5 Ways To Reboot Into Another Device On Windows Cmd

If you’re a Windows user, you may have come across the need to reboot your device into another one. This can be useful for troubleshooting purposes or if you want to access a different operating system. In this article, we’re going to show you how to reboot into another device on Windows Cmd.

First, you’ll need to open a Command Prompt window. To do this, press the Windows key + R, type “cmd” into the Run dialog box, and then click OK. Once the Command Prompt window is open, you’ll need to type the following command: “shutdown /r /o”. This command will reboot your device into the Windows Boot Manager, which will allow you to choose which device you want to boot from.

Once you’re in the Windows Boot Manager, you can use the arrow keys to select the device you want to boot from. Once you’ve selected the device, press Enter and your device will reboot into that device. Note that if you’re booting from a USB drive or a DVD, you may need to change the boot order in your BIOS settings.

Accessing Advanced Boot Options

To access advanced boot options in Windows using the command prompt (cmd):

1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type cmd and press Enter to open the command prompt.
3. Type the following command and press Enter:

   bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy

4. Restart your computer.

When your computer restarts, you should see the Advanced Boot Options menu. This menu allows you to choose which device to boot from, as well as other advanced boot options.

To boot from a different device, use the arrow keys to navigate to the desired device and press Enter. Your computer will then boot from the selected device.

To restore the default boot options, open the command prompt again and type the following command and press Enter:

bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy standard

Restart your computer and the default boot options will be restored.

Using Command Prompt to Reboot

Here’s how to reboot using Command Prompt:

1. Open Command Prompt (CMD) with administrator privileges.
2. Enter the following command:

“`
shutdown /r /t 0
“`

This command reboots the computer immediately (0 seconds). You can adjust the time (in seconds) after which the reboot occurs by changing the value of "/t". For example, the command "shutdown /r /t 300" would reboot the computer after 300 seconds (5 minutes).

3. Press Enter to execute the command.
4. The computer will begin the reboot process.

You can also use the following table to specify additional options with the "shutdown" command:

Option	Description
/s	Shuts down the computer.
/l	Logs off the current user.
/i	Displays the graphical user interface (GUI) for shutdown options.
/f	Forces running applications to close without warning.
/t	Specifies the time (in seconds) after which the shutdown or reboot occurs.

Entering the Path to the Other Device

Determining Device Path

To reboot into another device, you must first determine its path. The device path specifies the location of the device on your system. To find the device path, open the Device Manager and locate the device you want to reboot into. Right-click the device and select “Properties.” In the “General” tab, you will find the device path listed under “Device instance path.”

Checking for Compatibility

Before entering the device path into the command line, you should confirm that your current device is compatible with the new device. To do this, open a command prompt and type the following command:

““
bcdedit /enum firmware
““

This command will display a list of all the firmware devices installed on your system. Find the device you want to reboot into and check the “Description” column. If the description contains the phrase “UEFI Compatible,” then your current device is compatible with the new device.

Entering the Device Path in the Command Line

Once you have verified the compatibility of your devices, you can enter the device path into the command line. To do this, open a command prompt and type the following command:

““
bcdedit /set {default} device partition=x:
““

Replace “x” with the letter of the partition that contains the operating system you want to boot into. For example, if you want to boot into the operating system located on the C: drive, you would type the following command:

““
bcdedit /set {default} device partition=C:
““

After entering the command, press Enter. Your computer will then reboot into the other device.

Restarting the System

To reboot the system from the Command Prompt, use the following command:

Command	Description
shutdown -r	Reboots the system immediately without warning.
shutdown -r -t [seconds]	Reboots the system after a specified number of seconds. E.g., shutdown -r -t 30 reboots the system 30 seconds after the command is executed.
shutdown -r -f	Reboots the system immediately, overriding any open programs or unsaved changes. This option may lead to data loss. Use with caution.

These commands can be modified to customize the reboot process further.

**Additional options:**

• -m **<computer name>: Reboots the specified remote computer.
• -c "comment": Adds a comment to the shutdown event log.
• -o: Shuts down the system and boots to the firmware settings (BIOS or UEFI).
• -l: Logs off the current user and reboots the system.
• -a: Aborts a pending system shutdown or restart.

Understanding Restart Paths

Windows provides multiple restart paths to facilitate system recovery and diagnostics. Here are the commonly used restart paths:

1. Reboot: Restarts the system normally, reloading the operating system and applications.

2. Recovery: Enters the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), a specialized diagnostic and repair mode.

3. Exit and Continue: Exits the current boot process and continues with the previous boot attempt (if applicable).

4. Reset: Resets the system to its factory default settings, reinstalling the operating system and deleting all data.

5. UEFI Firmware Settings: Allows access to the system’s UEFI firmware settings, providing low-level hardware configuration capabilities:

Access Method	Device Manufacturer
F2	Dell, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba
F10	Acer, Asus, MSI, Samsung
F12	Compaq, Gateway, IBM
DEL	General Electric, Intel
ESC	Hewlett-Packard

These restart paths allow for various troubleshooting and recovery scenarios, from simple system restarts to complex hardware diagnostics.

Troubleshooting Boot Issues

If you encounter boot issues after rebooting into another device, try the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Check BIOS Settings

Ensure that the BIOS is configured to boot from the desired device. Access the BIOS settings by pressing a specific key during system startup (typically F2, F10, or Del).

2. Reset CMOS

If incorrect BIOS settings prevent booting, reset the CMOS to default values. Look for a jumper or button on the motherboard labeled “CMOS reset” or “CLR CMOS.”

3. Run System Diagnostics

Some motherboards have built-in diagnostics that can troubleshoot hardware issues. Access the diagnostics utility from the BIOS settings or by pressing a specific key during startup.

4. Try a Minimal Boot

Boot the system with only essential hardware (e.g., one memory module, integrated graphics) to eliminate potential conflicts with peripherals.

5. Check Boot Order

Ensure that the boot order in the BIOS is correct. The desired device should be listed as the first boot option.

6. Advanced Troubleshooting:

If the above steps fail, try the following advanced troubleshooting techniques:

6.1. Repair Startup using BCDEdit

Use the BCDEdit command-line tool to repair the boot configuration data. Open an elevated Command Prompt and enter the following commands:

6.2. Rebuild the BCD

If repairing the BCD fails, rebuild it using the following commands:

bootrec /FixMbr

bootrec /FixBoot

bootrec /ScanOs

bootrec /RebuildBcd

6.3. Restore the System Image

If all else fails, consider restoring the system image from a backup to revert to a previous working state.

Managing Multiple Devices

Windows Command Prompt (Cmd) offers a powerful tool for managing multiple devices connected to your computer. This section delves deeper into the commands and techniques you can use to reboot and interact with these devices from the Cmd interface.

Rebooting Remote Devices

To reboot a remote device using Cmd, you can utilize the “shutdown” command. Here’s the syntax:

shutdown /m \\device_name

Replace “device_name” with the name or IP address of the device you want to reboot.

Checking Device Status

Use the “netstat -an” command to view a list of all active network connections. This command displays information about the remote devices connected to your computer, including their IP addresses and port numbers.

Configuring Device Settings

To configure device settings through Cmd, use the “devcon” command. This command allows you to modify device properties, such as power management settings, driver updates, and resource allocation.

Disconnecting Remote Devices

To disconnect a remote device from your computer, use the “net use” command. Here’s the syntax:

net use \\device_name /delete

Replace “device_name” with the name or IP address of the device you want to disconnect.

Clearing Device History

To clear the history of connected devices in Cmd, type the following command:

netsh wlan show profiles

This command displays a list of all Wi-Fi profiles stored on your computer. You can then delete specific profiles by using the “netsh wlan delete profile name=” command, replacing “name” with the name of the profile you want to remove.

Viewing Device Information

Use the “systeminfo” command to retrieve detailed information about your computer, including information about connected devices. This command displays information about hardware, software, and network configuration.

Troubleshooting Device Issues

If you encounter issues with devices connected to your computer, you can use the “eventvwr” command to view system logs. These logs may contain information about errors or warnings related to the devices.

Customizing Boot Options

1. Modify Boot Configuration Data (BCD): Use bcdedit commands to edit the BCD store, which contains boot configuration settings for all installed operating systems.

2. Set Default Boot Entry: Run “bcdedit /default {GUID}” to set the default OS to boot into.

3. Add Boot Menu Timeout: Use “bcdedit /timeout X” to set a delay before the OS auto-boots (in seconds, X).

4. Create Boot Entry for New OS: Create a new boot entry for a non-default OS using “bcdedit /create /d “DisplayName” /application osloader.” Replace “DisplayName” with the desired name for the entry.

5. Set Bootloader Options: Append options to the end of the bootloader command line using “bcdedit /set {GUID} options “options””, where options can include “safemode”, “verbose”, or “debug.”

6. Manage Drive Letter Assignments: Use “bcdedit /set {GUID} device partition={drive letter}:” to assign or change drive letters for partitions.

7. Disable Automatic Repair: Prevent Windows from attempting automatic repairs on boot failures using “bcdedit /set {globalsettings} recoveryenabled no.”.

8. Advanced Options:

    – Disable Legacy Boot: Disable legacy BIOS firmware boot mode using “bcdedit /set {globalsettings} nextsyscmd nolegacy.”.

    – Enable Hypervisor Launch Pad: Boot into Hyper-V’s Hypervisor Launch Pad using “bcdedit /set {default} hypervisorlaunchtype auto.”.

    – Configure Hyper-V Secure Boot: Ensure secure boot is configured for Hyper-V virtual machines by running “bcdedit /set {default} hvprotection on.”.

Automating Device Reboots

Rebooting devices remotely can be tedious and time-consuming, especially when multiple devices need to be rebooted. To streamline this process and save time, you can automate device reboots using Windows Command Prompt (Cmd).

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to automate device reboots into another device on Windows Cmd:

Step 1: Open Command Prompt

Press the Windows key + R and type “cmd” in the Run dialog box to open Command Prompt.

Step 2: Establish a Remote Connection

Use the command “mstsc /v:ipaddress” to connect to the remote device. Replace “ipaddress” with the IP address or hostname of the target device.

Step 3: Elevate Permissions

Type “runas /user:administrator cmd” to elevate your privileges on the remote device. Enter the administrator’s password when prompted.

Step 4: Initiate the Reboot

Execute the command “shutdown -r -t 0” to initiate a remote reboot. The “-r” flag specifies a reboot, and the “-t 0” flag sets the reboot delay to 0 seconds, triggering an immediate reboot.

Step 5: Verify the Reboot

To confirm the reboot status, you can use the command “qwinsta /server:ipaddress” to check if the target device is offline.

Step 6: Repeat for Multiple Devices

To automate reboots for multiple devices, create a batch file with the following syntax:


@echo off
set devices=device1,device2,device3
for /f "tokens=1" %%d in (%devices%) do mstsc /v:%%d | runas /user:administrator cmd | shutdown -r -t 0
pause


Step 7: Save and Run the Batch File

Save the batch file with a .bat extension and run it to initiate reboots on all specified devices.

Step 8: Configure for Unattended Execution

To run the batch file unattended, create a scheduled task with the following settings:

– Trigger: Daily/weekly/monthly or on a specific event.
– Action: Start a program and specify the batch file path.
– Run whether user is logged on or not.

Step 9: Monitor and Troubleshoot

Monitor the reboot process through the command prompt or by checking the device statuses in the Device Manager or Remote Desktop Connection Manager. Resolve any errors or issues encountered during the reboot process.

How to Reboot Into Another Device on Windows Cmd

Rebooting into another device on Windows Cmd is a useful technique for troubleshooting hardware and software issues. This method allows you to temporarily switch the active operating system to another device, such as a USB drive or network share, without having to physically restart your computer.

To reboot into another device using Windows Cmd, follow these steps:

1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Type the following command and press Enter:
“`
bcdedit /set {bootmgr} {default} {device}
“`
3. Replace {device} with the identifier of the device you want to boot into. For example, to boot from a USB drive, use:
“`
bcdedit /set {bootmgr} {default} {device} USB
“`

4. Restart your computer.

The computer will now boot into the device you specified.

People Also Ask

How do I find the identifier of a device in Windows Cmd?

To find the identifier of a device in Windows Cmd, use the following command:

“`
bcdedit /enum all
“`

The identifier will be listed in the “Path” column.

Can I reboot into a virtual machine using Windows Cmd?

Yes, you can reboot into a virtual machine using Windows Cmd. To do so, use the following command:

“`
bcdedit /set {bootmgr} {default} {device} VM
“`

Replace {VM} with the identifier of the virtual machine you want to boot into.

Is it possible to reboot into a network share using Windows Cmd?

Yes, it is possible to reboot into a network share using Windows Cmd. To do so, use the following command:

“`
bcdedit /set {bootmgr} {default} {device} \network\share
“`

Replace {network} with the IP address or hostname of the network share, and {share} with the name of the share.

Command	Description
bcdedit /set {default} device partition=	Sets the default boot device to the specified partition.
bcdedit /set {default} osdevice partition=	Sets the OS partition for the default boot device.