Solved How to access multiboot menu from Windows 8 startup

brucekn

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I have been using Windows 7 Pro (64) for several years, and today installed a newly purchased Windows 8 Pro (64) OS. I looked on-line and found many articles on how to multi-boot back to Windows 7 after installing Windows 8, and believe I have done this correctly (more below), but when booting up I do not ever see a multi-boot menu, my system boots directly into Windows 8.

When installing Win 8, I booted from my CD/DVD drive with the Win 8 OS media in the drive. (I had previously reduced the volume of my Windows 7 drive and created a new partition that I called "Windows8". ). At the appropriate time in the Win 8 install I chose "Custom", then chose the newly created "Windows 8" partition, then proceeded with the Win 8 OS install. As mentioned above, I do not see the multi-boot menu when booting up, however when in Windows 8 I can see the Windows 7 drive in "Computer", so it was not over-written.

I looked through the forums here and found this post:
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...hoose-default-os-run-startup-windows-8-a.html

and am wondering if I should try Options 2 through 4 (1 of)? I build my own PCs so know something about PC's, bt not much about booting to an OS.....

Another options might be installing a third party boot manager, which I have not yet done, but if this is an idea I should pursue then any recommendations would be great.

Thanks- my reason for getting back to Win 7 is to be able to use the PC while I learn and setup Win 8 over time. I went into this believing that getting a multi-boot capability would be very easy. It's possible that I have screwed up, but any suggestions would be much appreciated.

THanks, Bruce.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
I would first start with Option 4,, and run bcdedit to see if the entries are all there for Win7 and Win8
If not, you will have to do Option 4 completely,
If they are listed,, you can then try Option 2 and 3,, but,,, if the OS is not showing up there at all.
Then something went wrong during the install.

You can also take a look at EasyBCD,,,,

I can't tell you it will fix your issue, but it might. Or it might Help...

EasyBCD - NeoSmart Technologies

In the end, you may have to try to add the Boot Menu Option in for windows 7. I am trying to locate something on that now.

However, you can try this using EasyBCD.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    I7-3770K
    Motherboard
    ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77
    Memory
    CORSAIR 8GB 2X4 D3 1866
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GTX680 4GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS 24" LED VG248QE
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG E 256GB SSD 840 PRO -
    SAMSUNG E 120GB SSD840 -
    SEAGATE 1TB PIPELINE
    PSU
    CORSAIR GS800
    Case
    CORSAIR 600T
    Cooling
    CORSAIR HYDRO H100I LIQUID COOLER
    Keyboard
    THERMALTA CHALLENGER ULT GAME-KYBRD
    Mouse
    RAZER DEATHADDER GAME MS BLK-ED
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    APC 1000VA -
    LGELECOEM LG 14X SATA BD BURNER -
    CORSAIR SP120 Fans x 3 -
    NZXT 5.25 USB3 BAY CARD READER -
    HAUPPAUGE COLOSSUS
I was thinking though... depending on how you shrunk the partition.
It is possible that the Boot manager got really messed up and now resides on Windows 8's partition.

As theog requested,, it would be easier to troubleshoot with screen shots if what I posted doesn't help.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    I7-3770K
    Motherboard
    ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77
    Memory
    CORSAIR 8GB 2X4 D3 1866
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GTX680 4GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS 24" LED VG248QE
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG E 256GB SSD 840 PRO -
    SAMSUNG E 120GB SSD840 -
    SEAGATE 1TB PIPELINE
    PSU
    CORSAIR GS800
    Case
    CORSAIR 600T
    Cooling
    CORSAIR HYDRO H100I LIQUID COOLER
    Keyboard
    THERMALTA CHALLENGER ULT GAME-KYBRD
    Mouse
    RAZER DEATHADDER GAME MS BLK-ED
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    APC 1000VA -
    LGELECOEM LG 14X SATA BD BURNER -
    CORSAIR SP120 Fans x 3 -
    NZXT 5.25 USB3 BAY CARD READER -
    HAUPPAUGE COLOSSUS
Welcome to EightForums.

Can you post a screen shot of Disk management?


Do you have a uEFI/BIOS firmware?

Yes, I have uEFI, my mobo is a P8P67 (ASUS), about a year old.

My disk management: You can see Disk 2, E: is where I want to be able to boot up into for Win7, C: is Win 8

Thanks for the help, Bruce

Win 8 Diskl Management.PNG
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Thanks Tepid,

I tried "Option 2" and I can't see anything other than "Windows 8" under "Startup and Recovery". I assume that this is what sets the properties for the multi-boot screen, as I see the timeout "Time to display list of operating systems" (defaults to 30 seconds).

As far as how I shrunk the volume of this HD- I was in Disk Management in Win 7, right clicked on the drive, selected "Shrink Volume", then I created a new partition in the (now) empty space, called it Windows8, and proceeded to install Win 8 as previously described.

Thanks for your help, I might look at EasyBCD.

Thanks, Bruce.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
OK, I have just looked around at Disk management and found something. I could swear that I installed Win 8 on the same HD as Win 7 (after shrinking the previous partition). I can recall looking at the used size of the original volume to determine what size I wanted to shrink to. But what I am seeing now is that the HD that is partitioned into 2 segments (one containing and named Windows 8) has it's other partition empty, no files. But the Windows 7 files are on a separate HD. Win 7 is on Disk 1, and Win 8 (plus the partition with no files) is on Disk 2. The only HD that I had with no files at all was one I installed yesterday, an SSD that I was intending to use for my flight sim. So, based on what i "THINK", Win 8 is on a partition on my new SSD, Win 7 is on another totally separate HDD media. What does this mean? Should I try to boot up to the other drive (Win 7) through uEFI/BIOS? Or should I try to assign it through EasyBCD (that I already have downloaded and opened, but no changes yet).

Is there a significance to all of this? Thanks, Bruce.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Thanks theog,

Before I saw your post (I assume you have seen the followup posts), I ran EasyBCD and and added an entry to the boot menu, selected the other media as Windows 7 (where I can see my Win 7 files). I now get a multiboot menu, when I selected Windows 7 the PC back through POST (I assume that's normal?), and came up in Windows 7. I'm not sure what the PC will try to do next time I re-boot, I assume that it will need to always use the Win 8 HD to access the boot menu? I assume this is what you are saying in your last post, to get all the media back to normal hierarchy as far as the boot process is concerned?

Thanks- I really appreciate the help here.

Bruce.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
As your screenshot in post 5.
You have Windows 8 boot files on I:
Windows 7 boot files on D:

Should be all on the same partition.

EasyBCD not need.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Not the same partition. or the same drive. It does not need to be all on the same drive.

Basically it is what I thought,, Win8 actually replaces the BCD I think. but in this case it didn't add the boot record for the Win7 boot.
If you were able to successfully add the Win7 boot entry back in with EasyBCD (which I do believe you can by doing what you did, however, you could have just changed it to the Win7 boot, hard to say without knowing exact steps) and you can successfully reboot and choose either 8 or 7 and boot into both, you are fine.

Yes, when you boot it will start to boot into Win8, when you choose Win7, it will re-post the system and boot 7. That is normal.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    I7-3770K
    Motherboard
    ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77
    Memory
    CORSAIR 8GB 2X4 D3 1866
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GTX680 4GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS 24" LED VG248QE
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG E 256GB SSD 840 PRO -
    SAMSUNG E 120GB SSD840 -
    SEAGATE 1TB PIPELINE
    PSU
    CORSAIR GS800
    Case
    CORSAIR 600T
    Cooling
    CORSAIR HYDRO H100I LIQUID COOLER
    Keyboard
    THERMALTA CHALLENGER ULT GAME-KYBRD
    Mouse
    RAZER DEATHADDER GAME MS BLK-ED
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    APC 1000VA -
    LGELECOEM LG 14X SATA BD BURNER -
    CORSAIR SP120 Fans x 3 -
    NZXT 5.25 USB3 BAY CARD READER -
    HAUPPAUGE COLOSSUS
There should only be one ACTIVE Partition/HDD, were all boot files are stored.


As the screenshot in post 5.
You have Windows 8 boot files on I:
Windows 7 boot files on D:

Should be all on the same partition.

EasyBCD not need.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Thanks theog and Tepid. It's times when I see so much knowledge as you both collectively have that I understand how much I don't know...

Tepid- thanks for verifying what I am seeing having worked with EasyBCD.

theog: Disk 0 (I: in Win 8) contains non-OS files, it is and has always been in Disk 0 (my error maybe in building the system, as you will note Disk 0 and 1 are identical hardware). As far as I know there are no boot files on this HD, unless Disk 0 always has to be the one first looked at by the system for a boot record- which I know is the way that the older PC's using IDE worked many years ago.

Disk 1 (D: in Win 8) is my Win 7 HD. It only contains Win 7 OS and some document/data files.
Disk 2 (E: in Win 8) is a new SSD. I mistakingly partitioned this HD thinking I was partitioning my Win 7 HD, so Win 8 in on the second partition of this drive.
Disks 3 and 4 are external HD's containing backups and data.

You see something in my screenshot (which I cannot) that indicates (correctly) that Win 7 boot files are on D: and Win 8 on C:.

I think I would like to restore my system to what it was before I installed Win 8 and partition the correct HD, I understand that doing what you say would do that in pointing the boot process to the boot record on D: first?? Am I correct?

Thanks, Bruce.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Disk 0 (I: in Win 8) contains non-OS files,

Boot are installed to the first ACTIVE partition, I: is
Also boot files are hidden.

I think I would like to restore my system to what it was before I installed Win 8 and partition the correct HD, I understand that doing what you say would do that in pointing the boot process to the boot record on D: first?? Am I correct?

Yes, I would mark the I: partition INACTIVE, & move to Disk 2.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Thanks theog,

You have my image of Disk Manager in Win 8 in post #5 in this thread. I am also posting the same disks in Win 7's disk manager below. You will see the same disks, however note that "Disk 0" is now the SSD that I partitioned and installed Win 8 onto. This same SSD is Disk 2 in the Win 8 disk manager (post #5). I would have thought that the "Disk #" would correspond to a physical position that the SATA cable is intalled to... or something defined in BIOS, I'm surprized to see a new configuration of disks between the 2 OS's (and I have not phyically or otherwise made any other changes, othjer than to run EasyBCD and include the Win 7 boot files into my Win 8 boot manager.). You said that the boot files are on the "first active partition"- is the "first active partition" different when looking from my Win 7 or Win 8 perspectives?

You said: "Yes, I would mark the I: partition INACTIVE, & move to Disk 2.[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]" Since I am currently booting now to the Win 8 boot manager, then selecting Win 7, I assume that I am initially accessing I:, then booting to the Win 7 OS. So, if I mark I" inactive, won't that stop me booting up? Or do I also need to change the boot priority in BIOS to get to the Win 7 HD? [/FONT]


Thanks- I probably should go and look up some info on boot management in a PC, but any comments you might have a most welcome.

Bruce.

Disk Manager Win 7.PNG
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Your first ACTIVE boot partition is now D:

Windows 7 has a little bug that some times changes Disk No: round.

I would mark D: INACTIVE.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Thanks theog, I have done as you suggested and all works well again, I am booting now directly into Win 7.

Just 2 more questions- am I now free to delete my existing Win 8 partition and start over with a new partition on what is now my primary boot drive? And what should I learn from this to ensure I aren't having the same issue of not being able to boot into Win 7 next time? :)

Thanks for the help, Bruce.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Just 2 more questions- am I now free to delete my existing Win 8 partition and start over with a new partition on what is now my primary boot drive?

Yes, you are free to reinstall,
But why would you need to?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
I installed Win 8 on the incorrect drive (SSD) to start with, and I need all of that SSD space for my flight simulation (lots of files :) ). As well, now that I am booting directly into HD #2, I am now not getting any multi-boot option to go to Win 8. I guess I could use EasyBCD again, but that doesn't solve my SSD space issue. But re-installing Win 8 again now raises questions about getting back into another problem issue with my Win 7 (as occurred about 24 hours ago). Is there any reasoning as to why I would have had this issue in the first place? If I re-install Win 8 it would now be on the HD as Win 7 (separate partition).

Thanks, Bruce.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
What partition will you use?
From screenshot post 15.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
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