Member Avatar for Dean_Grobler

Hi there,

I have a machine with 2 harddrives. One has Windows 7 installed and the other has Windows 8 Consumer Preview installed. Since my Win8 is my primary, it starts up into windows 8 without even showing the bootloader.

Is there a way for me to go add the other HDD that has win7 installed to the win8 bootloader so that I can choose between the 2 OSs when starting up?

Thanks in advance!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by sylprose2

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Short practical guidance for based on the two-disk setup described and the suggestions from , , and : the simplest safe way to add the Windows 7 install to the Windows 8 boot menu is to use Windows’ built-in tools (no third‑party GUI required). This preserves the current Windows 8 "system" disk and injects a proper boot entry for the Windows 7 volume.

Steps (run an elevated Command Prompt from Windows 8; assume the Windows 7 volume is D: — change letters as needed):

bcdedit /export C:\bcdbackup
bcdboot D:\Windows
bcdedit /timeout 15
bcdedit /enum all

Notes and troubleshooting: the first command exports a backup of the BCD store. bcdboot D:\Windows installs the boot files for the Windows 7 installation and creates a menu entry automatically. bcdedit /timeout sets how long the boot menu waits. If the machine uses UEFI/GPT instead of legacy BIOS, mount the EFI system partition and run bcdboot D:\Windows /s S: (where S: is the EFI partition) so the correct EFI entries are updated. If the new entry fails to start Windows 7, use Windows recovery media and run Startup Repair on the Windows 7 disk (or, if needed, use recovery tools to repair that installation’s boot files) rather than repeatedly editing the MBR.

When a GUI is preferred, the thread’s EasyBCD recommendation is a valid alternative, but the bcdboot approach is quick, scriptable, and avoids extra installers. Always keep a working recovery USB/DVD and a BCD export before changing boot configuration.

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Member Avatar for 117

The harddrive with windows 8 might be the primary harddrive.
Which means that the harddrive with windows 7 is secondary.

There might be an error in the bootloader on your other harddrive,
otherwise you should take a look at your BIOS, Check that the windows7 harddrive is the primary harddrive.
I can't tell you exactly how to do it, as BIOS varies depening on manufacturers.
Usually you can enter BIOS by pressing and holding DELETE or F12.

"Assuming you know what you are doing".

NOTE: Entering BIOS and changing settings, may result in massive problems.

Other solutions:

Another alternative might be to access 'msconfig' on Windows 8 and enter a timeout value,
which means that the boot will make a timeout for the arbitrary value in seconds.

Otherwise, there might be a program called easyBCD that can create a boot entry point.

Question:

Can you access the windows 7 harddrive from windows 8?

Hope that helpful information.

Member Avatar for mjdodd

I believe there are a number or boot laoder programs that will do the job you want quite easily. Google boot loader windows, or boot menu and take yoour pick. This is probably a better notion than editing the current master boot record (MBR) on your hard disk but it could also be done by ading a line to that file (open the file in a text editor and) welll perhaps not for the inexperienced.
good luck
M%

Member Avatar for JorgeM

Have you considered running Windows 8 as a VM. It's an easy simple way of evaluating operating systems without the fuss of screwing around with your desktop OS. Windows 8 CP runs great on VirtualBox.

Configure virtualbox: http://www.itgeared.com/articles/1099-running-windows-8-developer-preview/
Install Win 8 as a VM:

Member Avatar for arezz09

use this software "easy bcd"...

Edited by arezz09
Member Avatar for eltonpiko

best thing to do is on you win 7 machine create a vhd and install windows 8 on your vhd once you finish with it you just delet the vhd file and wont mess up for boot config.

Member Avatar for sylprose2

If it is only booting Windows 8 automatically and do not show Windows 7 listed in the Windows Boot Manager, then you can try any boot manager software to add Windows 7 in Windows Boot Manager. For Boot Manager Software you can search on Google. There are many many Boot Manager, one of them is "EasyBCD".

It's a Dual boot problem and I guide you from another DELETED I read before.

Edited by happygeek because: link snipped
commented: spammy link deleted -2
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