WIndows 8 & Windows 7 Dual-Boot.

Hrishi

Hrishi

******************
Hi ,
Few weeks ago , I installed Windows 8 CP , alongside Windows 7 Ultimate in different partitions.

However While booting the two operating systems I noticed a sort of bug or probably say unwatned feature in Windows 8 Bootloader.

When the system is booted having Win8 bootloader , the default OS is win8.
Now if you will select Win8 in the option , it will take you straight away to Windows 8 Home/Login Screen in next few seconds.

However , When selecting /switching to Windows 7 option from Boot-menu ,first the laptop will reboot and then it will boot Windows 7 , rather than simply booting windows 7 just like earlier.


The windows7 bootloader was better than this , it was possible to boot WinXp,Win Server, etc staright away without rebooting the PC.

Is there any alternative to this , so as it doesn't reboots to start Windows 7.

Although not a big problem , but still It doesn't feels good.

---------------------- Update --------------------------

I am getting BSOD consistently while Booting Win7 on my Notebok.

Its HP DM1 , dual boot with WIn7 Ultimate and WIn8 consumer preview.

Win8 boots up fine w/o any issues.However while booting Win7 , most of the times the system restarts just before loading the WIn7 startup screen , and display a BSOD. It loads the OS once in a while.

ANy possible suggestion/fixes for this ??

---------------------- Update --------------------------
 
Last edited by a moderator:
CyberKID

CyberKID

In search for Tech Gyan!
Rishi. said:
Hi ,
Few weeks ago , I installed Windows 8 CP , alongside Windows 7 Ultimate in different partitions.

However While booting the two operating systems I noticed a sort of bug or probably say unwatned feature in Windows 8 Bootloader.
............
The windows7 bootloader was better than this , it was possible to boot WinXp,Win Server, etc staright away without rebooting the PC.

Is there any alternative to this , so as it doesn't reboots to start Windows 7.

Although not a big problem , but still It doesn't feels good.
Click to expand...

This is not a problem or a bug at all. Windows 7 has its own boot procedure, which has to load from the beginning to load windows. As suggested by Gauravs90, you can set windows 7 as the default os, and this will be solved. I did it on my system and now it's ok. The bugs, according to me are:
a) While you have windows 8 set as the default os, when you select windows 7, the os sometimes just fails to boot simply showing blank black screen.
b) The other problem I was facing was sometimes, when I used win7 on my system, shut it down and when I again tried using windows 8, the trackpad simply didn't respond.
Is there anyone else facing such issues?
BTW, I'm using a Dell Inspiron 14R in dual boot config with first, the stock Windows7 Home Basic, and the second being Windows8 Consumer Preview.
 
OP
Hrishi

Hrishi

******************
Okay , But any Idea how to get direct boot using Win8 Bootloader. ?
And btw , setting up 7 as default will change the bootloader ?
 
CyberKID

CyberKID

In search for Tech Gyan!
in Windows 8, as far as I remember, there's an option available to set the default OS. Regarding the Bootloader, you'll have to compromise on something or the other. You can't continue using the Windows 8 bootloader to directly load windows7.
 
OP
Hrishi

Hrishi

******************
Well yes it works , I tried it.Back to Win7 loader, but I was wondering why Win8 doesn't have something of this sort. Is it that they compromised this for faster boot times ?
 
B

boyans

Right off the assembly line
There are some misunderstandings with Windows 8 boot manager.
Windows 8 boot manager can do everything Windows 7 boot manager can do.

Coming back to boot behavior:

1. If you want to make Windows 8 to be default loader and have old "text style" boot menu and behavior:
bcdedit /set {id} bootmenupolicy legacy

switch back

bcdedit /set {id} bootmenupolicy standard

YOU HAVE TO USE bcdedit in Windows 8 as parameters/elements are new.

2. Setting element displaybootmenu for {bootmgr} to true
OR
bcdedit /ems [{ID}] { on | off }
brings always old "text style" boot menu !
These two parameters have precedence.

For comfortable changing of elements (and complete view of BCD contents)
you can use Visual BCD Editor.

For boot menu "metro-style" / "text-style" see explanations here.
 
OP
Hrishi

Hrishi

******************
boyans said:
There are some misunderstandings with Windows 8 boot manager.
Windows 8 boot manager can do everything Windows 7 boot manager can do.

Coming back to boot behavior:

1. If you want to make Windows 8 to be default loader and have old "text style" boot menu and behavior:
bcdedit /set {id} bootmenupolicy legacy

switch back

bcdedit /set {id} bootmenupolicy standard

YOU HAVE TO USE bcdedit in Windows 8 as parameters/elements are new.

2. Setting element displaybootmenu for {bootmgr} to true
OR
bcdedit /ems [{ID}] { on | off }
brings always old "text style" boot menu !
These two parameters have precedence.

For comfortable changing of elements (and complete view of BCD contents)
you can use Visual BCD Editor.

For boot menu "metro-style" / "text-style" see explanations here.
Click to expand...

Thanks buddy , Thats what I was looking for. I will try them tommorow.:)
 
OP
Hrishi

Hrishi

******************
Well , I am not able to capture error code , since its there just for a wink , then reboots. I will try to make a video and get a snapsht out of it.
 
topgear

topgear

Super Moderator
Staff member
al-right .. try this :

boot into windows 8 - go to the partition where win 7 is installed and navigate to Windows > system32 folder - there you'll two files get a file named winload.exe and winload~1.exe
Now rename the winload.exe file to winload.bak and rename the winload~1.exe file to winload.exe.
Restart the pc.
 
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