# HBCD Menu Missing?



## tmc8295

Hey Guys,

Normally I can figure this stuff out and am the one giving advice but I'm stumped. Occasionally I use Hirens Boot CD to fix certain issues on my computer or friends computers.
Normally if you boot to Mini Windows XP theres a menu that pops up labeled HBCD where you access all the programs. 
However lately when I have booted to it no menu option pops up.   And it has completely lost me: I have reinstalled Hirens, ran a new .bat file to make it bootable, tried two different versions of HBCD, and tried three different computers.  Its been probably a year and a half since I last used it but I haven't seen anything change about it.


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## Agent Smith

I have had this happen with UBCD4Win. The computer just didn't see it. You might wanna try Sardu as they have many boot options.


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## tmc8295

It is just a very strange problem, nothing had changed on the drive so for it to just stop popping up and to also do it on any new versions I create is just beyond weird. I have used Sardu before but It would not work for the version of Hirens I prefer as it is a more customized version of Hirens.   I just cant figure why it would just stop appearing within Mini Xp and then no longer seem to work no matter what. 
Many of the most useful programs are accessed from Mini XP and then using the Hirens Boot Shortcut, strange that the toolbox no longer shows.


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## Gisdrunos

(...later edit. See last paragraph for solution - at least to my problem)

tmc, I'm having exactly the same problem that you describe. I've also seen a lengthy comment exchange from last year on windowsforumDOTcomSLANTthreadsSLANThirens-boot-cdDOT196826 by someone who could not solve the problem either.

Just today I downloaded and burned the ISO from Hirens (15.2 - MD5s checked good etc) onto a CD that booted properly into Mini Windows XP, but with the same screen that you describe (no menu icon, nor any sign of it searching with explore), and the same limitations. I went ahead and had it find all the hardware (one of the only four icons on the desktop). With explore, I noted that it had found a remote HDD on a USB connection (a XP Pro-x32 system disk), a memory stick on USB, and my printer on USB, but not my main Win Pro 7 - x64 HDD - my usual Win 7 C: drive. Rebooting w/o the other USB drives made no difference, it still couldn't find my Win 7 drive. That was it. My equipment's new (Asus M11AD, i5-4460, 12 GB ram, etc with everything working properly and a clean install of Win Pro 7 - x64).  Has something changed in v. 15.2, or are we the only ones experiencing this? 

Apparently not the former as many others aren't reporting it, and if the latter, maybe it's as the above mentioned comment-exchange suggested - i. e., the Hirens Mini Windows XP is a 32-bit XP that cannot deal with drives configured by 64-bit Windows versions (mini XP will boot, but not recognize the Win 7-x64 drive --- w/Partition style: MBR - not GPT etc), so does not load the HBCD menu options. There are still problems with that explanation as well, and I'm hoping that someone more experienced will chime in with suggestions...

(...later edit - Solution found, but WARNING - if BIOS setting is changed from AHCI to IDE, in order to facilitate Hirens Mini Windows XP finding your current C:\ drive - and loading menu options, be sure to reset BIOS back to AHCI before booting Win 7/8 again, or damage may occur that invokes Windows Repair which fails to find the problem. Fortunately, the "damage" wasn't permanent and shutting the system down and booting up again with AHCI reset in the BIOS solved it.)
On reflecting on the idea that mini XP is a much older version of XP - x32, it occurred to me that it also might not take kindly to the newer AHCI SATA configurations of more recent computers in dealing with the HDDs. Also, reading an unrelated thread in Sevenforums by Anshad Edavana suggested that switching the BIOS to IDE (from the default AHCI) might do it, and it did. With IDE (v. AHCI) selected in the BIOS, the Mini Windows XP boot CD booted properly, as before, but additionally, all the icons were there including the HBCD menu. And all was well.


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## tmc8295

Wow that is awesome, I will have to try that next time I'm near my computer.  

I can't believe I never thought of something like that  , it makes complete sense as usually I work on computers that are a few years old but lately all the computers I've needed something from Hirens have all been much newer computers.

Much appreciated for finding that!!


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## Gisdrunos

*Hope it works for you.*

tmc - I hope that it solves your problem too. 

In going back to those other threads (only about a year old) with folks that had the same problem, and looking at the hardware they were using (mostly new) it's likely that the same solution will work for them. 

Also, it might explain why this problem with Hirens does not show up in older threads - i. e., the further back in time you go, the more likely they were using hardware that was running IDE by default. They all cite the necessity for switching the boot-order in the BIOS - to look at the CD/DVD first, but none mention the drive control interface.

Good luck and let us know if it works for you.


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## Kubox

Maybe easier way, that works for me.:
1. In Mini XP go to Start/Settings/Control Panel/ImDisk Virtual Disk Driver
2. Click 'Mount New', in image field choose your Hiren's Boot CD image (sotored on your pendrive), then click OK
3. Go to My Computer
4. Go to X:\l386\System32 and run Startup.cmd


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## snhulings

Kubox said:


> Maybe easier way, that works for me.:
> 1. In Mini XP go to Start/Settings/Control Panel/ImDisk Virtual Disk Driver
> 2. Click 'Mount New', in image field choose your Hiren's Boot CD image (sotored on your pendrive), then click OK
> 3. Go to My Computer
> 4. Go to X:\l386\System32 and run Startup.cmd



This worked for me. Thanks!!


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## Gangas

Hey Guys.
I'm having the same issue here.
Where  should i put the Hiren's Boot CD image in order to see it?
I put it on the same USB key but i can't find it when trying to mount it.

Thanks


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## johnb35

Can't you put it on a cd?


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## Gangas

I can. I tought he ment put it on the same usb key.


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## cleopete

I was having the same issue with a newish Lattitude with an SSD.  I'm running Hirens off a thumb drive using Easy2Boot.  Disabling AHCI will allow the menu to run, but I still can't see the hard drive.  Afterwards I shut down, enabled AHCI and reloaded Hirens and the HBCD menu is STILL there, and I still can't see the HD.  It's very peculiar.  I'm running Win 10 and partitioned the disk as MBR.


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