I made several search without results: What I would like to do. I have a HD drive with two partitions, and I want install Windows 8 Ent on partition 1, then dual boot and install windows 8 Pro WMC on the second one. I know how to manage XP, Vista, Win7 dual boot, but how to choose between Win 8 OS at boot if they have the same boot code ? Thanks for any input.
Thanks you for response; I was thinking about EasyBCD. Should I install it on the first already installed OS or on the second one ? Will it show two different boot codes or should I need to manually create a new entry ?
I like and use EasyBCD when I have to, but you don't have to use it in order to dual-boot Windows 8 editions. Or even Windows 8/Server 2012. They present a Win-7 style boot menu by default for me to choose from. Maybe that's because on both of my PCs they used to have Windows 7 installed, and I always have two boot partitions - my currently working one, and my old one, or one that I'm experimenting with. You can still use MSConfig to change which one boots by default, and how long to wait at the boot menu. If you've never dual-booted with Windows 7 and maybe therefore don't get the old style menu trying to dual-boot 8, I know someone on here asked and got answered how to easily add back the boot menu option with some BCD command.
Just checked what EasyBCD creates for a Win 8 boot loader entry: 6 elements in BCD. The boot loader entry created by installation of Win 8 has 14 elements. Two elements are for recovery. So EasyBCD misses 5 elements: InheritedObjects SiPolicy AllowedInMemorySettings NxPolicy BootMenuPolicy ResumeObject is created/recreated whenever you reboot so no problem. There is no need to use EasyBCD - when creating/installing a dual-boot system with two versions of Windows 8 the dual boot is created automatically. EasyBCD clearly fails to create a standard Win 8 boot loader boot entry (misses 5 elements). SiPolicy and NxPolicy should be there. BootMenuPolicy switches text or metro style bootmenu for loader and boot manager.
Correct, I have imaged my C partition before installing Windows 8 Eval and the dual boot has been set without any other software. I was worried to loose one boot as the two OS are identical with no hierarchy like XP and Win 7. Thanks you.
Bluescreen,you can also install windows 7 or windows 8 on a second HDD and still have a dual boot. This is exactly what I have: windows 8 installed on HDD (C:\) and windows 7 install on another HDD (D:\) and every time I boot my PC i am presented with a choice to make between booting in win8 or win7. win7 is a default if I don't choose the PC boots in win7.A nice setup . You should try it.Thanks!
Ya I use 3 diff. HDDs w/ 6 OSs installed on them & using the Windows boot menu to choose which I want to boot to, if its other than the default. I set mine up using DBP though.
Thanks, but I do not like that way of multiple drives. I already have a drive with triple boot in RAID 0. Linux Ubuntu, XP SP3, Windows 7 Ultimate. Windows 8 is on another Drive with a lot of space to play with. I have now 2 partitions with two different Win 8 versions with the bootloader win 7 style as described by I.S. I have made an electronic switch with multiple output some time ago, just to use the Drive I want at Boot without running all Hard disks on idle. Anyway thanks for suggestion.