Weird Windows 7/Windows 8 Dual Boot problem

So I have Windows 7 on an SSD that is Disk 0. I decided to make a dual boot with Windows 8 for Hyper V because I have a class where I need to setup VM's with it (but thats not the point).

Anyway, I wiped my secondary hard drive (Western Digital 300gb HDD) and created a partition to load Windows 8 on. After that I installed it with no problems and was up and running in a few minutes. So I never switched back to Windows 7 in the Bios because I was busy setting up some servers on HyperV but this morning I go to switch the boot order in Bios from my HDD to the SSD with Win7. No errors came up, it just went straight back to Windows 8. So I restarted the computer again to check bios again, same problem.

So I checked fdisk and found that my Windows 7 partition on the SSD was no longer the active partition, so I made it active then tried again. This time I get Bootmgr not found. So I go back into Windows 8 and google around bit and end up getting Visual BCD, now when I boot into the HDD (windows 8) I get a screen that allows me to choose between Windows 8 and Windows 7. Now, worst case scenario, I'm ok with booting into the HDD from now on and choosing between the two OS, but I'd rather be able to switch the boot priority and it be correct. Right now if make the SSD (Windows 7) the first boot priority, I get the Bootmgr error and it won't boot into Windows from the SSD. I can only boot into Windows 7 after I change the bios so that the HDD (Windows 8) boots first and I can choose between 7/8.

After that, windows 7 boots perfectly fine... but I like things to happen the way they should happen so I wanted to know if anyone knows a fix I can use for this problem.

Thanks in advance.

Do you have two System Reserved Partitions?

No, I only have 1, its on the SSD (Windows 7).

Looks like the Windows 8 install, did not add the it's boot files to the Windows 7 System Reserved partition.

Please post back a screenshot of your maximized Disk Mgmt drive map with listings, using the Snipping Tool in Start Menu.

Normally if you don't unplug the other HD the second OS installed merely updates the other OS's existing boot files to create a Dual Boot. But it sounds like you may have something else going on which we can discern from the drive listings.

It looks the same from Windows 8 besides the fact that my SSD turns into (E: ) and the HDD is (C: )

The Win7 System Reserved partition has been deactivated and is no longer booting Win7. This might have happened because the Active flag was removed from it prior to Win8 install causing 8 to write it's boot files to its own partition instead of editing those on existing System partition per normal. More often this happens because another OS gets marked Active and enough Startup Repairs are run that the System boot files are written to the Active partition.

Whichever, you have the System boot files on Win8 partition which HD must be set first in BIOS boot order to boot correctly. To add Win7 to a Dual Boot menu I would install EasyBCD (click Download - no Name or Email required) to Win8, on Edit OS Menu tab delete all but the Win8 listing. Then on Add OS Entry tab add Win7 by unique name, type and drive letter. Reboot to Dual Boot menu.

If this fails or you 'd prefer to boot via the BIOS - setting preferred HD to boot first, then triggering the other when needed using one-time BIOS Boot Menu key - then mark Win7 System Reserved partition Active, power down to unplug Win8 HD, boot into Win7 DVD or System Repair Disk to run Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times until Win7 boots and SysReserved holds the System Active flags. You may have to remove the Dual Boot menu from Win8 using EasyBCD.

In addition sometimes running Windows 8 Automatic Repair from boot will sort a dual boot correctly.

Hi gregrocker,

Are you sure its ok to recommend a program, EasyBCD, which is breaking copyright law ?

We have been recommending EasyBCD since these forums' earliest days without any complaints that I know of.

It has been used so many times here that if Easy is legally questionable wouldn't we have heard about it by now?

But since this is the second time you've dinged me on it perhaps you could explain what the problem with it is.