The active development of software development has led developers and programmers to increasingly begin to produce various programs that facilitate our work at the computer. But do not forget about those products that allow us to gain new opportunities and make more efficient use of available resources. At the moment, there are a huge number of very different programs in various directions, but we certainly will not touch on all of them, and we will turn our attention to only one interesting and very useful development.
So, the Grub4DOS program: how to use it? Why is it needed and what is required for its effective implementation in a computer? We will analyze all these issues in this article and will try to provide you with the necessary instructions that will help you understand what is the essence of this interesting, but at the same time complex program.
What kind of program is this?
So you have downloaded Grub4DOS. How to use it? Before extensively answering this question, it is worth considering why this development is generally needed. Recently, many users have to work simultaneously in several operating systems that require a separate launch from each other. In order not to change the computer at work each time, it’s enough to install several operating systems on one PC, and only then make careful choices about which one to download. Not every computer can give such an opportunity, except for devices from Apple. Therefore, in order to avoid unpleasant situations and to be able to change the boot operating system, the Grub4DOS program was developed, which allows you to configure the boot menu, which will make it possible to choose which process the user currently needs. But this is not the main purpose of the program, it has a huge number of functions.
Destination
What is the instruction for Grub4DOS for? In order to have at least the slightest idea of the capabilities of the program, which is capable of not only acting as a boot manager for operating systems, but also emulating boot disks, allowing you to customize your interface, program the system component of Boot Windows, and much more. The program features can be listed for a long time, but we will not touch on absolutely all the moments that are associated with it. For the program to work effectively, it is first worth installing it, and then using it, and this procedure requires considerable knowledge and preparations that will help to avoid various mistakes and shortcomings. But thanks to further information, you can easily install and configure the program for yourself and your computer.
Application features
How to use grub4dos? To do this, just install the program, then when loading the main operating system, you will see a new menu where you can choose the necessary system to boot the computer. But these are not all the functions that the program contains. For example, you can configure its interface, however, for this you need to know a number of useful and necessary commands. Grub4DOS reacts exclusively to programmable commands, so it’s worth writing some of them separately.
The programming of the interface occurs in the menu.lst file, which is located in the archive with the program. Using the Notepad application, you can record the initial settings for downloading in it. By default, this file already contains the following commands:
- “Default” - allows you to set “automatic selection” for a long wait, that is, if the user does not select the item for a long time, then on the contrary to this program element you can specify the sub-item that will be selected automatically;
- “Timeout” - sets the time during which the program waits for user selection;
- “Color” - here you can describe the color, font and color scheme of the background of the program menu;
- "Splashimage" - allows you to specify which picture will be shown on the background of the program;
- “Foreground” - sets the color of the text;
- "Background" - determines the background color of the menu.
As you can see, the program will require an initial knowledge of programming, or rather, special commands. To know what exactly to enter and what this or that command means, it’s enough to use any programming textbook where there is a section “Commands”, that’s where everything is indicated and painted.
It is worth noting that Grub4DOS provides the ability to add additional commands that will be executed at boot time of the operating system shell. But this function is suitable exclusively for specialists in the field of programming.
Program setting
But before you actively engage in setting up and getting to know Grub4DOS, you must install it correctly on your computer. First of all, you should download the archive with this program, then unzip it, and then start using it. But it is worth considering one nuance that relates to the operating system. Since we are considering the possibility of running the utility on Windows 7, you will have to additionally download a program called Bcdedit, which will add Grub4DOS to the system settings so that it can be recognized and at the same time run without problems on top of the Windows boot loader.
As for the settings themselves, they have an intuitive interface, so you will not have problems in terms of filling them out. But there is another point that concerns the distribution of a special installer of the program, supposedly doing everything in automatic mode. This begs the question of how to use the Grub4DOS Installer. Actually, this is not recommended, since the normal version of the program is distributed exclusively in the form of an archive that needs to be unpacked and configured. And for convenience, you can create a bootable USB flash drive that will always have the program at hand and use it at the right time.
Boot flash drive
How to use Grub4DOS Installer 1 1? Who is not in the know, this version of the program is the latest among those that are distributed through the intervention of other users. But this version has one more peculiarity: it was created taking into account further download to the USB flash drive. Therefore, if you plan to create a bootable external device, then you should pay attention to this version. In addition, at the moment it has already been Russified, so it will be easier for you to figure out the interface.
Why create an external boot device? In addition to the main features, Grub4DOS has a unique structure that allows you to load several bootable operating systems onto a single USB flash drive and during the reinstallation already choose which one you want to install. This is quite convenient, as it saves users from having a huge number of different installation disks.
USB flash drive setup
After downloading Grub4DOS how to use the program on a flash drive? The principle of operation of this product is exactly the same as on the computer. You download the archive, unzip it to a USB flash drive and configure it as it suits you. True, now, for the program to work properly, you must constantly insert the USB flash drive into a special connector on the computer before starting it. But it is worth considering another nuance regarding a bootable flash drive. In Bios, you need to set automatic recognition of external media, to do this, go to the system utility, then select Hard Dis Boot Priority and install the USB drive in the second position.
Should I use this program?
So, you have the Grub4DOS program, how to use its functions in Windows 7 and is it worth it at all? Yes, due to the difficulty in managing and understanding the functions of this development, not every user will want to expose themselves to extra loads. But in fact, Grub4DOS is the best among all existing analogues, which, although they can offer something worthwhile, are not so flexible. Grub4DOS allows the user to customize the work in a way that, in fact, will be convenient. In addition, it has an open software shell, which allows you to easily remove all unnecessary functions and add your own. But, like any masterpiece development, this program is not without errors.
Possible problems
Grub4DOS has an ideal logical structure, but it is this free software shell that is the source of a lot of problems. How to use grub4dos? Everything is quite simple: download the program and start using it, but not one version has an attached instruction that would understand the full potential of this software product in a clear language.
Users are simply confused and begin to experiment, which then translates into a huge amount of a wide variety of errors and shortcomings. It does not make sense to list all the errors, since there can be a great many of them, especially considering that Grub4DOS is an open editor of the operating system boot layer. Therefore, so that errors do not "flood" your computer, it is better to first get all the necessary information regarding this program or contact those people who are well versed in it. Or download Grub4DOS Installer 1 1 - the instruction is attached with the archive and in Russian. But even this negative moment does not at all discredit the reputation of the program.
Great opportunities
It is worth paying attention to the latest version of the program. How to use Grub4DOS 0 4 5c? This is the question that users are increasingly asking, since with the arrival of the updated version, the developers decided to give the entire toolkit of their brainchild to the user. The new version allows you to make edits and expand the Grub4DOS software shell. That is, those users who are familiar with first-hand programming will now be able to personally transform this product and build new shells in it, which will not only expand the functionality, but also make the program much more efficient. And do not look for an alternative program supposedly with an easy interface, since none of them managed to overshadow the capabilities of Grub4DOS.
Alternative programs
On the Internet you can find a huge number of different alternative products with a simplified installation and configuration system, but none of them will be able to give what the Grub4DOS program is capable of. You can list a dozen different analogs, but when comparing, none of them will be able to provide maximum and free functionality. Especially now that you know how to get Grub4DOS, how to use this program. Choose only the best products, and your work at the computer will become more convenient and efficient!