Windows Boot Manager issue with Dual Boot on different Hard Drives

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  1. Posts : 22
    Windows 10 x64 UEFI
    Thread Starter
       #11

    I think the issue is with my BIOS/UEFI , when my Win7 was booting, it would only boot with the Windows Boot Manager. If I'd select my drive in Boot override, it would ask me to select a proper boot device... And guess what, this is the same thing with this new Win10 install: the computer starts normally with the WBM but I get the proper boot device error message if I manually select my HD in the Boot override section.

    Unfortunately I can't update my UEFI firmware because my motherboard is an Asus P8P67 B2 and not B3. B2 got replaced by B3 because of 4 faulty INTEL SATA II ports. The SATAIII ports are ok. Asus released a BIOS update for the B3 but not the B2. Maybe this is related to my issues, maybe not.
    @FreeBooter
    sfc /scannow didn't not find any problem.

    Win7 is on my SSD so no chkdsk is required and CrystalDiskInfo marked the SSD as Good. All drives are in perfect condition, I ran chkdsk /f r on my HD, used Seatools etc, everything is OK.
    @AddRAM
    I'm not sure what you mean by the Boot menu, are you talking about the boot menu from the BIOS/UEFI with the Windows Boot Manager?
    Yes it's strange I can't boot on Win7 since installs were done with the drives disconnected like you mentioned. I actually need Win10 to do some testing.

    @NavyLCDR
    I actually have a backup image of my Win7 system with all boot partitions so I can use their WinPE rescue media to restore my boot partitions. It's just that, I don't understand why the Win10 install messed up with my Win7 system, even though the SSD was unplugged... really scratching my head around this.

    Here are pictures from my UEFI BIOS

    Windows Boot Manager issue with Dual Boot on different Hard Drives-wp_20180201_12_43_23_pro.jpg

    Windows Boot Manager issue with Dual Boot on different Hard Drives-wp_20180201_12_43_45_pro.jpg

    This is what I get when I select my Win10 system HD directly from the Boot override selection:
    Windows Boot Manager issue with Dual Boot on different Hard Drives-wp_20180201_12_45_19_pro.jpg
    Last edited by PODxt; 01 Feb 2018 at 07:00.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 5,294
    Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
       #12

    Yes Chkdsk can be use to repair file system (FAT32/NTFS) errors. The /F parameter should be use on SSD drives this parameter repairs files system.

    I did not ask you to execute Sfc with only /Scannow parameter if this is what you have done.


    There is nothing wrong with UEFI firmware Windows 10 cannot and will not configure UEFI so that the Windows 7 wont boot.


    You might think we have answer to what is causing the problem no we don't no one can know only way to find out is to troubleshot the boot issue in steps.


    Please boot your computer with Windows Setup Media and from Windows Recovery Environment start the Command Prompt.

    Please type below commands into Command Prompt and press Enter key.

    Following commands will repair Master Boot Record (MBR), Boot Sector and BCD Store.


    Code:
    Bootrec /FixMbr
    
    Bootrec  /FixBoot
    
    Bootrec  /RebuildBcd
    If you can i need you to post a screenshot of these commands outputs.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 22
    Windows 10 x64 UEFI
    Thread Starter
       #13

    Just to be sure, do I really have to type Bootrec /FixMbr even though there's no MBR (drive is GPT)?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 5,294
    Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
       #14

    At the very beginning of GPT partition table, there is Protective MBR which is used to prevent disk tools not supporting GPT disks from identifying the disk by mistake and damaging the disk data.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 22
    Windows 10 x64 UEFI
    Thread Starter
       #15

    I unplugged all my drives and only plugged my SSD (GPT UEFI) with Win7 64 and booted on my Win7 install USB stick.

    I didn't know if I had to execute the commands right on x: (probably the USB stick) or c: so I ran them on both:

    Windows Boot Manager issue with Dual Boot on different Hard Drives-untitled.jpg

    I don't know why it says 0 Win install when it finds my Win7 system right after selecting the Windows Recovery tools...
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 5,294
    Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
       #16

    Execute below commands:

    Code:
    Bootrec /ScanOS
    
    Bootrec /FixBcd
    Please post a screenshot of the commands outputs.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 22
    Windows 10 x64 UEFI
    Thread Starter
       #17

    No need FreeBooter, I just checked the UEFI BIOS and I now have 2 Windows Boot Managers, 1 for each system. I can now plug/unplug and switch back and forth from my Win7 SSD to my Win10 HD and vice versa.

    One of the 3 commands brought back the Windows Boot Manager for my Win7 system. I don't know why it got dumped in the first place after installing Win10 .... separately on another drive.

    Thanks a lot FreeBooter!
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 5,294
    Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
       #18

    You are very welcome!
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 22
    Windows 10 x64 UEFI
    Thread Starter
       #19

    My issue is not resolved. I just know I need 2 Windows Boot Managers in my UEFI BIOS for Win7 and Win10 to boot.

    Yesterday, after running the commands via the Windows Repair Tools, I saw a 2nd WBM was added and was able to boot my Win7 system. I then shut down the computer, remove the SATA cable to plug my Win10 drive and I also was able to boot without having to do anything special. I then shut down the computer and left it at that.

    This morning I booted on Win10 but checked the UEFI BIOS just to see if there were still 2 WBM... but I had only one left. I could boot normally on Win10 so I thought that if I were to plug my Win7 drive back, I wouldn't be able to boot again. That's what I did, and that's what happened.

    So, again, I plugged my Win7 installer USB stick, selected the Windows Repair Tools to run the commands. The WRT looked for my Win7 system and found it. Then I ran Bootrec /FixMbr through the commands but got this time an error message! I decided to just reboot the computer and.... my second WBM was there! So I was able to boot on my Win7 system.

    My guess is that it's not the commands that are bringing back the WBM but the automatic Windows scanning from the WRT because it's the only thing I did to bring it back.
    My other guess is that each time I'll boot on Win10, it will remove my other WBM (for Win7) although this drive is disconnected... How come?
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 5,294
    Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
       #20

    Windows 10 Boot Manager can also boot Windows 7 OS so i don't understand how come you have two Windows Boot Manager within BIOS setup utility. The Bootrec /FixMbr repairs master boot record (MBR). The UEFI firmware does not use Protective MBR on GPT disk to boot Windows 7.

    We should repair boot files for Windows 7.

    Please execute below commands.


    Code:
    Diskpart
    
    List Volume
    Please post a screenshot of the above commands outputs.
      My Computer


 

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