Dual Booting Windows 7 and Windows 8

[jaxder]

What you can see is exactly what I can see. I opened folder options and found that "View Hidden Files/Folders" is already checked.

 

[boyans]

The system partition is small - I think Windows 8 creates a 350 MB partition by default.
I would not make it active !

It is best to have more room on "System Reserved" at least 350 MB for Win8 or just make a bigger partition active which will hold boot files for Win7/Win8.

If you can still boot to any Win8 or Win7:
1. install VBCD package
2. run "Dual-boot Repair" tool
3. click "Automatic Repair", confirm.

This will rewrite/recreate Windows 8 boot files on active partition.

Reboot.

Add Windows 7 to boot menu:

Delete old entries for Windows 7 (click on entry, right-click, select "Delete")

Now select "Create missing Windows loaders". This should create a boot entry for Windows 7.

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If you cannot boot from hard disk:

1. Insert Windows 8 installation USB/DVD and boot from it.
2. Run StartUp Repair up to three times with rebooting after each run.

Alternatively you need only two commands from repair console:
bootsect /nt60 all /mbr
bcdboot c:\windows
(assuming Windows 8 is on c:, else change drive letter accordingly)

Then steps listed above for adding Windows 7 to boot menu.

 

[boyans]

This is the search result for winload.exe on Windows 7-64bit, en-us:


It is ok to use
\Windows\System32\Boot\Winload.exe
as an alternative to default
\Windows\System32\Winload.exe

Path (ApplicationPath) for Windows 7 loader (winload.exe) can be changed manually.
File must be signed by Microsoft or boot fails !

 

[jaxder]

Would it just be easier for me to format the HDD and do a clean-install of Win8 and Win7 with Win8 as the primary?

 

[theog]

Always good to do a nice clean install.



http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2344-dual-boot-installation-windows-8-windows-7-vista.html
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...e-firmware-interface-install-windows-8-a.html

 

[boyans]

It is always ok to format and make a new installation but it takes a lot of time.

If the system is not demagged beyond repair fixing it takes no longer than 2 minutes.

It is always good to start the day with creating a new restore point - restore time lasts a little longer than reboot.
This helps a lot when you install new software. If new software has bad side effects on system - just restore system to known good state.

BCD should be saved separately (if you play with dual-booting and change boot params) as restore does not keep track of BCD.