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Plop Boot Manager

Plop Boot Manager is a free program for booting different operating systems from a hard disk, floppy, CD/DVD, USB device, or network.

Place
#16 of 29
Score
6.0
Plop Boot Manager's website

What Plop Boot Manager is

Plop Boot Manager is a free program for booting different operating systems from a hard disk, floppy, CD/DVD, USB device, or network. Its built-in USB driver can start USB devices without BIOS USB boot support, and its IDE CD/DVD driver can boot optical media without BIOS support. It can be installed in the hard disk’s first sectors before the first partition, without adding another partition. It can also start from LILO, Syslinux, GRUB, GRUB4DOS, GRUB2, Windows boot.ini, or Windows BCD, as well as through PXELINUX over a network or as a BIOS option ROM. Configuration features include operating system profiles, support for up to 16 partitions, partition hiding, a boot countdown, and text or graphical interfaces. Password protection is available for the computer and its setup. The maker says it can access USB hard disks up to 2 TB even when the BIOS limit is 128 GiB. It is free for personal and commercial use, but may not be sold. The listed release is version 5.0.15, dated 2013-04-15. Settings cannot be saved when it is started from plpbt.bin rather than installed to the MBR; the software is provided as-is without warranty.

Good

  • Boots from hard disk, floppy, optical media, USB, or network
  • Built-in USB driver does not require BIOS USB boot support
  • Does not require an extra partition when installed before the first partition
  • Offers profiles and partition hiding
  • Free for personal and commercial use

Watch out

  • Settings cannot be saved when started from plpbt.bin
  • Listed release dates to 2013-04-15
  • Provided as-is without warranty

Who it suits

It may suit users who need to boot operating systems from different media or work around missing BIOS USB or optical-media boot support. Its documented integrations also cover several Linux and Windows boot managers.

Verdict

Plop Boot Manager offers varied boot sources, integration options, and configuration features at no cost. The older listed release and the inability to save settings from plpbt.bin are important limitations to weigh.

Plans and prices

From Plop Boot Manager's own pricing page, checked 7 Oct 2026.

All about pricing
PlanPriceWhat it gives you
Plop Boot Manager 5FreeFree for personal and commercial use · May not be sold · Provided as-is without warranty

The facts

Each one read from Plop Boot Manager's own pages, with the date it was checked.

What it does

Boot manager integrations
It can start from LILO, Syslinux, GRUB, GRUB4DOS, GRUB2, Windows boot.ini, and Windows BCD.checked 7 Oct 2026
Boot media
It can boot operating systems from hard disk, floppy, CD/DVD, USB, or network.checked 7 Oct 2026
Configuration
Features include operating system profiles, support for up to 16 partitions, partition hiding, boot countdown, and text and graphical interfaces.checked 7 Oct 2026
Current listed release
The download page lists Plop Boot Manager 5.0.15 dated 2013-04-15.checked 7 Oct 2026
Installation
It can be installed in the hard disk's first sectors before the first partition, without requiring an extra partition.checked 7 Oct 2026
License
The software is free for personal and commercial use, may not be sold, and may be included free in non-profit products.checked 7 Oct 2026
Optical media support
Its built-in IDE CD/DVD driver can boot optical media without BIOS support.checked 7 Oct 2026
Password protection
The boot manager provides password protection for the computer and its setup.checked 7 Oct 2026
Purpose
Plop Boot Manager is a small program for booting different operating systems.checked 7 Oct 2026
Support contact
The contact page provides a form for sending Elmar Hanlhofer a message.checked 7 Oct 2026
Usage limitation
When started from plpbt.bin instead of installed to the MBR, boot manager settings cannot be saved.checked 7 Oct 2026
USB disk limit
The maker says it can access USB hard disks up to 2 TB even when BIOS has a 128 GiB limit.checked 7 Oct 2026
USB support
Its built-in USB driver can boot USB devices without BIOS USB boot support, using UHCI, OHCI, and EHCI.checked 7 Oct 2026
Warranty
The software is provided as-is without express or implied warranty, and the authors disclaim liability for damages arising from its use.checked 7 Oct 2026

Where it runs

Network and BIOS integration
It can start over a network with PXELINUX or be stored as a BIOS option ROM.checked 7 Oct 2026

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