How to Set Up Archcraft with BCDEdit: A Comprehensive Guid

Archcraft is a minimalist and highly customizable Linux distribution based on Arch Linux. It’s designed for users who prefer a lightweight, fast, and elegant desktop experience. BCDEdit, on the other hand, is a Windows command-line tool that manages the boot configuration data (BCD). By utilizing BCDEdit, you can set up a dual-boot system, allowing you to run both Archcraft and Windows on the same machine seamlessly.

This guide will walk you through the process of setting up Archcraft alongside Windows using BCDEdit to configure your system’s boot loader. Whether you are new to dual booting or familiar with Linux but unsure how to integrate it with BCDEdit, this article provides a step-by-step explanation to help you successfully set up Archcraft with BCDEdit.

Why Choose Archcraft for Dual Booting?

Before diving into the technical steps, it’s essential to understand why Archcraft is a good choice for dual booting with Windows:

Minimalism and Performance: Archcraft focuses on providing a lightweight system, with a default setup that uses very few system resources. This makes it an ideal choice for users with older hardware or those who prioritize performance.
Customizability: Archcraft, like Arch Linux, offers extensive customization. Users have full control over the packages, desktop environment, and window managers, allowing them to tailor the system to their needs.
Aesthetic Appeal: Archcraft is known for its elegant, pre-configured window managers like Openbox and BSPWM, offering a polished, visually appealing experience out of the box.

Dual booting with Windows gives you the best of both worlds, allowing you to use Windows for gaming or productivity and Archcraft for development or customization.

Prerequisites for Setting Up Archcraft with BCDEdit

Before starting the installation and configuration process, ensure you have the following:

A Windows Installation: BCDEdit is a Windows utility, so you’ll need an existing Windows installation on your computer.
Archcraft ISO: Download the Archcraft ISO from the official website. You can burn it to a USB drive using tools like Rufus (for Windows) or Etcher (for Linux).
Free Disk Space: You’ll need a separate partition on your hard drive to install Archcraft. If you don’t have one, we’ll go through how to create it.
UEFI/BIOS Mode: Determine whether your system is booting in UEFI or Legacy mode. This will impact the boot loader configuration. BCDEdit is most commonly used for UEFI-based systems, but we’ll cover both modes.

Step 1: Preparing Your Windows System for Dual Booting

1.1 Create a Backup

Before making any changes to partitions or boot configurations, it’s essential to create a backup of your important data. Although the dual-boot process is usually safe, there’s always a risk of data loss if something goes wrong.

1.2 Shrink Windows Partition

You need free space on your hard drive to install Archcraft. Follow these steps to shrink the existing Windows partition and free up space:

Press Windows + X and select Disk Management.
Right-click on your main Windows partition (usually C:) and select Shrink Volume.
Enter the amount of space to shrink. It’s recommended to allocate at least 20GB for Archcraft.
Click Shrink, and you’ll now have unallocated space on your drive.

1.3 Create Bootable Archcraft USB

Once the Archcraft ISO is downloaded, you need to create a bootable USB drive.

Download and install Rufus (for Windows) or Etcher (for Linux).
Open the application and select your USB drive.
Choose the Archcraft ISO file and ensure that the correct partition scheme is selected (MBR for BIOS or GPT for UEFI).
Click Start and wait for the process to complete.

Step 2: Installing Archcraft

2.1 Boot from USB

Plug in your bootable USB drive and restart your computer.
Enter your system’s boot menu by pressing F12, Esc, or Del (depending on your system).
Select the USB drive to boot from.

Once you boot into Archcraft, you’ll be presented with a live environment where you can test the system or begin the installation process.

2.2 Partitioning Your Hard Drive for Archcraft

During the Archcraft installation process, you’ll need to create or select partitions:

Use a tool like cfdisk or fdisk to partition the unallocated space. You’ll need at least two partitions:
- One for the root directory /, typically formatted as ext4.
- Optionally, you can create a swap partition (especially if you have less RAM).
Ensure you don’t modify the existing Windows partitions.

2.3 Install the Base System

Archcraft uses the Calamares installer, which simplifies the installation process:

Run the Calamares installer from the live environment.
Follow the on-screen instructions, selecting the partition you created for Archcraft during the partitioning step.
Configure your user account, time zone, and boot loader settings (GRUB).

Archcraft will now install the necessary files to your hard drive.

Step 3: Configuring BCDEdit for Dual Boot

After installing Archcraft, the GRUB boot loader will likely overwrite the Windows boot loader. However, for a cleaner dual-boot experience, we’ll use BCDEdit to add an entry for Archcraft to the Windows Boot Manager.

3.1 Accessing BCDEdit

To access BCDEdit, follow these steps:

Boot into Windows.
Open Command Prompt with administrator privileges by pressing Windows + X and selecting Command Prompt (Admin).
Type bcdedit and press Enter. This command will display the current boot loader entries.

3.2 Adding Archcraft to Windows Boot Manager

Now that you have access to BCDEdit, follow these steps to add Archcraft to the Windows Boot Manager:

First, determine where Archcraft is installed by typing:
Note the partition number of the Archcraft root partition.
Create a new boot loader entry for Archcraft
This will create a new entry called “Archcraft.”
Link the new entry to the Archcraft partition by running with the letter corresponding to the drive where Archcraft is installed.
Set the Windows Boot Manager as the default boot loader
This ensures that the Windows Boot Manager will be the default boot loader, but you’ll still have the option to boot into Archcraft.

3.3 Verifying the Boot Configuration

To confirm that the changes were successful, type bcdedit again to see the updated boot entries. You should now see both Windows and Archcraft listed.

3.4 Testing the Dual Boot Setup

Restart your computer.
You should see the Windows Boot Manager menu, with options to boot into Windows or Archcraft.
Select Archcraft to verify that it boots correctly.

Step 4: Fine-Tuning the Dual Boot Experience

Once your system is set up for dual booting, there are a few additional steps you can take to optimize the experience.

4.1 Adjust Boot Order and Timeout

You can adjust the order in which the boot options appear and set a timeout for how long the boot menu is displayed.

Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
Use the following command to set the timeout in seconds:
This command allows you to set Windows or Archcraft as the default boot option.

4.2 Managing Updates and Boot Loader Configuration

When updating either Windows or Archcraft, it’s important to monitor any changes to the boot loader. Occasionally, updates may overwrite the boot loader, requiring you to reconfigure BCDEdit or GRUB.

4.3 Installing Additional Tools

You may want to install additional software to manage your boot configuration more easily. Tools like EasyBCD provide a graphical interface for managing dual-boot setups and can be a more user-friendly alternative to BCDEdit.

Conclusion

Setting up Archcraft with BCDEdit for dual booting is a great way to enjoy the best of both worlds—Windows for its productivity and software ecosystem, and Archcraft for its minimalist, customizable, and efficient Linux experience. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can confidently install Archcraft alongside Windows, configure your system’s boot loader using BCDEdit, and fine-tune the setup for your specific needs.

Whether you’re new to dual booting or an experienced user looking to streamline.

How to Set Archcraft BCDEdit A Comprehensive Dual Booting