Dual Boot Problem with windows 8

If you correctly booted the Windows 8 installer to install to the chosen partition then it should have configured a Dual Boot. It updated the boot files on C which is Win7 partition. Those boot files would normally be on the 200mb System Reserved partition but somehow were moved to C. However this should not affect Win8 installer normally configuring a Dual Boot when it is correctly installed last from boot.

It's best to keep the boot files on Win7 (or System Reserved partition) so you can easily delete Win8 in Disk management without having to recover the boot files back to Win7.

What I would do now is boot the Win8 installer to run Startup Repair to sort out the Dual Boot.

Incidentally it's likely the Lenovo Recovery partition at the right end of your HD will no longer run after these changes have been made with the System Reserved partition losing the boot files to C and Win8 being installed. So I would make my Recovery Disks if you need a path back to factory condition. Then you can test the Recovery to see if it will cue up from boot and if not delete it.

I'd also recommend using Easy BCD to try to fix your problem.

Thank you all!!

I can now boot into W7 or W8. After I turn on the computer, there is a BIOS type screen that lets me choose W7 W7 or W8.

Yes that is right. There are 2 options for W7. The first works, the second one crashes instantly but then boots good like the first. When I boot into either W7 option, checkdisk is always started. Do you know why? I can choose to skip it, but then I have to be paying attention to the boot and it is kinda annoying.

You likely have disk problems stemming from the Lenovo System Reserved partition boot files being somehow moved into C, then the Win8 install from boot which did not configure the Dual Boot as it should.

It's too bad you didn't run Automatic Repair - Run in Windows 8 which would have repaired the nice Metro GUI style Dual Boot menu instead of sticking you with the ugly black Win7 boot menu which running EasyBCD did. That's why I suggested it and would still do it if you plan to keep the Dual Boot you have.

Since it's doubtful your Lenovo Recovery partition will run now either, I would strongly consider backing up your files to wipe the HD with Diskpart Clean Command then follow these steps to get a superior Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. Once it's set up you can avoid the problems which arose by following these steps to Dual Boot Installation - Windows 8 and Windows 7 or Vista.

If you want to keep what you have then be aware the 200mb Lenovo former boot partition is useless, and it's likely the 15gb Recovery partition is also useless although you can try running it from boot using the Fkey given on the first boot screen to see if it will cue up. How do I recover my factory installed programs and files? - Desktops and Workstations
How do I recover my system using ThinkVantage Rescue and Recovery

You can also try making your Recovery disks if you haven't. If not you have nothing to lose deleting those partitions to recover the space. You can check your file system at the same time using Partition Wizard to Move/Resize Partition - Video Help.

Feel free to ask back any questions so you can decide what you want and then I'll provide exact steps.

When I try to run the automatic repair it crashes instantly giving the error code 80070490.

What I would ultimately like is Windows 7 Home premium and Windows 8 to both work. I would like to choose what OS to boot using the Windows 8 metro style menu. I would also like to be able to uninstall Windows 8 without ruining my Windows 7 files. I would also like the Lenovo recovery stuff to work because I have had to use it in the past.

Also, I have recovery and restore disks that both work. I assume that means I don't need to worry about the built in recovery partitions?

Sorry I know that is a lot :)

That error code is only known to be an Updates issue in Vista. Are you running it from the booted Win8 DVD?

Where did you get the Win8 installer? Download the latest ISO and burn to DVD using Windows Image Burner.

If you're happy with your Win7 installation then how about reinstalling Win8 using the latest ISO burned to DVD and booted. Choose Custom install and then use Drive Options to delete the Win8 partition, create and format a new one to install. Dual Boot Installation - Windows 8 and Windows 7 or Vista.

This should configure the Dual Boot if it's done correctly. If not then you may have boot code that's interfering which is why I'd want to wipe the HD using Diskpart Clean Command and do it all over. But you can wait to see.

I'd still test the Lenovo Recov partition at boot to see if it cues up. With useless System Reserved and Recovery partitions it is begging for a reinstall if there is any stronger suggestion that you have conflicting boot code keeping Win8 from config'ing a Dual Boot.

I got the ISO from the microsoft site and no I wasn't booting from the DVD.

Everything works now except in the choose OS menu and in msconfig, windows 7 shows up 2 times.

It was not correctly installed if you ran the DVD from Win7 and didn't boot the disk. In that case Win8 doesn't even claim C as it should if correctly installed from boot.

Reinstall it from boot which is the most fundamental thing to get right when installing/reinstalling/repairing.

Everything works perfectly now!! I uninstalled W8 then reinstalled. I first tried with a dvd but that didn't work. The next 2 dvds I tried didn't work either. I eventually installed by extracting the ISO, going to sources, then setup.exe . That worked. I now had the metro style OS menu. I selected W7 and nothing happened and then it crashed. I went into easyBCD and moved the bootloader path from the C drive to a drive named BOOT (?) and it worked. The only problem was checkdisk would run everything. I fixed that with the admin CMD command "fsutil dirty query C (drive letter): " and found out that the C, W, and D drives were all dirty. I then used " chkdsk c (drive letter) /f/x) and it worked.