Windows XP in a Nutshell

Name

Boot Configuration Manager — \windows\system32\bootcfg.exe

Synopsis

Configure and view entries in the boot.ini file, used by the Windows XP Boot Manager.(Boot Configuration Manager is included with Windows XP Professional only.)

To Open

Command Prompt → bootcfg

Usage

bootcfg /command [parameters]

Description

The Windows XP Boot Manager, responsible for supporting multiple operating systems on the same system, is installed when Windows XP is installed. If there is more than one boot entry, a menu appears before Windows is loaded, allowing the user to choose an operating system to load. The entries in the menu are configured in a file called boot.ini, located in the root directory of your boot drive. Boot.ini is a plain text file and can be edited with Notepad. However, the syntax can be complex, so the Boot Configuration Manager can be used to add, remove, or configure entries and options.

Unfortunately, the Boot Configuration Manager doesn’t have an interface to speak of. Rather, commands are issued by typing them at the command prompt, like this:

bootcfg /query

There are eleven primary commands, each with its own set of parameters. To list all the available commands, type:

bootcfg /?

To see the usage of any particular command, type the command followed by /?, like this:

bootcfg /query /?

Notes

• Among the commands available to the Boot Configuration Manager, the most interesting are the /copy, /delete, and /query commands, used to add, remove, and view the entries in boot.ini, respectively. ...