Installed windows 8 and now cant boot off a hdd with windows 7

Phantasms

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Jun 29, 2014
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so i recently updated my system and with it got a ssd, Ive installed win8 on the ssd and can access the files on the other hdd with win7 on it, but as soon as i try to boot from my hdd with my old win 7 on it the computer blue screens, any idea how I can fix this issue?
thanks
 
Solution
OK so if I understand, you have one SSD with Windows 8 and one hard drive with Windows 7. I'm assuming you have all the licensing in place to do what your going to do.

Now you can do it one of three ways. The simple, but gotta deal with it every time of switching the drives over in BIOS, OR the more hardware orientated way and get a drive bay with a couple of caddies and just physically swap out the drive you want to boot from at any given time, OR learn how to use BCDedit to configure multiple OS's on drives/partitions/etc.

Windows 8 does not play nice with Windows 7 existing, it fouls up its bootloader. you have to separate them completely (options 1-2) or make them play nice (option 3).

For the 3rd option
1. First things first...
OK so if I understand, you have one SSD with Windows 8 and one hard drive with Windows 7. I'm assuming you have all the licensing in place to do what your going to do.

Now you can do it one of three ways. The simple, but gotta deal with it every time of switching the drives over in BIOS, OR the more hardware orientated way and get a drive bay with a couple of caddies and just physically swap out the drive you want to boot from at any given time, OR learn how to use BCDedit to configure multiple OS's on drives/partitions/etc.

Windows 8 does not play nice with Windows 7 existing, it fouls up its bootloader. you have to separate them completely (options 1-2) or make them play nice (option 3).

For the 3rd option
1. First things first, run them each independent of each other in the computer (only one hooked up at a time) to make sure you have a working drive. If windows 7 is buggered up, run a system restore or a repair from the OS disk.

2. Look up BCDedit. Its a utility from MS that allows you to edit.. well a lot. But for your purpose it lets you edit your boot order. This applies to if the multi OS's are partitions in a single drive, or if you have multi hard drives with each having their own OS.

3..Once you have both OS drives working, connect your Windows 8 drive as the primary boot and connect your windows 7 as a secondary drive.

4. Boot in Windows 8 and start mucking about with BCdedit.

You're basically going to be applying system ID numbers to drive letters and naming them in the boot loader. It can be intimidating at first but once you get the hang of it, its pretty simple. If you have a hard time researching out how to use it, hit me up in a PM and I can try sending you some of my documentation from the labs I work in with this. I do it alllll the freaking time.
 
Solution