BootNow ~~~~~~~ This utility will allow you to choose a boot option from any MS Win32 OS or DOS. It is for use with BootIt Next Generation or BootIt 2.27+ and BootIt Bare Metal. It will not work with BootIt Direct or BootIt Lite. NOTE: BootNow support in BootIt settings must be enabled INSTALLATION: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Ensure BootNow support is enabled in BootIt. 2) Copy the files to a directory on your hard drive. 3) Setup a shortcut to launch bootnow with the desired command line options. ISSUES: ~~~~~~~ The user profile running BOOTNOW from Windows NT/2000/XP Pro must be part of the Administrators group for the local machine. You can precede the normal bootnow command line with "runas /user:administrator " or if you're using XP Pro and only want to enter the password the first time, use "runas /savecred /user:administrator ". See the NT/2K/XP help for details on using the runas command. Vista/Win7+ users don't need the runas format, instead they should setup the shortcut properties (Compatibility Tab) to "Run this program as an administrator". Some systems may have a situation where the OS enumerates the drives in a different order, or you are using the swap feature to boot Win9x/ME from another physical hard drive. You will typically receive an "MDT Not Found" error message when this is the case. For BootNow to work you'll need to create a "BOOTNOW.INI" file in the windows directory (i.e. \WINDOWS or \WINNT). For example: If WinNT/2K had the (main physical) boot drive as drive HD1 or you were using swap to boot Win9x/ME from the second physical hard drive then you would create the "BOOTNOW.INI" file to look like this: [OPTIONS] hd=1 A BOOTNDOS program is included for use with DOS. You should use it in a batch file so that you can flush any disk caching before the system reboots (check smartdrv options). For BOOTNDOS the "BOOTNOW.INI" file must be in the current directory for it to be used. USE: ~~~~ Note: BootNow only works with the items on the "normal" boot menu. If you are using the "direct" boot menu then it won't work. There are two different modes for using BOOTNOW: In /HIBERNATE mode, BootNow runs idle in the system tray waiting for the system to suspend or resume. When the system suspends it will automatically set up BootIt to boot the prior booted boot item so that any hibernated OS is resumed without the option of booting a different OS. This is desirable when partitions are visible across different OSes and you use hibernation. It prevents changes to the partitions the hibernated OS has access to as recommended by MS. You'd typically setup a shortcut in your "startup" folder. Example: BOOTNOW /hibernate In normal command line more there are six different options for using BOOTNOW: 1) By Menu Description - The example below boots an item named "The Description" Example: BOOTNOW The Description *NOTE: The description entered must match the boot menu description exactly. 2) By Entry Number: Example: BOOTNOW 1 - This boots the first item on your boot menu Example: BOOTNOW 5 - This boots the fifth item on your boot menu 3) By next entry: Example: BOOTNOW /Next - Boots the next item in your boot menu. *Note: Next can be any case (upper/lower/or mixed). 4) By current entry: Example: BOOTNOW /Current - Boots back to the last booted boot item. *Note: Current can be any case (upper/lower/or mixed). 5) By hot key: Example: BOOTNOW &k - This boots the item with hotkey 'k' *Note: The hot key method is case sensitive. In other words hot key &K is not a match for hot key &k. Also when running from a batch file under NT/XP/etc.. you must prefix the & with a carrot symbol (example: bootnow ^&k) 6) Shutdown: Example: BOOTNOW /Shutdown - Shuts down the system (if APM is enabled) *Note: Useful when used with the /ims switch for BootIt NG. 7) No boot: Example: BOOTNOW /None - Displays the menu (useful to exit IT mode) If you're using BootIt Next Generation you may specify an image set to be automatically executed before booting the selection. To do this you use the /ims=filename switch where "filename" is an image set you created (including the .IMS extension is not necessary). Note that you SHOULDN'T include a space before the /ims switch. Example: BOOTNOW 1/ims=filename - Executes the "filename" image set and then boots the first item. Example: BOOTNOW Boot Description/ims=filename If you're using BootIt Bare Metal you may specify a script or program to automatically be run before booting the selection. To do this you use the /run=filename.ext switch where "filename.ext" is the file to run. The file may be a script (.TBS or .RUN), a text file with programs to run, or a single program. Note that you SHOULDN'T include a space beofre the /run switch. Example: BOOTNOW 1/run=filename.tbs - Run the script and then boots the first item. Example: BOOTNOW 2/run=filename.run - Run the script and then boots the second item. Example: BOOTNOW 1/run=filename.etx - Run program or list of programs and then boots the first item. Example: BOOTNOW Boot Description/run=filename Another option that exists is the /noreboot switch. Append the special purpose /noreboot switch to the end of the command line to prevent the system from restarting. Note that you SHOULDN'T include a space before the /noreboot switch. Example: BOOTNOW Boot Description/noreboot Example: BOOTNOW 1/ims=filename/noreboot Example: BOOTNOW 1/noreboot If you are running BootNow from a Windows environment, you can also supply a /force switch in place of the /noreboot switch. This will force a reboot without querying applications if it's OK to shut down. Be aware that if an application has unsaved data when the /force option is used, data loss may result, since you will not be prompted by that application to save changes. This option is also required to reboot the system when the system is locked. Example: BOOTNOW Boot Description/force