dual boot not working....cant choose between the choices

[msongs]

hello. tried a dual boot setup. when the black screen shows after bios runs, the one that offers the choice of 2 systems. there is no way to choose one over the other. down arrows dont do anything, enter does nothing, tab does nothing either. so after 30 seconds the screen changes to the windows needs repair thing and I have to push the off button.

wondering how to get the up down arrows or tab to move and let choose

 

[AddRAM]

Have you done a startup repair to get into either system yet ?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html


What 2 systems did you d boot ?

 

[msongs]

i put a linux program in its own partition on my second hd. the bios option shows choose between win7 and the linux. just can't get the arrows etc to move from one to the other. i have boot options set to hard drive first, but i have 2 hard drives so not sure how to tell them apart in bios

 

[msongs]

got into win 7 so

guess I will go to the 2nd hd and delete linux. maybe that will remove the non functioning dual boot option.

 

[AddRAM]

Delete it and unplug it til you get windows booting again.

You will probably have to wipe it clean using the Diskpart command, Gregrocker is an expert on that

 

[msongs]

win 7 loading up now but first...

I get the dual boot choice screen that is not selectable. then win 7 goes ahead and boots, just a delay while that process occurs. bit mistake trying to get linux working....cause it dont

 

[AddRAM]

You can install EasyBCD to cleanup the bootscreen.

http://easybcd.en.softonic.com/

Download EasyBCD Community Edition 2.2.0.182 Free - A handy tool for tweaking your system - Softpedia

And here`s the clean, clean-all tutorial.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html

 

[King Arthur]

Just to clarify, can you confirm that your keyboard is functioning properly? Can you still not interact with your bootloader with a different keyboard connected? It would be sad to find out later down the road that it was all just your keyboard being faulty.

 

[AddRAM]

I would sure hope that was checked out.

The dual boot should have been done with the 7 hard drive unplugged.

 

[3D Jed]

Just a long shot here - is the keyboard USB? If so does it work during POST ie can you hit del (or whatever) and get into BIOS? If the BIOS needs USB legacy enabled, this can prevent a USB keyboard working before Windows starts. I have an old ps/2 keyboard ti get into BIOS when this problem arises.

my 2 cents . . .

 

[msongs]

the story continues...

used another keyboard, the kind with the round plug with the pins and tab. got to black dual boot choice screen and nothing works - arrows, enter, escape, f8. then it booted into windows ok.

disconnected the second hd and still got the dual boot screen, then loaded windows. the second hd with the linus partition was no longer there.

now just have to stop the dual boot screen loading.

 

[AddRAM]

Did you install EasyBCD on 7 yet ?

http://easybcd.en.softonic.com/

 

[msongs]

got it with chrome

will try it later this pm. thanks for the suggestions

 

[AddRAM]

You can use it to delete any non existent operating systems and set the right OS as your default.

Take your time with it, it`s a little tricky if you`ve never used it before.

If you set the timer to zero you shouldn`t even see the OS option boot screen and it should, I say should, go straight to windows.

 

[msongs]

that program made things worse...........

followed the tutorial for easyBCD(?) and it made things worse. it moved the boot to C; and when I rebooted the computer now the black dual boot choice screen is set to linux not windows and the controls STILL will not do anything...no arrow up or down, no escape, no f8 no nothing. that was the original request for help, those controls will NOT WORK.

after the countdown the boot process moved on to a linux error screen.

going to stick in the win 7 original disk and see if I can undo the damage

fortunately I can boot into vista and have a useable computer.

 

[msongs]

windows 7 has disappeared!!!!!!!!!!!!

Im looking at disk management and the Vista drive has now been made C: partition and the windows 7 partition/drive has disappeared!!!!!

well that program certainly has a big effect

 

[AddRAM]

You just didn`t use it correctly, the program has worked fine for many people here.

You were supposed to delete the Linux entry.

And did you choose windows as the default OS and save ?

Don`t know how you managed to change the drive letters, windows is always C when you`re booted into it.

Try to run a startup repair to get 7 booting again.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/257048-dual-boot-windows-7-linux.html


You said you were dual booting 7 and Linux, where did Vista come from ?

 

[msongs]

managed to get win7 back TG

disconnected the drive w vista and linux on it. now back to the dual boot screen w\7 and linux even tho linux is not even on the hard drive. after rebooting a bunch of times the keyboard now can control the boot screen for some reason unknown.

went to msconfig and made 7 the default os but still get the dual boot screen. set the wait time to 1 second before 7 boots up but that is doable.

used the tutorial for easy bcd and that caused the vista drive to turn into the c drive instead of the win7 being the c drive

at least the computer is pretty much useable.

linux, when installed according to the step by step directions...never again thanks

 

[Golden]

used the tutorial for easy bcd and that caused the vista drive to turn into the c drive instead of the win7 being the c drive

That's not possible unless you had both hard drives plugged in when you installed either Vista or Windows 7, or both. Often the bootmanager/files will span two disks if they are both connected when performing the install.

Follow this tutorial so we can decipher your disk/partition structure. Make sure both disks are connected when taking the screen capture image.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/274797-disk-management-post-screen-capture-image.html

 

[AddRAM]

used the tutorial for easy bcd and that caused the vista drive to turn into the c drive instead of the Windows 7 being the c drive

That statement makes no sense.

When you`re in Vista, Vista is C and 7 would be another letter. When you`re in 7, 7 is C and Vista would be another letter. The operating system you`re in should always be C, unless you install an OS from within another OS, which is the wrong way to do it. Hope that makes sense to ya.

EasyBCD is such an easy program to use. Linux is what gave you the problems. Stay away from it unless you know what you`re doing. Or at least install it on a drive all by itself with no other drives connected to the system.

Nice cpu cooler by the way, maybe you could share your temps with us.