Windows Boot Manager
| Windows Boot Manager | |
|---|---|
Windows Boot Manager operating system select menu | |
| Other names | BOOTMGR |
| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
| Operating system | Windows |
| Predecessor | NTLDR |
| Type | Bootloader |
| License | Proprietary |
The Windows Boot Manager (BOOTMGR) is the bootloader provided by Microsoft for Windows NT versions starting with Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. It is the first program launched by the BIOS or UEFI of the computer and is responsible for loading the rest of Windows. It replaced the NTLDR present in older versions of Windows.
The boot sector or UEFI loads the Windows Boot Manager (a file named BOOTMGR on either the system or the boot partition), accesses the Boot Configuration Data store and uses the information to load the operating system through winload.exe or winresume.exe on BIOS systems, and winload.efi and winresume.efi on UEFI systems.