Installing Windows 8.1 on 2nd HD makes it a multi-boot?

rasmasyean

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How exactly does this work?

In the past I installed Windows 8.1 with Windows 7 on an old HD.
I forgot exactly what I did, but it turned into a multi-boot prompting startup.
Then I found out later on when I removed one of the HD's, it can no longer boot.

Recently, I did a Windows 8.1 with another Windows 8.1 on the first HD and it had the mutli-boot thing.
So I reinstalled it with the old HD removed.
So when I boot the new HD with the old HD reconnected, it works as intended.
When I boot the old HD, it gives me THREE Windows 8.1 options to select.

How did this happen, as I didn't even have the old HD connected when I installed the OS. Does it detect a new OS and modify itself while you're booting it?

Is there a way to correct it? i.e. turn it into a single-boot HD?
 
For a multi-boot install you need to install the older Operation System onto it's own disk or partition, this installs the boot files along with the actual system files.

You then install the second Operating system (which must be the same as or newer than the original), onto it's own disk or partition. The installer should recognise the original OS and offer to update this. If you choose not to update the OS but to install a new copy the installer Will add the OS files to the partition or drive specified, and also Modify the original Boot files on the original partition to offer the dual boot.

If you at a later time decide to remove the original Partition or drive then the later install will no longer work as it cannot find the boot files.

In this instance you can run a boot repair from the OS install media to re-install the boot files to the correct partition or disk, This often needs to be run a number of times (three or more) to fully repair the issue
 
OIC, I guess that explains a lot. Thanks.

Curious, can you run a "boot repair" to transfer a bootable HD between different computers? Will it automatically update all the drivers/settings to make the OS work on different hardware? What if you have identical hardware in the different computers.
 
This type of thing is possible, it's easier with Windows 10 than it is with Windows 8.x but I would not recommend it as there is usually some item that causes issues, and of course it's also difficult to pin down. The time taken to troubleshoot this type of transfer is normally far longer than that to install a fresh OS onto the new system and a completely empty drive.

As for identical hardware, this is a rare thing to see in it's pure form. I used to specify batches of PCs from the likes of Dell, HP etc and there would often be different hardware at the driver level in supposedly identical systems. they were minor changes but enough to cause issues when imaging was used to speed up deployment
 
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