# Solved: Make Win 7, 8 and Maybe Linux Bootable



## doggyofone (Oct 6, 2007)

Having no fun with the Win 8.1 - call it downgrade. Had problems from the start. I've had Win 7 for some time. I bought Win 8 and an SSD and did an upgrade from 7-8 on the SSD with no problems using Paragon Migrate OS to SSD - worked very well. This left me with Win 7 on a 320 gig hard drive and Win 8 on an SSD. I didn't touch Win 7 after that until the Win 8.1 downgrade which left me with an unstable Win 8 OS. When trying to boot into 8.1 I was getting very slow response, odd startup of some programs, lockups, etc. I tried to run safe mode (recovery) in Win 8 to see what I could do to fix, but it was very hard to get into and not much use when I finally did. The last time I tried to get into safe mode in 8.1 the computer booted up into safe mode for Windows 7. Since then restarts are in Win 7, not 8. The boot into 7 rearranged the drive letters and the Win 8 SSD became an NTFS (Healthy active, primary partition), no boot, page file, etc. C: = Win 7, E: = Win 8. Since then I have not tried to start Win 8 - not sure how. (See attachment).

To make a long story short, having Win 7 available has been really helpful. I would like to keep it available and updated while also having Win 8 as an option.

Is there a decent start-up software for choosing which system to boot up?
Is there a way for me to repair Win 8 (disk E) so that it is bootable?
The third question is whether or not I can boot up a Linux OS (Cinnamon) onto a partition on a disk and play around with it - with the same boot up software? 

Perhaps a related problem was that an external storage drive had some how become unusable during the upgrade - since repaired with chkdsk /f (Gparted error log attached). I don't know if this was the primary reason that Win 8 was running so poorly. Before it was repaired it showed as a Raw disk J: and E: Win 8 disk was not shown in Computer or Disk Management. When J: was shut down E: became visible again. All disk show now that J: was fixed with chkdsk.

Would really appreciate some help with this. 
Thanks


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

On Windows 7
going control panel 
system
advanced system settings on left pane
then settings button on startup and recovery
what O/S are shown on the drop arrow please


I am not meaning to use them now, but what images and backups and recovery discs/drives do you have please


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## doggyofone (Oct 6, 2007)

Thanks for your response.
Just Windows 7 shows under OS System Startup. 

All drives including the SSD with Win 8 show in my computer. Win 8 is on the SSD. There are two Windows folders on the SSD: *Windows.~BT (this folder is hidden and in light yellow shading) and Windows
I have Win 7 recovery, Win 7 images, Win 7 system repair disc.
I backed up the SSD with Paragon yesterday. 
I have Acronis backups of the SSD - Win 8 and an Acronis bootable disc. I have my Win 8 disc, but can't find a recovery disc - may have never made one. 
Let me know if you need more.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

I would try and I am unsure it will work in the circumstances
1. *bcdedit /v*
on a cmd prompt with admin rights in 7
at least then we will know if windows 8 is even listed on the boot manager

2. The problem has been caused by leaving the windows 7 drive/disk connected when upgrading to 8.1 and then of course the change in drive letters
although I do appreciate that it is a little too late now

3. It may NOT do anything but I would try EassyBCD and see if you can rebuild the BCD however that of course depends on EasyBCD even seeing the 8
Use the free one

I have read what backups you have I am a little unsure how good you will find Acronis if you do need it

Run the bcdedit and I will add to this post the EasyBCD link

Here you are
http://neosmart.net/EasyBCD/

free one ignore the register now just click it and then go straight to download
Here is brief guidance the rest is on the link

https://neosmart.net/wiki/easybcd/dual-boot/bcd-based/

basically you open easybcd and see first what it finds, if it recognises both OS you are in with a good chance


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## doggyofone (Oct 6, 2007)

bcdedit /v showed only Windows 7. 
Windows 8 did boot after installing 8.1 update and then stopped booting. Somehow the boot instructions we damaged/removed in Win 8. 
Will give this a try. Thanks for your help


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

How many GUID does it show


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## doggyofone (Oct 6, 2007)

Not sure what you mean. I created a Windows 8 partition on e with EastBCD:
There are three Windows Boot Loader entries
1- device partiton=C:
2- device=partition C: Windows 7
3- Device partition=E:


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## doggyofone (Oct 6, 2007)

The difference with the new partition versus Win 7: 
no inherit, no recoverysequence, no recoveryenabled, no resumeobject, no nx,no numproc, no usefirmwarepcisettings


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Sorry you are a step ahead of me it was my fault for not asking you to post the bcdedit
the Globally Unique Identifier is the long set of numbers and letters on bcd

I am a little unsure now how you are going with EasyBCD
To save me a lot of typing you either need to work from the first set of instructions I sent but only if EasyBCD finds the 8

OR you need to use this method
https://neosmart.net/wiki/easybcd/dual-boot/bcd-based/

There are many options, but make sure before you rebuild that you save the present bcd as explained on the link

Dealing with post 7 IF IT WORKED the O/S list should now have changed to reflect that - I mean the adding 8 on E
If that is so and the O/S list has changed you now MAY go advanced to customize the entries OR you MAY be able to do that after in bcdedit on a cmd prompt - but the latter is NOT as easy

https://neosmart.net/wiki/easybcd/basics/advanced-settings/


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## doggyofone (Oct 6, 2007)

Okay. I did create a Win 8 partition. There was no Windows 8 when I opened Easybcd. No errors when created
Here is what is shown in Easybcd:

There are a total of 2 entries listed in the bootloader.

Default: Windows 7
Timeout: 10 seconds
Boot Drive: C:\

Entry #1
Name: Windows 7
BCD ID: {current}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe

Entry #2
Name: Windows 8
BCD ID: {7b3c4aec-4a5d-11e3-bc3e-001a4d53b76d}
Drive: E:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe

I noticed that Startup and Recovery now shows Windows 8.
I can screen print the bcdedit results, but can add to this message.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

BE CAREFUL with those advanced options
Last time I used them I had to start again from scratch

no need to print screen
right click top bar of cmd window
click edit
click select all
click top bar again
click edit
click copy
and paste to reply

Looking at 10 from Easy BCD and 8 now shown on startup and recovery 8 - 8.1?
have you tried a boot - you can always go back to easy bcd

DO NOT FORGET SAVE SETTINGS before you exit EasyBCD


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## doggyofone (Oct 6, 2007)

Wasn't aware I could do the cut and paste. 
Didn't do anything in advanced, just checked and saw the Windows 8 option

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Daddio>bcdedit /v

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device partition=C:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {7ea2e1ac-2e61-4728-aaa3-896d9d0a9f0e}
default {7a1ff550-c0ff-11de-a086-ae84f4e2386b}
resumeobject {7a1ff54f-c0ff-11de-a086-ae84f4e2386b}
displayorder {7a1ff550-c0ff-11de-a086-ae84f4e2386b}
{7b3c4aec-4a5d-11e3-bc3e-001a4d53b76d}
toolsdisplayorder {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}
timeout 10

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {7a1ff550-c0ff-11de-a086-ae84f4e2386b}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7
locale en-US
inherit {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
recoverysequence {7a1ff551-c0ff-11de-a086-ae84f4e2386b}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {7a1ff54f-c0ff-11de-a086-ae84f4e2386b}
nx OptIn
numproc 2
usefirmwarepcisettings No

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {7b3c4aec-4a5d-11e3-bc3e-001a4d53b76d}
device partition=E:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 8
locale en-US
osdevice partition=E:
systemroot \Windows

C:\Users\Daddio>


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

See my last we posted together

If you saved setitings in EasyBCD you look to me as though you should get a dual boot with default as 7


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## doggyofone (Oct 6, 2007)

OK, will give it a try. 
Thanks for this great help.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Please do not keep me in suspense TOO LONG 
Hope it is good


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## doggyofone (Oct 6, 2007)

The boot menu offered Windows 8.1, but there was an error when I chose it. The message was to run the Win 8 disc and repair. The option was to enter and choose the repair method - I did this - F8. An error came up
File: \windows\system32\winload.exe
Status Oxc0000428
Info: Windows cannot verify the digital signature for this file. 
So the option appears to be inserting the Windows disc and run the recovery tool.
Suggestions?


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

To be honest I am not sure
There is I think two possible reasons - 

Enter the name you'd like to associate with the entry you're about to create in the "Name" box. For instance, "My Windows 8.1 Installation"
Select the letter of the drive/partition Windows is installed on from the drop-down menu (e.g. "C:").
It's important to note that the Drive Letter must be the one *currently visible in My Computer* that points to the drive that Vista/7 is installed on. Even if the drive letters change from install to install, use the drive letters _as they appear in your current boot_. EasyBCD will automatically convert them to the proper drive and partition numbers that can be understood by the Windows bootloader.
I have a triple boot here of 8, 7 and xp and the drive letters change depending on which I boot into, although I appreciate you could only boot 7 - so presumably it was still C and E for 8

I do not know, but you said you created an entry for 8
and bcd shows 8
I am just pondering if BCD should show 8.1


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## doggyofone (Oct 6, 2007)

I did correct the entry to 8.1 and used you suggestion. The drive letter is correct
I didn't touch anything in advanced settings in easybcd.
Safe mode normal
PAE support Default
Noexecute Optin
And allow use of unsigned drivers on a 64-bit Windows is unchecked. 

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device partition=C:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {7ea2e1ac-2e61-4728-aaa3-896d9d0a9f0e}
default {7a1ff550-c0ff-11de-a086-ae84f4e2386b}
resumeobject {7a1ff54f-c0ff-11de-a086-ae84f4e2386b}
displayorder {7a1ff550-c0ff-11de-a086-ae84f4e2386b}
{7b3c4aec-4a5d-11e3-bc3e-001a4d53b76d}
toolsdisplayorder {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}
timeout 10
displaybootmenu Yes

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {7a1ff550-c0ff-11de-a086-ae84f4e2386b}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7
locale en-US
inherit {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
recoverysequence {7a1ff551-c0ff-11de-a086-ae84f4e2386b}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {7a1ff54f-c0ff-11de-a086-ae84f4e2386b}
nx OptIn
numproc 2
usefirmwarepcisettings No

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {7b3c4aec-4a5d-11e3-bc3e-001a4d53b76d}
device partition=E:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description My Windows 8.1 Installation
locale en-US
osdevice partition=E:
systemroot \Windows

I guess I will try a repair with the Windows 8 Disc.


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## doggyofone (Oct 6, 2007)

Odd that in Disk Management the e: drive shows as a "Healthy active primary partition", but C: is shown as "System, Boot, Page file, crash dump, primary partition".
Should E: show "System, Boot, Page file, crash dump, primary partition"


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Yes I was just about to post
we need the boot manager on 8 as the older operating system cannot easily recognise the newer operating system

You may be successful with a manual rebuild from the cmd prompt of the windows 8 disc

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/ht/rebuild-bcd-store-windows.htm

I am signing off sorry that we have not got it right so far


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## doggyofone (Oct 6, 2007)

Thanks for helping


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Cheers good luck with it 
It may rebuild on the cmd prompt from the windows 8 dvd

I will post another guide when I find it in my database

Here you are
although it says 7 and vista etc.
It is the same procedure for 8
except on UEFI firmware and looking at your BCD yours is not UEFI it is the more usual BIOS system
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392

make sure you run it on the cmd prompt from the windows 8 DVD


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## doggyofone (Oct 6, 2007)

Thanks again for all your help and will give it a try and let you know.


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## doggyofone (Oct 6, 2007)

Well I finally got this thing fixed. It was an issue with conflicting dates in bootmgr. I could see both boots - win 8 and win7, but when I selected Win 8 I got this error - 0xc0000428 'Windows cannot verify the digital signature for this file.' - \Windows\system32\winload.exe. I googled and found this article: 
https://neosmart.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9274, 
I followed the post that 1-post wonder wrote, did the copy function from Win 8 to Win 7 and was able to boot up, either system. Everything is working fine now. Thanks for the help Macboatmaster.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Excellent find by you
Well done


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