Startup Options - Enable or Disable in Windows 8

How to Enable or Disable New Startup Options Boot Menu in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

This will show you how to enable or disable the new Startup Options GUI boot menu in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1.

If disabled, you will see the old Windows Boot Manager screen like in Windows 7 and Vista at boot instead.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this tutorial.

   Note

• You will only see the new Windows 8 Startup Options GUI boot menu if you either multi-boot Windows 8 with another OS (ex: Windows 7 or Vista) with Windows 8 set as the default OS to run at startup, added Safe Mode to the Windows Boot Manager, use the Startup Options menu shortcut inside Windows 8, or boot from your Windows 8 installation media (ex: DVD/USB).
• If you dual boot Windows 8 with another OS (ex: Windows 7 or Vista), and the other OS (ex: Windows 7 or Vista) is set as the default OS to run at startup, then you will not see the new Windows 8 Startup Options GUI boot menu. Instead, you will only see the old Windows Boot Manager screen.
• If you added Safe Mode to the Windows Boot Manager and Safe Mode is set as the default OS to run at startup, then you will not see the new Windows 8 Startup Options GUI boot menu. Instead, you will only see the old Windows Boot Manager screen.
• This tutorial does not affect the Startup Options screen if opened using your Windows 8 installation media (ex: DVD/USB), or the Startup Options menu shortcut inside Windows 8.
• If you have fast startup (hybrid shutdown) turned on and do a hybrid shutdown from the Power menu, then you will still get the Windows 8 Startup Options GUI boot menu at boot no matter if you have set Windows 8 Startup Options GUI boot menu to be enable or disabled in this tutorial.
• If you disable the Windows 8 Startup Options GUI boot menu, then it will only not show at boot when you do a full shutdown or restart of the computer.
• If you disable the Windows 8 Startup Options GUI boot menu, then you will be able to press F8 at boot to boot to the Advanced Boot Options screen.

EXAMPLE: Windows 8 "Startup Options" GUI Boot Menu Enable or Disabled

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Here's How:

1. Open an elevated command prompt or a command prompt at boot.

2. In the command prompt, type bcdedit, and press Enter.

3. From under a Windows Boot Loader section, look for the description that has Windows 8 listed, and make note of it's identifier number (ex: {current} (in Windows 8) or {default} (at boot) ) . (see screenshots under step 5 or 6 below)

4. Do either step 5 or 6 below for what you would like to do.

5. To Enable the Newer Windows 8 "Startup Options" GUI Boot Menu
NOTE: This is the default setting.

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A) In the command prompt, type the command below and press Enter.​

NOTE: Substitute identifier number in the command below with your actual Windows 8 identifier number from step 3.​

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bcdedit /set {identifier number} bootmenupolicy Standard​

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For example:​

I would type this command below exactly since my Windows 8 identifier number is {current}.​

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bcdedit /set {current} bootmenupolicy Standard​

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B) Close the command prompt, and go to step 7.​

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6. To Disable the Windows 8 "Startup Options" GUI Boot Menu to have the old "Windows Boot Manager" Screen Instead

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A) In the command prompt, type either command below and press Enter.​

NOTE: Substitute identifier number in the command below with your actual Windows 8 identifier number from step 3.​

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bcdedit /set {identifier number} bootmenupolicy Legacy​

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OR​

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bcdedit /deletevalue {identifier number} bootmenupolicy​

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For example:​

I would type either command below exactly since my Windows 8 identifier number is {current}.​

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bcdedit /set {current} bootmenupolicy Legacy​

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OR​

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bcdedit /deletevalue {current} bootmenupolicy​

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B) Close the command prompt, and go to step 7.​

7. If you like, restart the computer to see the change.



That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How Run a "Automatic Repair" to Fix Windows 8 Startup Problems
• How to Boot to the Windows 8 Startup Options Menu
• How to Create a "Startup Options Menu" Shortcut in Windows 8
• How to Boot to the "System Recovery Options" in Windows 8
• How to Boot to the Advanced Windows "Startup Settings" in Windows 8
• How to Choose a Default Operating System to Run at Startup in Windows 8
• How to Delete an Operating System Listed in Windows Boot Manager
• How to Enable or Disable "GUI Boot" in Windows
• How to Load SATA Driver During Windows 8 Setup
• How to Boot from a USB Drive within Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Boot from a USB Drive on Surface
• Enable or Disable Always Automatically Boot PC from USB Drive in Windows To Go Startup Options

 

[Jm44jg39]

I believe my problem is that I don't have a "system reserved" partition on the ssd that Win 8 is installed on. My Win 7 ssd has a "system reserved partition". This may have been placed on the Win 7 ssd when I installed Win 8 pro. Is it possible to create a "system reserved" partition with a mbr on the Win 8 ssd. Right now, if I unplug the Win 7 ssd Win 8 will not boot.
Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Brink]

Do you have a retail Windows 8 installation DVD/USB to boot from and run the automatic repair from instead?

 

[Jm44jg39]

Yes. I have a retail Win 8 pro disk that I purchased from MS.

 

[Brink]

In that case, you should be able to boot from it to run the automatic repair.

 

[Jm44jg39]

Ok, thanks. I will try it. Will this procedure create a "system reserved" partition?

 

[Brink]

Since you dual boot with Windows 7 and Windows 8, it would have used your current Windows 7 System Reserved partition when you installed Windows 8 if Windows 7 was installed first.

An automatic repair will hopefully be able to fix your current boot manager, and allow you to boot using the new GUI again.

 

[sametoxxo]

@Brink Hello

i have tried couple times, and google it but i can't solve this problem;

first, I have installed EasyBCD and now when i run, i get old screen with Win8 and Ubuntu

however, to get standard; i followed ur steps; but when i type

bcdedit /set {current} bootmenupolicy Standard ------> also my identifier is same as urs {current}

i get this error:
The integer data is not valid as specified.
Run "bcd edit /?" for command line assistance.
The parameter is incorrect.

 

[Brink]

Hello sametoxxo, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Ubuntu may be throwing a monkey wrench in this. Go ahead and type bcdedit in the elevated command prompt, press Enter, and post back with the results to see what the issue may be.

 

[sametoxxo]

Hello sametoxxo, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Ubuntu may be throwing a monkey wrench in this. Go ahead and type bcdedit in the elevated command prompt, press Enter, and post back with the results to see what the issue may be.

 

[Brink]

sametoxxo,

I don't see anything that stands out for why this is happening, but I'm not familiar with dual booting with Ubuntu either. I would have to guess that something with Ubuntu may be the cause, but can't say what.

I've asked others to take a look to see if they may know.

 

[sametoxxo]

sametoxxo,

I don't see anything that stands out for why this is happening, but I'm not familiar with dual booting with Ubuntu either. I would have to guess that something with Ubuntu may be the cause, but can't say what.

I've asked others to take a look to see if they may know.

thank you very much; also if i find something i will share it here

 

[rdwray]

Bcdedit reports bootmenupolicy as standard and boots legacy. Tried Advanced Repair and it said "repairing disk" but no change. Tried deleting bootmenupolicy and it booted legacy. Reset to standard and it still boots legacy.

 

[Brink]

Hey rdwray,

Please go ahead and type bcdedit in your command prompt, press Enter, and post back with all of the results to see what the issue could be.

Did you install Windows 8 Pro with UEFI?

 

[rdwray]

This is a scratch install of Windows 8 Pro on a clean partition.

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier              {bootmgr}
device                  partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume2
description             Windows Boot Manager
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {globalsettings}
integrityservices       Enable
default                 {current}
resumeobject            {997d486f-5f67-11e2-9198-d65a11bae4cc}
displayorder            {current}
                        {b2e1dcfd-4ef4-11e2-ae77-f18f0e217593}
                        {b2e1dcfc-4ef4-11e2-ae77-f18f0e217593}
toolsdisplayorder       {memdiag}
timeout                 30
displaybootmenu         Yes

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {current}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows 8 64
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence        {997d4871-5f67-11e2-9198-d65a11bae4cc}
integrityservices       Enable
recoveryenabled         Yes
allowedinmemorysettings 0x15000075
osdevice                partition=C:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {997d486f-5f67-11e2-9198-d65a11bae4cc}
nx                      OptIn
bootmenupolicy          Standard
debug                   No

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {b2e1dcfd-4ef4-11e2-ae77-f18f0e217593}
device                  partition=D:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows 7 64
locale                  en-US
osdevice                partition=D:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {55d24cd2-4f5b-11e2-b3d9-806e6f6e6963}
bootmenupolicy          Legacy

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {b2e1dcfc-4ef4-11e2-ae77-f18f0e217593}
device                  partition=E:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Emergency 7 64
locale                  en-US
osdevice                partition=E:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {92129852-4edc-11e2-8b2d-806e6f6e6963}

 

[Brink]

Please go ahead and post a screenshot showing the full layout of your Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc) to better see what we're working with.

In addition, use the tutorial below to verify if you are using UEFI or legacy.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/29504-bios-mode-see-if-windows-boot-uefi-legacy-mode.html

 

[rdwray]

Installed Legacy...

 

[Brink]

Ah, that's why then. You'll only have the modern boot options ("Choose an option") screen available if you installed with UEFI instead of legacy.

 

[rdwray]

That's weird because it booted standard until I changed it to legacy. As a matter of fact it was booting standard yesterday and I had to change it to legacy for F8 and now it will not change back - Windows

 

[rdwray]

I just did some looking around and evidently this PC is not UEFI enabled. It also seems that if the BIOS is mouse enabled, it is UEFI enabled and this PC is BIOS mouse enabled. I think that the issue is that this is a Dell and their mother board is not an industry standard.

 

[Brink]

Your bcdedit report shows that you have Windows 7 (x64) on D: set to legacy instead of standard.

If you like, post a screenshot showing the full layout of your Disk Management to see if it may reveal an issue.