What is EasyBCD? Does it have any relationship with Windows BCD? The following states some information about EasyBCD, such as its definition, its main versions, features, as well as the precautions when you employ it.
What Is EasyBCD?
You may know that BCD (Boot Configuration Data) is a boot database first employed in Windows Vista and then used in all subsequent Windows operating system.
But what is EasyBCD? EasyBCD is used to extend and improve the Windows BCD bootloader. To put more clearly, EasyBCD is a powerful bootloader tool or bootloader modification tool that you can use to run more than one different operating systems on the same computer.
Furthermore, EasyBCD contributes to adding entries to bootable tools and utilities, as well as modifying and controlling the performance of the Windows boot menu.
Main Versions of EasyBCD:
- The version EasyBCD 1.1is 100% compatible with all recent Windows Vista;
- EasyBCD released on July 12, 2010 added option to select installation directory;
- Until 2011 EasyBCD 2.1was released, and this version is no longer free to use in commercial environment while it is still free for home and non-profit use without limitations;
- The subsequent EasyBCD 2.3introduced additional support for creating and managing entries for UEFI-based Windows entries in the boot menu;
- The latest version EasyBCD 2.4 was released on Nov. 28, 2018 with some new features: adding autocompletion to all path textboxes, and verifying destination of “change boot partition”which is no less than 75 MiB.
Supported Operating Systems
EasyBCD supports the following operating system.
- Windows series: Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, etc.
- Linux:a family of open source Unix-like operating system based on Linux kernel, which was first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds.
- BSD:an operating system based on Research Unix which was developed by the Computer System Research Group. The version of EasyBCD 2.1.1 features a module designed for booting into BSD-based operating system.
- Mac OS (Macintosh operating systems):one kind of operating system developed by Apple Inc. EasyBCD can chainload the Mac OS bootloader so that the computer can boot into Mac OS on another partition or physical disk.
Features of EasyBCD
Boot anywhere.
You can create a bootable USB flash drive with repair utilities that you can take with you wherever you go.
Boot anything.
You can boot your operating system from USB drives, ISO images, virtual disks, and so on.
Solve problems.
You can employ EasyBCD to troubleshoot Windows, back up and repair the bootlader, and so on.
Precautions
When you employ this bootlader- modification tool, you should pay attention to the following items.
Item 1: It is highly recommended that you use the latest version in case of boot failure when EasyBCD doesn’t support your current operating system.
Item 2: It is better to boot Windows 7 with EasyBCD 2.0 build 76 or its above versions.
Item 3: Set the boot of low-level system in the advanced system. For instance, if you need to boot Windows XP and Windows 7, you should install EasyBCD in Windows 7 and set XP boot, or it will cause Windows XP cannot boot.