Fastest way to dual boot?

Discussion in 'Windows 8' started by CuteBirdy, Aug 21, 2012.

  1. CuteBirdy

    CuteBirdy MDL Junior Member

    Aug 17, 2012
    83
    4
    0
    I set up dual boot on my drive, one partition for one Windows 8 and another partition for another Windows 8. Now whenever I boot up, it will ask me which one to boot from. Which sounds good, but, I notice that whenever I choose to boot from the NON-DEFAULT partition, it will force the whole computer to restart and go through BIOS again, before proceeding to load the non-default partition. I find this very annoying, especially since my BIOS boot is slow. Is it normal? Is there a way to do a dual boot choice which will not cause the computer to boot from start of BIOS?
     
  2. MrG

    MrG MDL Expert

    May 31, 2010
    1,402
    1,623
    60
    I belleive you can still drill down in the W8 metro boot menu & change the default OS & several other things.
    Use the Change Defaults button @ the bottom.
     
  3. CuteBirdy

    CuteBirdy MDL Junior Member

    Aug 17, 2012
    83
    4
    0
    I've done that, the defaults don't fix the problem. Whenever you choose to boot from a volume that is different to the default volume (or if no default volume, the last volume you used), your computer will restart as if you pressed the power off and on button, and you have to wait for BIOS to complete again before it logs on the chosen volume.
     
  4. hbhb

    hbhb MDL Expert

    Dec 15, 2010
    1,017
    263
    60
    how did you setup your DB! coz I didnt do anything special on mine; except for the fact that I have Win7 and Win8 on different partition. anytime I choose one, it just goes and launch , no rebooting. Try EASYBCD 2.1 and verify your settings or you can check msconfig and set one or the other as default ,
     
  5. CuteBirdy

    CuteBirdy MDL Junior Member

    Aug 17, 2012
    83
    4
    0
    #5 CuteBirdy, Aug 21, 2012
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2012
    (OP)
    I had Windows 8 on one SSD. I reduced the partition size, and installed from boot (not while in Windows) another Windows 8 straight onto the unallocated space. I ended up with 3 partitions: a 350mb system partition, and two partitions containing Windows 8 separately. Whichever partition I boot into, the system drive is called C:. I intend to use one partition for work, and one for installing games and trash that could muck up the registry.

    Maybe the difference is due to me having a W8/W8 combo instead of your W7/W8?

    Is EASYBCD compatible with Windows 8, because a lot of "system tweaking" programs I am installing seem to be incompatible with it.
     
  6. Norfolk

    Norfolk MDL Novice

    Sep 6, 2009
    27
    3
    0
    Yes its very annoying to restart the hole PC to enter a non default OS.
    But if u have a dual boot 7 and 8 u can enter to 7 and choos 8 as your default OS then you will have the old boot manager
     
  7. hbhb

    hbhb MDL Expert

    Dec 15, 2010
    1,017
    263
    60
    Yes Sir

    Is EASYBCD compatible with Windows 8, because a lot of "system tweaking" programs I am installing seem to be incompatible with it.[/QUOTE]
     
  8. CuteBirdy

    CuteBirdy MDL Junior Member

    Aug 17, 2012
    83
    4
    0
    [/QUOTE]

    I tried to get EasyBCD but it won't let me download, it asks me for a name and address, I put fake ones in, then it says Thanks for Downloading but nothing happens.
     
  9. Rock Hunter

    Rock Hunter MDL Senior Member

    Dec 6, 2011
    423
    113
    10
    The Traditional Way To Change Default OS For Booting

    I use EasyBCD too because it's, well, easy. But you can also change the default OS the older way. Control Panel, System, Advanced System Settings, Startup and Recovery (click on Settings). From the dropdown list in the box at the top, select the OS you want to make the default. Then when you restart, it will boot up in the selected OS.
     
  10. pisthai

    pisthai Imperfect Human

    Jul 29, 2009
    7,221
    2,272
    240
    On Desktop. I use several OS's, each on it's own HDD. While booting, I use the BIOS Bootmanger for to chose from which HDD and therefore OS I like to start. On that way I didn't have to use some third party or other apps for to change the Boot OS. If I need to us n2 OS's side by side, I use Oracle VB, as now for to test Windows 8 Pro while Windows 8 Enterprise Eval is running on it's own HDD.
     
    Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...
  11. HALIKUS

    HALIKUS MDL Addicted

    Jul 29, 2009
    526
    371
    30
    #14 HALIKUS, Aug 21, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2017
    Change the order to the preferred one speeds it up. Also the "timeout" time. Save as a cmd


    Code:
    Set BCDEDIT=%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\BCDEDIT.exe
    :9ORDER
    :: 9 = Change WIM %STORE% Order
    cls
    echo.  
    echo   Ordering of items on the Boot Menu    
    echo.        
    set _count=1
    for /f "tokens=1* usebackq skip=1" %%a in (`"%BCDEDIT% | find "identifier""`) do (call :9ORDER1 %_count%)
    :9ORDER1
    if "%1" neq "" (set /a _count+=1 &for /f "tokens=1* usebackq skip=%_count%" %%c in (`"%BCDEDIT% | find "description""`) do (echo            %_count%. %%d &goto :eof))
    echo.
    echo   Choose one you want to put into the first slot
    echo.
    set _choice=
    set /p _choice=Enter a number (Q to quit): 
    if "%_choice%" equ "" goto :9ORDER
    if "%_choice%" equ "q" goto :START
    if "%_choice%" gtr "0" if %_choice% lss %_count% for /f "tokens=2 usebackq skip=%_choice%" %%a in (`"%BCDEDIT% | find "identifier""`) do (%BCDEDIT% /displayorder %%a /addfirst &goto :9ORDER)