Windows Remote Boot Manager

A lightweight web-based tool to remotely change boot order on Windows machines with multi-boot setups (Windows/Ubuntu). Control which OS boots next from any device with a browser.

Background

If you dual-boot Windows and Ubuntu, you typically need to be at your computer to select which OS to boot. This tool provides a simple web interface accessible from your phone, tablet, or any other device to change the boot order and reboot into your desired OS remotely.

Use Cases:

• Switch to Ubuntu remotely when you need Linux tools
• Boot back to Windows from your phone without physically accessing the machine
• Manage boot order across multiple dual-boot machines from one interface

How It Works

The tool uses Windows bcdedit command to modify UEFI firmware boot order, then reboots the system. A Flask web server provides a browser-accessible interface for triggering these actions.

Requirements

• Windows 10/11 with UEFI boot (not legacy BIOS)
• Dual-boot setup with Ubuntu (or other Linux distro)
• Administrator privileges
• Python 3.8+ (for running the web server)

Setup

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/ibrunner/win-remote-boot-manager.git
cd win-remote-boot-manager

2. Detect Your Boot Entry UUIDs

Windows and Ubuntu each have unique boot entry identifiers (UUIDs) that vary per installation. You need to find these.

Run the detection script as administrator:

1. Navigate to scripts\detect-boot-entries.bat
2. Right-click → Run as administrator
3. Look for entries like:
   • Ubuntu: May appear as "ubuntu" or "Linux Boot Manager"
   • Windows: Usually "Windows Boot Manager"
4. Copy the identifier (GUID in curly braces, e.g., {12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012})

Example output:

Firmware Boot Manager
---------------------
identifier              {fwbootmgr}

Firmware Application (101fffff)
-------------------------------
identifier              {85e3790e-bc6e-11f0-8f85-dbeafe36350d}
description             ubuntu

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier              {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
description             Windows Boot Manager

In this example:

• Ubuntu UUID: {85e3790e-bc6e-11f0-8f85-dbeafe36350d}
• Windows UUID: {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}

3. Configure Environment Variables

1. Copy the example environment file:

   copy .env.example .env

2. Edit .env and fill in your actual values:

   # Boot Entry UUIDs (from step 2)
   UBUNTU_BOOT_UUID={your-ubuntu-uuid-here}
   WINDOWS_BOOT_UUID={your-windows-uuid-here}
   
   # Web Server Configuration
   SERVER_HOST=0.0.0.0
   SERVER_PORT=5000
   
   # Authentication (generate a new token for security)
   AUTH_TOKEN=your-secure-token-here
   
   # Optional: Restrict to specific IPs
   ALLOWED_IPS=

3. Generate a secure auth token (optional but recommended):

   # PowerShell
   [Convert]::ToBase64String((1..32 | ForEach-Object { Get-Random -Minimum 0 -Maximum 256 }))

   Or with Python:

   python -c "import secrets; print(secrets.token_urlsafe(32))"

4. Install Dependencies

# Create virtual environment (recommended)
python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate

# Install required packages
pip install -r requirements.txt

5. Run the Web Server

python app.py

Access the web interface at: http://localhost:5000

From other devices on your network: http://<your-pc-ip>:5000

Remote Access

Local Network Access

By default, the server is accessible from any device on your local network. Find your PC's IP address:

ipconfig | findstr IPv4

Then access from your phone/tablet at http://<pc-ip>:5000

Remote Access (Outside Your Network)

For access from anywhere, use one of these options:

Option 1: Tailscale (Recommended)

• Free, secure VPN mesh network
• Install Tailscale on your PC and remote devices
• Access via Tailscale IP (e.g., http://100.x.x.x:5000)
• Download Tailscale

Option 2: Cloudflare Tunnel

• Free permanent tunnel
• Provides public HTTPS URL
• Cloudflare Tunnel docs

Option 3: ngrok

• Quick temporary tunnels (good for testing)
• Free tier available
• ngrok http 5000

Security Notes

• Authentication Required: The AUTH_TOKEN in your .env protects against unauthorized access
• HTTPS Recommended: Use Tailscale or a reverse proxy for encrypted connections
• Admin Privileges: The app needs admin rights to modify boot order
• IP Whitelisting: Configure ALLOWED_IPS in .env to restrict access to specific devices

Project Structure

win-remote-boot-manager/
├── README.md                 # This file
├── .env.example              # Environment variable template
├── .env                      # Your actual config (not in git)
├── requirements.txt          # Python dependencies
├── app.py                    # Flask web server (coming soon)
├── scripts/
│   └── detect-boot-entries.bat   # Helper to find boot UUIDs
├── static/                   # CSS/JavaScript (coming soon)
└── templates/                # HTML templates (coming soon)

Troubleshooting

"bcdedit is not recognized"

• Ensure you're on Windows and running with administrator privileges

"Permission denied" when running bcdedit

• Right-click the script and select "Run as administrator"

Can't find Ubuntu entry in bcdedit output

• Your Ubuntu installation may not have created a UEFI boot entry
• Check your BIOS/UEFI settings to see available boot options

Web server not accessible from other devices

• Check Windows Firewall - you may need to allow port 5000
• Verify your PC and device are on the same network
• Try accessing via IP address, not hostname

Deployment to Other Machines

To use this on another dual-boot machine:

1. Clone the repository
2. Run scripts\detect-boot-entries.bat as admin
3. Copy .env.example to .env and configure with that machine's UUIDs
4. Install dependencies and run

Future Enhancements

• Support for multiple boot entries
• Scheduled boot changes
• Wake-on-LAN integration
• Multi-machine dashboard
• Mobile-optimized UI
• Windows service for auto-start

License

MIT

Contributing

Issues and pull requests welcome!