# Can you change the MBR or install a bootloader INSIDE of xp? (remotely) **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [August 19, 2008, 7:30am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-change-the-mbr-or-install-a-bootloader-inside-of-xp-remotely/53496 "2008-08-19T07:30:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr.Stevil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dr.Stevil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Dr.Stevil)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2008, 7:30am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-change-the-mbr-or-install-a-bootloader-inside-of-xp-remotely/53496/1 "2008-08-19T07:30:06Z")
right now Vista is the default OS to boot on an XP/Vista install. Pretty much everything I do remotely is on the XP install. I would like to restart my machine, but then it will be offline until I boot it back into XP (when I’m home later this evening). Is there a way I can change this from inside XP? Or do you know of a boot loader that I can install from inside XP that will override whats already setup in the MBR? ---
**Author:** ![JayS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jays/32/15375_2.png) [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2008, 7:37am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-change-the-mbr-or-install-a-bootloader-inside-of-xp-remotely/53496/2 "2008-08-19T07:37:39Z")
Right click My Computer, Properties, Advanced tab, under Startup and Recovery click Settings, choose default boot OS from the dropdown. Or do the same thing from Vista, but after the right click-Properties on my Computer click “Advanced System Settings”. From there it’s the same. ---
**Author:** ![Locutus](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/locutus/32/7574_2.png) [@Locutus](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Locutus)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2008, 7:39am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-change-the-mbr-or-install-a-bootloader-inside-of-xp-remotely/53496/3 "2008-08-19T07:39:55Z")
winhex should be able to do this, but its a manual process. ---
**Author:** ![ILCisDEAD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a87d85/32.png) [@ILCisDEAD](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ILCisDEAD)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2008, 7:40am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-change-the-mbr-or-install-a-bootloader-inside-of-xp-remotely/53496/4 "2008-08-19T07:40:28Z")
bootcfg.exe ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Stevil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dr.Stevil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Dr.Stevil)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2008, 8:00am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-change-the-mbr-or-install-a-bootloader-inside-of-xp-remotely/53496/5 "2008-08-19T08:00:37Z")
> [@JayS](#): > > Right click My Computer, Properties, Advanced tab, under Startup and Recovery click Settings, choose default boot OS from the dropdown. > > Or do the same thing from Vista, but after the right click-Properties on my Computer click “Advanced System Settings”. From there it’s the same. From the drop down I only have XP as an OS (the boot loader is installed via vista, not sure if that matters). Any ideas? > ``` > winhex should be able to do this, but its a manual process. > > ``` I’m cool with manual, can you give me an idea what to look for? > ``` > bootcfg.exe > > ``` can you use that from inside windows? thanks peeps ---
**Author:** ![JayS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jays/32/15375_2.png) [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2008, 8:09am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-change-the-mbr-or-install-a-bootloader-inside-of-xp-remotely/53496/6 "2008-08-19T08:09:39Z")
Check out the boot menu when you log in to Vista and see if it shows other options? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Stevil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dr.Stevil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Dr.Stevil)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2008, 8:23am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-change-the-mbr-or-install-a-bootloader-inside-of-xp-remotely/53496/7 "2008-08-19T08:23:12Z")
lol well thats the thing, can’t do it from here. (working inside of XP remotely right now) BCDEDIT.exe, according to the boot.ini file, is supposed to be run to change boot options on vista. I’ll try running it from the cmd prompt in a second although I’m not holding my breath since it’s a 64bit os ---
**Author:** ![evane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6bbea6/32.png) [@evane](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/evane)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2008, 8:50am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-change-the-mbr-or-install-a-bootloader-inside-of-xp-remotely/53496/8 "2008-08-19T08:50:17Z")
Ok I am working under the assumption that Vista and XP occupy different drives … ie c:\windows == vista and d:\windows == xp On the vista drive (from your current booted os) start\>run\> “notepad c:\boot.ini” Obvisously in the above use the drive letter for the vista install… Modify the line default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS to the correct windows disk for the prefered default. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Stevil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dr.Stevil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Dr.Stevil)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2008, 10:50am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-change-the-mbr-or-install-a-bootloader-inside-of-xp-remotely/53496/9 "2008-08-19T10:50:33Z")
thanks for the suggestion evane, but it’s not finding a boot.ini on any of my drives. odd oh well, I’ll fix it when I get home, no biggie. thanks again for the help