Dual Boot Default OS Change

[wptski]

I have W7 and W10TP on different physical hard drives.

If needed, how can I change the default boot OS from the command prompt from WinRE or W7 Repair Disk and/or W10 Recovery USB flash drive.

I've searched and found many with two OS's on the same physical HD but not on separate HD. They state to just mark the desired HD partition as Active and run the OS Repair function three times. Would that be the same procedure as well for separate HD?

 

[AddRAM]

If you had the other hard drive disconnected during the installs, then simply go into the bios and set the proper hard drive to boot first.

When you want to boot from the other OS, you simply use the 1 time boot menu key to choose the other hard drive.

If not, you simply use msconfig or EasyBCD to set the default OS.

Do you have a dual boot screen to choose the OS now ?

 

[wptski]

I really didn't want to explain the situation but I guess that I will.

I added an extra HD to put W10TP on but installed W10TP three times because I'd get into a W10TP has run into a problem, checking and a reboot loop. Since the install sets W10TP as the default, you go in circles as you never get a chance to get into MSCONFIG. IIRC, after about three loops or so you get other options like a Repair or use another OS. If I powered down, I'd get an OS selection screen but also a CHKDSK for every partition on both drives. I found the cause of the problem but from then on I kept W7 as my default boot OS.

So I was wondering if/how to make the change other than getting back to an working OS "if" this ever happens again.

Yes, I get a dual boot screen. If I powered down from W10TP I get a blue colored OS option screen and if powered down from W7 I get the black/grey screen. Reboots from W10TP, no OS choice and it boots into W10TP. Even if I hit F12 and select W7, I boot into W10TP!

Using F12, I can select the CD/DVD or a USB Flash Drive but either HD gives me W10TP.

 

[AddRAM]

Sorry you had to explain things, as we are not mind readers

Let us know if you ever get 10 installed properly.

Without answering questions I can`t help you, Good Luck

 

[wptski]

Sorry you had to explain things, as we are not mind readers

Let us know if you ever get 10 installed properly.

Without answering questions I can`t help you, Good Luck

I wouldn't say that it isn't installed properly, it just works funny on dual-boot. I even posted in Technet about the startup blue selection screen and they stated that they couldn't reproduce it. I happened to turn OFF the Fast Boot option and that stopped it.

Well one can mark a partition as active from the Disk Management Screen and from the command prompt using DISKPART so I was just asking how to change the default OS other than the normal every day way.

 

[gregrocker]

Please post back a screenshot of Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image
without which we would only be guessing.

Tell us what's on each partition and exactly what you want to do. We will give you the steps as we have for thousands of others without a single failure.

 

[wptski]

With W7 set as my default OS, first screen is from W7 and the second from W10TP.

 

[whs]

https://neosmart.net/wiki/easybcd/basics/changing-default-entry/

 

[ThrashZone]

Yep 10 screws it up with every major update that requires a restart so the conventional way is the easiest way,
10 sets boot at 0 seconds so that throws most other ways down the drain unless your pretty quick to get to the bios screen

 

[gregrocker]

Is that the original factory install for HP or Dell? That's the worst possible install of 7 one can have. It would possibly have been booted by Recovery which could have caused problems when installing 10 with it connected. Did you move the System partition to C by marking itActive to run 3 Startup Repairs or another method?

This is another reason why its best to unplug the other HD when installing anotherOS lest it merely Update the boot files on the old System partition making the new OS dependent upon it to boot.

You can reinstall 10 correctly or try marking it Active to run Automatic Repair with 7 drive unplugged. If this fails you will need to use more advanced methods possibly known at EightForums since they are its specialists.

Either way once 8 is System Active and boots itself if you don't like booting Secondary via BIOS Boot Menu keyyou can install EasyBCD to add the other from your choice of Primary Drives set first to boot, getting the Boot Menu you prefer. The drives will remain independently bootable.

 

[wptski]

That's an W7 factory install on a Dell. I haven't moved, marked or repaired anything after adding the second HD and installing W10. IIRC, on 9860 build, W10 as default OS, I could reboot into W7 but could no longer do that on 9879 but put W7. Maybe an update changed that.

Having W7 as the default is no problem, it doesn't matter as long as I have a path to change. My question was, how to change the default OS from the command prompt? One solution from my TechNet post was to use BCDEDIT /Default (boot loader identifier) which should work.

 

[ThrashZone]

I've just looked at from what 10 wants to be stand point,
10 wants to be the default and changes to that goal every shut down or boot for updates,
What I've done is added a hot swap ssd case,
Only one ssd is ever inserted or hot at any one time so each boot loader is independent of each other and works best that way,
If I want to use 7 I insert that ssd and 10 the same no possible corruption from 10 to 7's booting
Alpha 10 will not frustrate me anymore on startup or complete removal of 10 to clean install anther build if I feel the need too