/#comment-72885 Leonardo Thu, 29 May 2008 16:51:17 +0000 http://4sysops.com/?p=1326#comment-72885 I was aware of the elimination of boot.ini, yet it has been so long I've used bcdedit that it looks foreign again... I don't see the point of complicating something so simple as boot.ini/bootcfg into bcdedit, to the point where even seasoned sysadmins are like "WTF". I was aware of the elimination of boot.ini, yet it has been so long I’ve used bcdedit that it looks foreign again…
I don’t see the point of complicating something so simple as boot.ini/bootcfg into bcdedit, to the point where even seasoned sysadmins are like “WTF”.

]]> By: Bob http://4sysops.com/archives/vistabootpro-manage-boot-configuration-with-a-gui-tool/comment-page-1/#comment-72589 Bob Wed, 28 May 2008 14:48:07 +0000 http://4sysops.com/?p=1326#comment-72589 Normally when you add a new instance of Vista in a new partition, Vista will keep track of all of the other Vista/Server 2008 installations. But since you overwrote the boot partition when you installed vista 64, you also deleted the BCD database. If you didn't have VistaBootPro, the easier but much more time consuming way to fix your problem would be to boot from the Server 2008 DVD and do a Startup Repair, which would scan your hard drive looking for bootable partitions and fix up the BCD database. Normally when you add a new instance of Vista in a new partition, Vista will keep track of all of the other Vista/Server 2008 installations. But since you overwrote the boot partition when you installed vista 64, you also deleted the BCD database.

If you didn’t have VistaBootPro, the easier but much more time consuming way to fix your problem would be to boot from the Server 2008 DVD and do a Startup Repair, which would scan your hard drive looking for bootable partitions and fix up the BCD database.

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