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CNET Editors' review
A freeware package for noncommercial use, EasyBCD is designed to help manage and control startup operations. It works with the later Windows operating systems, including Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8, both 32-bit and 64-bit. It also works with Linux and Mac systems.
During installation, you can choose to put an EasyBCD quick-start icon on the desktop. Once the program has started, a window appears with pull-down menus for File, Tools, and Help. Buttons on the left side of the window are for tasks such as system backup, editing the boot menu, and general settings. In addition to its main task of managing the bootup process of the operating system, one of the most useful aspects of this application is the ability to create and manage bootable USB devices, including flash drives. It can also repair boot files and allow booting from your choice of operating systems. There are a few drawbacks to using this software; the menu is not that intuitive and takes some getting used to. But once you're familiar with it, it works seamlessly and quickly.
EasyBCD downloads and installs quickly and was stable in our tests. While less experienced users might not have the knowledge to take advantage of all it has to offer, this freeware could be a good addition to any user's toolbox.
Editors' note: This is a review of the trial version of EasyBCd 2.2.
Publisher's Description
From NeoSmart Technologies:
EasyBCD is the ultimate bootloader modification tool created to give end users complete control over everything from that happens before and during Windows startup. With EasyBCD, adding Windows 8/7/Vista entries, legacy Windows entries, Linux, Mac OS X, BSD, and more to the boot menu is truly a one-click experience. It gives you the power to easily create and manage bootable USB devices, boot from ISO images or virtual hard disks, boot from network paths and usb devices, and much, much more. With EasyBCD, users can make and restore backups of BCD settings, set up the MBR, repair boot files, change the boot drive, diagnose system boot problems, disable driver verification, create safe mode entries, limit CPU and memory usage, create multiple boot files and so much more in a snap. Just point, click, and watch as your bootloader automatically does magic. EasyBCD is the only bootloader on the planet that gives end users full control over anything and everything that happens before their operating system boots, and supports more operating systems than any other bootloader on the planet.
What's new in this version: Support for Windows 8, EFI machines, and 13 different languages.
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All versions:
4.1 starsout of 93 votes
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Current version:
3.0 starsout of 7 votes
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My rating:
Write review
Results 1-7 of 7
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"Great Tool"
Version: EasyBCD 2.2
Pros
Allows easy GUI editing of bootloader.
Recognizes most mainstream and even some not-so mainstream operating systems.
Allows you to change OS order, default boot OS and timeout.
Allows you to reinstall BCD wherever you want without putting in a Windows installation disc and typing in a command prompt. (which only works to put it on the MBR anyway)Cons
Frequently asks for donations on free version, even when you tell it not to.
Summary
This is simply a GUI tool to edit BCD, the bootloader that Microsoft uses with Windows Vista and Windows 7. Their site claims it works with Windows 8 also, though I don't know what bootloader 8 uses. It's useless with earlier versions of Windows because they use different bootloaders.
Read product descriptions before you try it and post reviews! Nowhere in the description does it claim to be able to shrink partitions. In fact, it doesn't modify partitions in any way, it simply adds boot entries to the bootloader. Windows comes with a great tool for shrinking, adding, modifying partitions, you don't need any external software for doing this.
What this software does: Allows you to edit the bootloader that comes with Vista and Windows 7. What it doesn't do: Anything else. If you were expecting this program to modify partitions, install operating systems, order pizza, do your taxes or anything else, you're out of luck. This is a very handy tool for people who multi boot Windows and other operating systems, such as Linux, BSD, Solaris, etc. It comes in handy because Windows 7 will overwrite whatever bootloader you install, be it GRUB or whatever, so it's easier to simply edit BCD than to go through that headache. And, since Microsoft, unlike most operating systems, offers no GUI tool for doing this, it's a really handy tool.
Updated on May 9, 2013 -
"EasyBCD is violating Microsoft copyright"
Version: EasyBCD 2.2
Pros
No pros as violating Microsoft Copyright by claiming that easyldr is a Neosmart product - it is ntldr - a Microsoft product.
Neosmart are crooks ! Stealing foreign work is a criminal act !Cons
Neosmart are crooks ! Stealing foreign work is a criminal act !
Summary
Neosmart are crooks ! Stealing foreign work is a criminal act !
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"AdWare, adds itself to your favourites and your feeds"
Version: EasyBCD 2.2
Pros
- It does what it says: It will read your BCD and show the information there. I did not try editing, because I didn't want to mess up more without backing up.
Cons
- When I started Windows Mail, I was confused to see that I have 15 "new feeds". EasyBCD has added itself to my "Favourite Feeds" - without my permission!
- Later on, I started Internet Explorer - and EasyBCD has created a favourite there - again, without telling me, or my permission.
- I uninstalled the software, and neither the feed, nor the favourite were deleted. Which means that they "look over" some things that they did to your system (namely the ads they installed) instead of performing a complete uninstall. This is very fishy behaviour, and no reputable software producer would do that.
With all that, I don't know what else it did to my system. I do not trust them at all anymore, and I might just disassemble their program to see what else they did. They left some feeds to their site in, some favourites - what else did they do that they don't tell you about?
Stay away from the software and the site!Summary
While the advertised features work, this software installs ads on your system without your permission. These ads are never mentioned and not deleted if you uninstall their software again. Because of that, I suggest anyone to look for better alternatives.
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"works like i need it"
Version: EasyBCD 2.2
Pros
works like i need it
Cons
works like i need it
Summary
works like i need it
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"Doesn't work. Had to go back to pre 2.x"
Version: EasyBCD 2.2
Pros
Looks like it should work but had no effect on boot menu
Cons
It did not skip the menu when selected or change the timimg on two different machines (q6600 and i7 3.4) running Win 7
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"Disappointed because of lack of Support"
Version: EasyBCD 2.2
Pros
EasyBCD 2.2 makes dual-booting very easy.
Cons
If the drive on which you have BCD loaded (primary) crashes, it then becomes impossible to boot to the other (secondary) drive. I have tried Dual Boot Fix, cmd prompt fixes: bootrec /fixmbr, bootrec /bootfix, bootrec /Rebuildbcd, but the only way I could use that other (secondary) drive was to replace the primary drive that crashed and install EasyBCD on it and list the non-bootable secondary drive.
Summary
It works fine unless something happens to the primary drive. There is no documentation on how to boot to the secondary drive in that event.
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"Didn't do what I needed it to do."
Version: EasyBCD 2.2
Pros
Has multiple functions and I'm sure they work fine.
Cons
Needed to shrink some space on my work laptop so I can dual boot another OS. EasyBCD 2.2 failed to complete this action. In its defense, so did two other utilities that are supposed to do the same. Must be something in how my company sets up the laptops they give us to take home. But, still disappointed that none of these applications are able to complete this.
Summary
Will keep it and use it for the other functions it offers.
Results 1-7 of 7
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