EVGA x58: Automatic Boot Order Menu

[Eluros]

Greetings, all,

So, I successfully installed Windows 7 on my PC and want it to dualboot with XP; unfortunately, I did so on a physically different SATA hard drive, which I've discovered makes it nearly impossible to control with an OS-based boot menu. However, I have discovered that, by changing the order of the hard drives in BIOS, I can control whether I boot into XP or 7.

Is there a way to configure the motherboard BIOS so that, whenever the computer is turned on, it asks me whether to boot to one hard drive or the other? As it stands, I can get to that menu by rapidly pressing a certain button (I don't recall what it is off the top of my head, and I'm at work at the moment), but it'd be great if it would simply prompt me which hard drive to boot first each time. Eventually I'll want to turn off this functionality, but for the time being, it would be tremendously helpful to be able to do this.

Lastly, is there an easy way to just handle the boot menu from an OS itself? I've tried EasyBCD and bcdedit via the command prompt. I may have missed something, though.

Thanks so much! I appreciate all questions/comments/etcetera. Let me know if I can clarify anything, as well.

 

[Billb2]

Since you installed to two different HDDs (I assume you removed one or changed the boot drive in the BIOS or windows would have taken care of giving you a dual boot menu) you now have two boot drives, each with its own boot files and boot loader.

In the long run you'd just be better off wiping the Win7 and reinstalling it correctly. There are workarounds, but a correctly done reinstall is the easiest way.

In the future remember that the boot files go onto the first sector of the HDD that is set as the boot drive in the BIOS, no matter where you put the actual Windows files. So never change the boot drive before installing a second (or third, or fourth, etc.) OS. Windows will see the previous boot files and modify them in such a way that you will get a boot loader screen with an OS choice whenever the computer boots. Its all built into Windows and happens automatically.

 

[Eluros]

Billb2,

Since you installed to two different HDDs (I assume you removed one or changed the boot drive in the BIOS or windows would have taken care of giving you a dual boot menu) you now have two boot drives, each with its own boot files and boot loader.

Yes, that is correct.

In the future remember that the boot files go onto the first sector of the HDD that is set as the boot drive in the BIOS, no matter where you put the actual Windows files. So never change the boot drive before installing a second (or third, or fourth, etc.) OS. Windows will see the previous boot files and modify them in such a way that you will get a boot loader screen with an OS choice whenever the computer boots. Its all built into Windows and happens automatically.

I do appreciate your feedback; however, I'd prefer not to reformat if at all possible. As it stands, it's not really a problem, just a little inconvenient to adjust the booting hard drive via the BIOS. If what I originally asked for exists-- a pre-OS way to enable a boot menu based off the hardware itself that automatically displays-- it would presumably be simple and convenient.

Thanks again!

 

[PCTC2]

You could use BCDedit in the command prompt. Put Windows 7 as the primary boot drive and set Windows XP as the secondary, and then you can try to use BCDedit to set up a bootloader. Otherwise, you can use grub on your Primary Boot drive, and use it's chainloader function to get to either HD's bootloader (root(hd0,0) or root(hd1,0)).

 

[lopri]

Some boards will let you choose which to drive to boot, without entering BIOS. Check your board's manual. It's usually either F12 after you hear the beep, or F8 right after you see "DMI pool update..." message. Then the system will proceed to boot to that device.

It's actually my preferred method of dual-boot. You can easily change/get rid of one OS, without messing the other's boot sector. All those 'Dual-boot troubleshooting' becomes unnecessary. It's really a legacy of the past when HDDs were limited in capacity and more expensive today.

 

[Eluros]

Lopri, thanks; that's exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for, and I like your style of thinking, too. ;-)

I've discovered that I can press "Escape" up at the top left of the keyboard to enter the screen... not much work at all; easy enough! This works perfectly; I'll boot to Windows 7 by default, but can get to XP by simply hitting Escape while booting! Additionally, if I ever decide to resort back to default XP for some reason, simple as switching the HD Boot Order in BIOS!