Dual Boot Question

[Magickm20]

Hello,
I built a x64 capable computer a few years ago, but didn't realize at the time that I would not be able to just "upgrade" to a x64 OP without doing a clean install. I unfortunately installed Windows Vista x86. I have since upgraded to Windows 7 x86. Now.... years later, I have many apps that I don't want to lose. Music recording software and such. So I made the decision to create a dual boot system so I could try a Windows 8 x64 setup as well. I'm mainly interested in the additional memory use and some gaming applications that a x64 system can provide.

I successfully created a 100G partition for Windows 8. I then created a bootable Windows 8 x64 usb using a 16G SSD and Rufus. All went well. I switched my boot order in my ASUS BIOS, and Windows 8 install was away and running. I select my newly created partition, and Windows copies files, and goes down the line of check marks successfully.

My problem is.... when it's time for the first restart, the computer looks to the Flash Drive, and for some reason starts the installation over again from the beginning. If I take the Flash Drive out on restart, the computer boots Windows 7 normally. I'm at a loss at this point. I've tried going into the boot manager using F5, and then F8, but there is no option to look at the partition where the Windows 8 files exist. When in Windows 7, I can look at the new partition and see all the Windows 8 files that were copied during installation. It seems that the installation process is not automatically setting up the dual boot sequence or something?

I'm choosing Custom during install, selecting the correct drive/partition. Everything seems to go smoothly until the restart. I've read that there should be no problems having a dual boot x86 and x64 system. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated! Thank you.

 

[Chicano]

The Windows 8 installation should have created the dual boot but, you probably configured the BIOS with the USB flash drive as the first boot device and have not reverted that, that's why it starts the installation again. Make the first boot correction and see if any difference.

If you still don't have the boot selection screen, install EasyBCD Community Edition to edit the Windows 7 bootloader to include Windows 8.
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/OS-Enhancements/EasyBCD.shtml

In EasyBCD, click Edit Boot Menu... if Windows 8 created the dual boot, you should see the Windows 7 and the Windows 8 entries... if the Win8 is not included, click Add New Entry, on the right "Type" Select Windows 7/8, rename to Windows 8, select the Drive and press Add Entry. Click Edit Boot Menu, press Save Settings, and Exit.

 

[dodger46]

If you use Drive Options (Advanced) to delete your new Partition and install to Unallocated Space you shouldn't have any problems. For some reason Setup has difficulty installing to a pre-partitioned disk, cannot create the System Reserved Partition (350Mb) where the boot data is stored...

 

[Magickm20]

OK,

So it just so happens that shortly after posting this, my next order of business was to do exactly what Chicano has suggested above. I downlaoded and installed EasyBCD. It did not see Windows 8 as an OS, so I added it with the same steps as were listed. A drive letter (F) had been established during the W8 install for the partition I created, and so I set it up in EasyBCD accordingly. After restarting, I was able to choose either OS. When I tried to boot Windows 8, I ran into this apparently wretched error 0xc0000428 'Windows cannot verify the digital signature for this file'. It states options to further investigate by pressing ENTER, but if done so, just takes me back to the same error message.

Now I've been doing some reading on this, and it seems it has something to do with the versions of BOOTMGR getting mixed up between 7 and 8? This is now getting into an area I'm not familiar with at all. I tried to do the bcdedit /set {default} nointegritychecks yes, and it said it was performed successfully, but has made no difference either way. I'm reading about the ability replace the current BOOTMGR with a version copied from somewhere else, but most people on these other forums assume a level of CMD knowledge that I'm not privy to. If there's anyone who is familiar with this issue, I'd really appreciate a step by step for a CMD noob. I feel like this is not something overly complicated, but I know if I type a command or arguement wrong I can screw things up pretty good. I guess my additional question is....Is overwriting the BOOTMGR file the only way to fix this problem, or is there some other method I can try?

As for Dodger46's comment above. When I originally created the new partition, I left it unallocated. My first attempt at installing Windows 8 was to an unallocated partition. The second two attempts I let the installer format the partition. So I guess I've tried it both ways at this point.

 

[Chicano]

Forget CMD you don't have to complicate it.. You can do it from EasyBCD.

1. You can use EasyBCD to delete the unrecognized bootmgr, and before restarting create the file fresh with EasyBCD*.

2. You can run EasyBCD in Windows 8 and use the Win8 bootmgr/bootloader. But as Windows 7 is on drive C that should be the default OS and have the default bootmgr, so better use suggestion 1

3. Use the Windows 7 disk to do the Startup Repair which should make the necessary corrections on the Win 7 bootmgr.

*Edit Boot Menu / Select Windows 7 and press delete, select Windows 8 and press delete and next Save Settings, and exit EasyBCD... Next start EasyBCD and from Add New Entry, add each OS

 

[Magickm20]

Eh, I used EasyBCD as you suggested (option 1). Removed entries, saved, closed, re-opened, added them. I also checked 'Allow use of unsigned drivers on 64-Bit Windows' on both of them and saved as well. I got the same results at reboot.... Option to boot into either via Windows Boot Manager. If I chose Windows 8, got the 0xc0000428 error again. I noticed when checking EasyBCD again, the 'Allow use of unsigned drivers' was still checked for 7, but was unchecked again for 8. Seems something's forcing that script at boot and overriding the EasyBCD setting.

I guess my next question is... what is the full meaning of this 0xc0000428 error? Is it something in the Windows 7 BOOTMGR that's causing this, or is it something in the 8 install that's causing it?

I stupidly gave my Windows 7 upgrade DVD to "a friend" a while back, and don't think the chances are good that I'll be able to get it back. So I guess that option's out. That's also why I asked the above question. I just don't understand what the message is trying to say, and which OS is producing the root cause.

 

[Magickm20]

I've also read that I can install Windows 8 from the Windows 7 desktop via the 'Sources' folder after extracting the Windows 8 iso image. Is this true, and does it perform the install in some different fashion that may not bring about this 0xc0000428 error?

 

[Chicano]

Full meaning on 0xc0000428: "Windows cannot verify the digital signature for this file"
That refers to unsigned drivers... Uncheck that setting in EasyBCD. That should solve the error code but also revert any insigned driver installations that may be contributing to the issue.

You said Windows 8 is the 64 bit OS so the boot issue is related to it.

You may not need to use the DVD and if you do, you can download a Recovery disk iso from Microsoft... or you can try the Startup Repair available in the Windows 7 Safe Mode Options.


I've never installed Windows 8 or 7 form the Sources folder.. I have only tested starting it from the Setup.exe file and it apparently can be done.. It can also be installed from a Virtual Drive, using a HD partition as the installer with some USB installer makers, or it can be started from the DVD all via Windows Explorer. But you probably won't have to reinstall after reverting the unsigned drivers setting in EasyBCD.


Some instructions on how to start Windows installation through Windows Explorer.
http://superuser.com/questions/490476/how-can-i-install-windows-8-on-my-hdd-without-the-use-of-a-usb-or-dvd

 

[Magickm20]

Haha I've made some headway tonight, but still in a pickle. When in repair mode from the Windows 8 usb, I went into CMD and typed bcdedit /set {bla bla bla} NoIntegrityChecks yes. This moved the Windows 8 installation forward. I was able to activate and set everything up.

But now I'm facing a different problem... If I take the usb stick out and boot from the Active Hard Drive (C, I get the same message I've been seeing all along. I can select Windows 7 and have no problems, or select Windows 8 and get the 0xc0000428 error. If I restart with the usb stick in, and then "press any key to boot from usb" when prompted, I go into repair/install mode. If I restart with the usb stick in, and press nothing when the "press any key to boot from usb" prompt appears, Windows 8 boots. I'm at a complete loss! If I go into repair mode from usb, the only operating system present is Windows 8. No sign of Windows 7 anywhere. (which I guess makes sense since I'm booting from the "disk") It's like Windows 8 install never set up any dual boot scenario. I set up EasyBCD on Windows 8. When I run it in debug mode, no Windows 7 to be found. I also noticed that if I look in My Computer in Windows 8, all the drive letters have been changed. Drive C:, which is my active partition where my boot manager should be, is labeled as D:, and Drive F:, which is the partition on which Windows 8 resides, is labeled as C:. I dunno what's going on now!

It seems I need to have the usb stick in, but not boot from it, in order to boot Windows 8. If I try to boot Windows 8 from the Active partition from Windows Boot Manager, I get the signature error. Any ideas?

 

[Chicano]

Apparently you have not followed my instructions... you don't have to use CMD and complicate things, you can do all necessary Bootloader editions from EasyBCD.

And if you haven't used EasyBCD it means you haven't removed the check mark from Advanced Settings / Advanced "Allow use of unisgned drivers on 64-bit Windows"... Remove unsigned drivers from Windows 8 and after that revert this setting.

You haven't either changed the First boot device in the BIOS... you have to set the Hard Drive as the first boot device. Once in Windows 8 ou can change the partition letters from the Disk Management... (Sart/Computer or Windows Explorer / Computer right click / Manage / Disk Management / Right click on the partition / Change drive letter and path / Change / Select letter and click OK.

 

[Magickm20]

I did follow your instructions, but no matter whether I checked or unchecked "Allow use of unsigned drivers on 4-bit Windows" for either S, when I rebooted and checked it the setting had been restored. That's why I was saying that it seemed something was overriding EasyBCD somehow.

No worries, I have finally succeeded. I uninstalled EasyBCD from Windows 7, and installed it in Windows 8. For whatever reason, Windows 8 installation had written its boot files to the wrong Drive. It installed on the drive I had targeted, but for some reason was booting from what EasyBCD was labeling as the wrong drive. I was also more confused because as I stated above, the Drive letters were different depending on what OS I was in.

The end solution was using EasyBCD to change the Windows 8 Boot Drive from what it was to the correct drive per the letter WINDOWS 8 had assigned it. I then had to add Windows 7, and change its boot drive to what Windows 8 had labeled it as. I left the "Allow use of unsigned drivers on 4-bit Windows" checks as they were. After reboot, Windows Boot Manager came up, and neither selection gave me any errors! I'm still at a loss as to why the two OS are not labeling the drives the same, but I guess it doesn't matter at this point. Before this latest process I had tried to rename the drive letters using Disk management while in Windows 8, but it wouldn't let me change the name either of the two partitions where the OS resided.

Although frustrating, this was a great learning experience. I thank you very much for your input and your patience. I'm sure it's frustrating dealing with people who are trying to basically learn through text!

 

[Chicano]

No, it wasn't nearly as frustrating as other threads.. I just lost my cool for a moment after reading that nothing had changed. But you finally solved it with EasyBCD on Win 8.. which I thought I had included, but guess that part went by me. Also Windows 8 must be set as the default OS, and setting Win 7 as default would have probably solved it. That also went by me.. sorry.

The drive letter assignments are normal.. Sometimes each Win 7 or 8 assumes drive letter C, and sometimes they assume C and D viewed from within the OSs... the rest can be assigned with the available letters, so if you initially have optical drive or drives with the letters after the C drive, then HD partitions can be assigned letters from F and the following. To anticipate these assisgnments you have to assign letters to optical drives from further ahead in the alphabet so the first few alphabet letters as available and optical drives don't interfere in the normal order. If drive letter are still an issue, you can probably correct then from the default OS, if they're still not changing, remove all the drive letters except for the two OSs letters, and then assign them in the propper order.

 

[Magickm20]

Ha you had mentioned EasyBCD on the new OS (Windows 8) as a possible step earlier on, but stated it would be better to use other options. I really think that using the third party boot manager on the new OS was the ticket. Once I finally did that, everything else fell into place. Thanks for explaining the letter changing. The only other thing I'm wondering is why Windows 8 didn't create the dual boot setup during install. I must have done something wrong! Just takes practice. Thanks again.