Creating dual boot entry of Dev version screws up my WinPE

I have a weird issue.

I am running Windows 11 as my main OS, and I have install W11 Dev version in a VHD and create a boot entry in usual way from admin command prompt

this is command with VHDX file mounted as drive D.

However, when I boot in to dual boot menu, graphics boot mode works but is slow.

Legacy boot mode is faster, and I prefer to use it, but whenever I attach a Dev vhdx file, the boot menu is in low resolution (800x600).
Worse still Macrium Reflect only boots in 800x600 when booting from menu (works ok when booting fron usb drive). Problem is some of the buttons are off the screen. The Reflect low resolution fix does not work either.

This first started a while back when they the changed spinning dots on start to a rotating "snake".

I never found a way round it despite trying all sorts of options. According to ASUS it was a bios GOP issue not working properly. So I removed Dev version and inly used it in a Hyper-V VM

Today, I was adding a winpe option to boot menu using EasyBCD, and I had just had an update to the Intel Graphics Driver, so I thought what the hell, lets add a boot option using EasyBCD as I was in app. Well - "Shiver My Timbers" - legacy mode was now in full resolution (1920x1080).

I deleted boot option, and went back to the bcdboot command - "Blow Me Down" - back to 800x600 again!

So if I use the bcdboot command with Dev version, something glitches and I only get low res. If I use EasyBCD, it gives me full res.

Bizarre! I am now booting much more quickly (and that is with fast NVME drives). The slow graphics boot seems to be just due to crappy ASUS bios I suspect.

Odd. Is it using the Grub32 EFI as a replacement boot loader? The help file gives 3 options for UEFI systems, but, admittedly, their help section is also pretty outdated, as it still doesn't mention the Win11 native support that it actually has...

See EasyBCD and UEFI

johnlgalt said:

Odd. Is it using the Grub32 EFI as a replacement boot loader? The help file gives 3 options for UEFI systems, but, admittedly, their help section is also pretty outdated, as it still doesn't mention the Win11 native support that it actually has...

See EasyBCD and UEFI

Click to expand...

No - just standard windows boot loader. I have come to conclusion there is a bug in my bios that screws up legacy bootscreen. I am just sticking to graphics screen which boots ok.

That would not surprise me. Little tiny things like that slip by and there is not much you can do about it.

My old X58 rig had a BIOS bug in which enabling VTx actually disabled it in Windows. I had to disable it (and have every 'test' utility fail) in order to actually use it lol.

It was brough up numerour times but went unfixed as that was also pretty much hte last BIOS rev made for that board.

johnlgalt said:

That would not surprise me. Little tiny things like that slip by and there is not much you can do about it.

My old X58 rig had a BIOS bug in which enabling VTx actually disabled it in Windows. I had to disable it (and have every 'test' utility fail) in order to actually use it lol.

It was brough up numerour times but went unfixed as that was also pretty much hte last BIOS rev made for that board.

Click to expand...

One of reasons I used legacy boot was graphics mode was inconsistent, often showing as black screen. I never found out if this was a bios issue or screen driver issue. I downloaded bootice and played with some settings without really understanding them entirely, and nothing really helped, but then I went to bios, and reset the bios, including tpm keys etc, and suddenly all is working fine from graphics menu. So I know how to get legacy mode working via easybcd, and graphics mode works fine now (I also got a new Intel screen driver a couple of days ago as well).

So overall, things are working much better than before.

As an aside, I messed around using Easybcd bcd backup, restoring as well and I found it flakey.

So now I just backup the EFI partition using Macrium Reflect, so I can always get back to a known state.

I seem to be following philosophy "If it ain't broke, go and break it anyway!" at the moment LOL.

Actually kinda surprised that EasyBCD is not working - used to be the go-to tool, for a lot of folks, wrt BCDs.

Ah, well. At least you got it working now.

johnlgalt said:

Actually kinda surprised that EasyBCD is not working - used to be the go-to tool, for a lot of folks, wrt BCDs.

Ah, well. At least you got it working now.

Click to expand...

Issue is a crappy bios

johnlgalt said:

Actually kinda surprised that EasyBCD is not working - used to be the go-to tool, for a lot of folks, wrt BCDs.

Ah, well. At least you got it working now.

Click to expand...

No - easybcd works, it is when I use native bcdboot tools, something glitches when it is Dev version (since they made change to animation of Windows at start up).

It is slightly annoying as I have batchfiles thar I use to install Dev in a bootable vhd, so I have had to REM out bcdboot command and do it manually with eaaybcd.

Note I tried using bootice and completely mangled things (Reflect to Rescue).

Ahhh, my mistake. I did get those confused in my head.

I've only just now made VMs to test other builds, haven't played with anything Insider related in almost 3 years now. But since I'd planned on making VMs only and not live booting from the VHDs, I wouldn't encounter the issue, not to mention that my MSI mobo has decently up to date UEFI fw to begin with. But, once I get them set up, I can try similar tactics on my end to see if it vendor specific or Dev build specific, because if the same happens to me, then it ain';t just your crappy BIOS lol (or, well, it actuallyt means that it could very well be BOTH of our crappy fws lol)