WinNTSetup v5.3.4

[JFX]

Yes, I file backed copy is slow. Sadly wimlib only uses 1 thread to do the apply stuff.
Volume copy mode, runs on the max speed of your hardware, but if the destination drive is smaller
there is no guarantee that it will work. the last cluster have to fit into the new partition.

Even the shrink option may not be able to move some system files.

[click-click]

I am using Windows Boot Manager for booting VHDs. The new Boot Manager from W8 onward has the disadvantage in that it does an additional reboot when selecting an entry following the 1st one from the list. How do I replace the boot manager on the drive containing the VHDs with the one from W7 which boots any entry directly without an additional reboot?

[JFX]

You can use bootice to set BootMenuPolicy to legacy for every boot option.

But make sure you also disable fastboot for every system,
cause this is there reason for these additional reboots (making a clean shutdown).

[click-click]

Sorry, I must be blind, but I don't see anything in Bootice where  to set the BootMenuPolicy to legacy

[JFX]

Use Professional mode, than right click create and add new element if it does not already exists.

[click-click]

OK, I missed it in professional mode. All entries are standard, but when I boot from the volume, I get the legacy menu which I want, but this only happened  after adding a Win7 VHD to the BCD via WinNTSetup (no install media, boot drive, VHD install drive). I deleted the Win7 entry later from the BCD and booting still uses  legacy.  I don't see legacy in any of the elements. If I add  a Win8 VHD via WinNTSetup as I did for Win7, the boot menu goes back to standard. This is what I want to avoid. I'm having a hard time understanding the uses of the volume BCD and the BCD within the VHD. 

 

 

 

[JFX]

You make the whole thing complicated.
What do you mean with volume BCD. You should have one on your physical disk's boot partition
and another one inside the VHD.

If you physical boot the VHD, than one of your physical disk is used.
if you attach the VHD to a virtual machine, than the BCD inside is used.

Edited November 15, 2023 by JFX

[click-click]

Ok, I'm  using  native boot for VHD. Do you know why the legacy boot selection menu is used when booting from the physical disk's boot partition and how is this related to the individual application objects that don't show legacy? Just trying to understand

 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by click-click

[JFX]

Usually the default selection is the one were bootmenupolicy is relevant.
Post the BCD here:

bcdedit > BCD.txt

 

[sharicov@gmail.com]

Dear JFX. 3 feature requests, if possible:

1. Option to create BCD volume without OS installation (useful with new disk when I already have vhd files and only want a boot menu on start). Of cause vhd entries will be done manually using bootice, or you can just set defaut names such as Windows10.vhd and Windows11.vhd. Ideally with gui for existing partition resize and creation of new EFI partition, but not a must. - Example: DISKPART/SELECT DISK/CREATE PARTITION EFI and populate it with BCD

2.Option to install minimal windows just for technical activities like rename main vhd, restore vhd from the backup etc. Something like what NTDEV's  tiny11 script does just built in: 

https://github.com/ntdevlabs/tiny11builder

 

3. when VHD created it has an ESP partition, but it's not bootable, could you please add BCD to it when doing setup (kind of "bcdboot C:\Windows /s G: /f UEFI") will greatly help when running the VHD in the Hyper-V)

 

Thanks in advance, really enjoying using your project!

Edited November 16, 2023 by sharicov@gmail.com

[click-click]

7 hours ago, JFX said:

Usually the default selection is the one were bootmenupolicy is relevant.
Post the BCD here:

bcdedit > BCD.txt

 

Note: the legacy menu replaced the standard after adding Win7 to the BCD via WinNTSetup. It stayed enabled after deleting the Win7 entry with Bootice.

bcd.txt

Edited November 16, 2023 by click-click

[JFX]

You still have 3 lines: "bootmenupolicy          Standard"
that you should change to: "bootmenupolicy          Legacy"

If you don't want to do it with bootice than use bcdedit

bcdedit -set {current} bootmenupolicy Legacy
bcdedit -set {b2c1b3c3-8029-11ee-a83b-c85b76503892} bootmenupolicy Legacy
bcdedit -set {5070e151-81b7-11ee-a844-c85b76503892} bootmenupolicy Legacy

 

@sharicov@gmail.com
There is MinWin if you left click on "Mode" label. That let's you create a minimal windows.
The other 2 features make no sense. First OS than create boot files.

If you already have some VHD's mount them and use BCDBoot.exe to create boot files.
Or use WinNTSetup and leave the source combo box empty while
selecting boot partition and the mounted VHD.

[click-click]

6 hours ago, JFX said:

You still have 3 lines: "bootmenupolicy          Standard"
that you should change to: "bootmenupolicy          Legacy"

If you don't want to do it with bootice than use bcdedit

bcdedit -set {current} bootmenupolicy Legacy
bcdedit -set {b2c1b3c3-8029-11ee-a83b-c85b76503892} bootmenupolicy Legacy
bcdedit -set {5070e151-81b7-11ee-a844-c85b76503892} bootmenupolicy Legacy

 

I understand what you are saying. If I leave the BCD the way it is, shouldn't the boot disk be showing the standard boot menu instead of the legacy one?

How would I get the standard boot menu back?

 

[JFX]

Yes, with your BCD it actually should show the new menu.

Reproduced! Seems there is a difference with bootems that also effects menu style.

bcdedit -set {emssettings} bootems No

 

Edited November 17, 2023 by JFX

[click-click]

Good find. I can leave everything as is and use bootems (Yes/No) to toggle the menu as needed. Thanks ...