Starting with Windows Vista, thought it was missed by many IT professionals since Vista was largely ignored, the boot ini file is no longer used to store boot configuration information. Instead the boot configuration database (BCD) is used. Windows Server 2008 and now Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 also use the new BCD. Instead of editing the boot ini file, you will use the command line command BCDEDIT to work with the BCD. To learn more about BCDEDIT, just launch a command prompt in administrative mode (right-click it on the Start menu and select Run as administrator) and type bcdedit /?. You'll see all the built-in help in its full glory.
You'll also see that you have to work with nasty long BCD entry identifiers. Thank God we have Quick Edit mode. If you haven't enabled Quick Edit mode (or you've disabled it since it's on by default in Windows 7), just right-click on the Command Prompt shortcut and select Properties. On the Options tab, check Quick Edit mode. Now you can highlight text, press Enter and then right-click anywhere to paste it into your command line. This will remove those nasty typos we make when entering long numbers like the BCD entry identifiers.
Here are a few BCDEDIT commands you should know about:
Viewing the BCD data set:
bcdedit
Backup the BCD data set:
bcdedit /export filename
Restore the BCD data set:
bcdedit /import filename
Set the default OS:
bcdedit /default {identifier}
Note that you can use the keyword current when setting the default if you're currently booted into the system you wish to be the default. For example:
bcdedit /default {current}
Remember, in Windows 7 boot ini is dead, long live the BCD!
