File extension BCD
| File type | Microsoft Windows Boot Configuration Format |
| Developer | Microsoft |
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What is a BCD file?
BCD is a Microsoft Windows settings file used by system registry. BCD files store configs used when the system boots. BCD file format was introduced in Windows Vista as a replacement for boot.ini file used by NTLDR boot loader.
Windows 7 also uses BCD format. Because BCD files had the tendency to break, Microsoft decided to include a tool for restoring boot config file in its system. The tool is available via command line by typing "bootrec/rebuildbcd".
Program(s) that can open the .BCD file
Windows
How to open BCD files
If you cannot open the BCD file on your computer - there may be several reasons. The first and most important reason (the most common) is the lack of a suitable software that supports BCD among those that are installed on your device.
A very simple way to solve this problem is to find and download the appropriate application. The first part of the task has already been done – the software supporting the BCD file can be found in the table. Now just download and install the appropriate application.
Possible problems with the BCD format files
The inability to open and operate the BCD file does not necessarily mean that you do not have an appropriate software installed on your computer. There may be other problems that also block our ability to operate the Microsoft Windows Boot Configuration Format file. Below is a list of possible problems.
- Corruption of a BCD file which is being opened
- Incorrect links to the BCD file in registry entries.
- Accidental deletion of the description of the BCD from the Windows registry
- Incomplete installation of an application that supports the BCD format
- The BCD file which is being opened is infected with an undesirable malware.
- The computer does not have enough hardware resources to cope with the opening of the BCD file.
- Drivers of equipment used by the computer to open a BCD file are out of date.
If you are sure that all of these reasons do not exist in your case (or have already been eliminated), the BCD file should operate with your programs without any problem. If the problem with the BCD file has not been solved, it may be due to the fact that in this case there is also another rare problem with the BCD file. In this case, the only you can do is to ask for assistance of a professional staff.
Similar extensions
| .adm | Administrator Policy Template Format |
| .adml | Microsoft Administrative Language-specific XML Template Format |
| .admx | Microsoft Administrative XML Template Format |
| .aml | Microsoft Assistance Markup Language |
| .ani | Animated Cursor |
| .ann | Microsoft Windows Help Annotation Format |
| .aos | Archos Signed Encrypted Data Format |
| .asec | Google Android Encrypted Application Package Format |
How to associate the file with an installed software?
If you want to associate a file with a new program (e.g. my-file.BCD) you have two ways to do it. The first and the easiest one is to right-click on the selected BCD file. From the drop-down menu select "Choose default program", then click "Browse" and find the desired program. The whole operation must be confirmed by clicking OK. The second and more difficult to do is associate the BCD file extension to the corresponding software in the Windows Registry.
Is there one way to open unknown files?
Many files contain only simple text data. It is possible that while opening unknown files (e.g. BCD) with a simple text editor like Windows Notepad will allow us to see some of the data encoded in the file. This method allows you to preview the contents of many files, but probably not in such a structure as a program dedicated to support them.