Dual Boot Issues with Windows 7

cyearns

New Member
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I have two hard drives (Drive0 - Windows 7 Drive1 - Windows 8). Windows 7 was working great, I booted off the CD, installed Windows 8 onto Drive1 but upon reboot I never get any dual boot options, it acts as only Windows 8 is installed. I don't think it matters, but Windows 8 seems to lock up on reboot too (maybe a seperate issue). But for now my computer is useless.

I tried disabling Drive1 in the BIOS to force it to boot to Drive0 but I get a Windows 8 start up error saying files are missing.

Any thoughts on how to get this dual boot setup corrected? Let me know if you need more info.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 and Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    AMD Althon XP 2800+
    Motherboard
    Asus an7n8x Deluxe
    Memory
    PC3200 - 2 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
Physically disconnect the Windows 8 HD.
Make the Windows 7 HD, disk0 & first HD boot in BIOS.Also connected to the first Sata Port on the MOBO.



information   Information
Boot up using the Startup Repair CD or Windows 7 DVD. (not the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disk) If you have a Netbook, you will need a CD/DVD drive.
NOTE: Make sure no USB drives are plugged in.
Do not use a USB Pendrive for Startup Repair.
startup repair disc-create



Do a Strartup Repair:
Startup Repair - Windows 7 Forums
Note: You may need to do startup repair 3 to 4 times.
Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times - Windows 7 Forums
 

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
EasyBcd did it for me.

But I was on a dual partition. This will seem clumsy for some, but this is what I did. I used Acronis, but any image program will do. I made a new image of Windows 7. I then installed Windows 8 (From a DVD). Went into Admin tools and shrank the partition. (Windows 8 had taken over the Whole disk and 7 was gone). I then imaged Windows 7 back to the new partition I had created and used Easybcd to set up a dual boot. I had to repeat the easybcd operation for some reason, but now all is working 100%.

P.S. Later. I have read, since posting, that many have installed in twin partitions, with a dual boot option. I have no idea why, but I was not offered an option to choose a partition.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Use several different computers during a day, so specs are irrelevant.
I'll give it a try, I just figured disabling it in the BIOS would basically be the same thing.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 and Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    AMD Althon XP 2800+
    Motherboard
    Asus an7n8x Deluxe
    Memory
    PC3200 - 2 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
EasyBcd did it for me.

But I was on a dual partition. This will seem clumsy for some, but this is what I did. I used Acronis, but any image program will do. I made a new image of Windows 7. I then installed Windows 8 (From a DVD). Went into Admin tools and shrank the partition. (Of coures, Windows 8 had taken over the Whole disk and 7 was gone). I then imaged Windows 7 back to the new partition I had created and used Easybcd to set up a dual boot. I had to repeat the easybcd operation for some reason, but now all is working 100%.

I done a dual partition today, with no problems.
 

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've normally done dual boot on different partitions, but I figured I had 3 hard drives, why use paritions when I could just use another hard drive.

I'm at work now, so I'll have to toy with this more when I get home.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 and Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    AMD Althon XP 2800+
    Motherboard
    Asus an7n8x Deluxe
    Memory
    PC3200 - 2 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
Hy there ...
Exactly the same thinghappend to me yesterday, but with XP SP3 on HDD 1 (SATA, 3 partitions C,D,E) and win 8 on HDD 0 (IDE, 1 partition F). Installed succesfuly but no dual boot. I`m startind win 8, all good but looking to My Computer I see that HDD 0 changed his letter to C and the 3 partitions on HDD 1 are now D,E,F. Kind of scared at that particular moment, because I was absolutely shure there will be no problems this way.
So now I couldn`t go back to my XP. Disconected the HDD 0; getting error message about some files missing (a screen that seems particular to win 8). Reconected the HDD 0 and deleted the partition using XP system DVD. No good, again. At this point I`m really annoyed, HDD 1 having all my data.
So I insert XP system DVD, start the setup and go for a repair of drive C: (surprise, the letter is back). All goes well untill system restarts and my screen goes black, no signal (I suspect a conflict due to my video card, a Gigabyte with NVIDIA 7300, and my on board vidoe card being disabled). I`m shuting down, disconect the Gigabyte, enable the on board video card, the computer starts, but can not load all services and restarts automaticaly. I`m getting BSoD with the message: Windows SubSystem system process terminated unexpectedly and dumping all memory on disk.
A new repair did not work.
Do you have any idea on making it work without reinstalling fresh ?
Thanks for reading this.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    WIndows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Sony Vaio SVE1511
    CPU
    i3
Hy there ...
Exactly the same thinghappend to me yesterday, but with XP SP3 on HDD 1 (SATA, 3 partitions C,D,E) and win 8 on HDD 0 (IDE, 1 partition F). Installed succesfuly but no dual boot. I`m startind win 8, all good but looking to My Computer I see that HDD 0 changed his letter to C and the 3 partitions on HDD 1 are now D,E,F. Kind of scared at that particular moment, because I was absolutely shure there will be no problems this way.
So now I couldn`t go back to my XP. Disconected the HDD 0; getting error message about some files missing (a screen that seems particular to win 8). Reconected the HDD 0 and deleted the partition using XP system DVD. No good, again. At this point I`m really annoyed, HDD 1 having all my data.
So I insert XP system DVD, start the setup and go for a repair of drive C: (surprise, the letter is back). All goes well untill system restarts and my screen goes black, no signal (I suspect a conflict due to my video card, a Gigabyte with NVIDIA 7300, and my on board vidoe card being disabled). I`m shuting down, disconect the Gigabyte, enable the on board video card, the computer starts, but can not load all services and restarts automaticaly. I`m getting BSoD with the message: Windows SubSystem system process terminated unexpectedly and dumping all memory on disk.
A new repair did not work.
Do you have any idea on making it work without reinstalling fresh ?
Thanks for reading this.

You could try a Repair install of Win XP.

Repair Windows XP by Performing a Repair Install (Part 1 of 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
hy,
i'm trying to install windows 7 and windows 8 in dual boot, but i didn't
i can install windows 8 over windows 7. i've done a second partition on my SSD, but on restart whent win 8 is loading files it appers this: ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting ideea why?
thx


I would redownload the ISO, & burn the DVD.
Than follow those to tutorials:
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...-usb-dvd-windows-8-developer-preview-iso.html
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2344-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-windows-8-a.html
 

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
theog: You could try a Repair install of Win XP.

Done that twice, but only this didn`t work.
After some digging on forums I followed these steps:
1. entered Safe mode and disabled everithing related to Avast! and Windows Firewall;
2. rebooting in safe mode still and installed SP3 for XP;
3. normal reboot and the system works and stays running.
Seing that all is ok, I went to safe mode to enable the thing at number 1. Windows firewall was on automatic so I enabled Avast. At reboot, the system frozen. Went back to safe mode and uninstalled Avast completely.
Now, after installing some other 99 updates that windows found, everithing works. Hope that was all.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    WIndows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Sony Vaio SVE1511
    CPU
    i3
i did it today exactly like those tutorials....only one difference i formated NTFS the partition that i want to install windows 8. do you think that is the PROBLEM?

* my SSD in bios is set up on IDE mode.



hy,
i'm trying to install windows 7 and windows 8 in dual boot, but i didn't
i can install windows 8 over windows 7. i've done a second partition on my SSD, but on restart whent win 8 is loading files it appers this: ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting ideea why?
thx


I would redownload the ISO, & burn the DVD.
Than follow those to tutorials:
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...-usb-dvd-windows-8-developer-preview-iso.html
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2344-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-windows-8-a.html
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 7
As far as the original issue. I guess I was crazy. I went to work on it this afternoon and everything is fine. Win 8 boots up, I get the boot menu, etc. The only thing I did was boot the PC up with the Win 7 disc and run startup repair. It came back and said it couldn't detect a problem. So I'm guessing I just missed the boot option before. Guess that's what i get for doing more then one thing at a time.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 and Windows 8
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    AMD Althon XP 2800+
    Motherboard
    Asus an7n8x Deluxe
    Memory
    PC3200 - 2 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
Strange for me too.

At first , only had the option to boot into 8.

After running 8 startup repair - selected repair win 8 , It activated a Primary partition on the same HD as the win8 partition and put winre on it.

Then tried win 8 startup repair again , this time selected to repair win7.

After telling bcdedit to display the menu - I now I have the full boot menu back
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Right,
I'm not receiving Windows 8 boot screen anymore after permitting Windows 7 to operation. It's as if the boot menu is gone though I can still access the operating system's selection & manipulation through dvd's.
Any idea's?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Vista Ultimate 64, Windows 7 Professional 64, Windows 8 64 Preview
    CPU
    i7-965
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