SSD excluded from boot order

wrxtacy2003

Honorable
Nov 8, 2012
3
0
10,510
Hi everyone,

I have a Gateway FX p7805u Laptop. It has a SATA HDD with windows 7 on it. I bought a SSD so that I can install windows 8 on it. What I did was remove the HDD, put in the SSD, and then installed windows 8 on the SSD. After the windows 8 install completed I put both the SSD and HDD in at the same time. These are both installed on internal sata ports. The problem is, that one of them is always put on the excluded from boot order list, and I cannot get it off. The one that is excluded depends on this following factor. If I remove both drives and then install one of the drives, let's say the SSD with windows 8 on it, and turn on my laptop, it will boot windows 8 just fine. If I then shut down, and plug in the HDD with windows 7 into the other internal sata port, when booting it will boot windows 8 just fine, but if I go to the boot menu, the HDD with windows 7 is in the excluded from boot order menu, and I cannot remove it from here. Now, if I remove both drives again. Place the HDD with windows 7 in, then my laptop will boot windows 7 just fine. Now if I shut down, and now place the SSD with windows 8 in the other sata port, the computer will still boot windows 7 and the SSD with windows 8 will now be placed into the excluded from booot order, and I cannot remove it.

I have the lateset BIOS and Chipset firmware, if it matters.

I have googled, and didn't even find one instance of something like this happening.

Thanks.

Dustin
 
My only suggestion(workaround) would be to use the windows boot loader to select the operating system.

You can use something like easyBCD

They have it free for personal use.
http://neosmart.net/EasyBCD/

I use this to boot my Win7/8 with only the boot loader on one drive.

I will grab you a screen to show you what to do if needed. All you do is boot lets say Win8 and add windows 7. You just add it by its drive letter in Win8.
 

wrxtacy2003

Honorable
Nov 8, 2012
3
0
10,510
Thanks.

What is the windows boot loader though? Since one of the hard drives is always on the exclude from boot order list, windows never pops up with a choice as to which operating system I want to boot from. This is what I have read that other people see...but i think that has to do with when both operating systems are installed on the SAME drive but with partition....I dunno I may be wrong....but either way I dont know if that is the "windows boot loader" you are talking about, or something entierly different.

thanks.

Dustin
 
On each Windows operating system drive(Vista/7/8), you have a reserved partition that has the boot loader.

EasyBCD lets you edit it.

Now that loader can select other operating systems even on other hard drives(I have 4 drives in this system with Win7 on one and Win8 on another.).

Easy BCD should allow you to ADD the version of windows that has a drive not showing up. So while you may be booting off the Windows 8 drive, you will still be able to load Windows 7.

In my case because I have fast boot in Win8 off, i get the option right away(black screen like the 7 loader) and not after Win8 has loaded(on the light blue screen).

Please have a Win7 and 8 DVD or rescue disc ready just in case you mess up. Windows boot repair will fix up any boot loader problems(if you run into any).
 
Its more of a work around then anything(it can not fix the lack or bios showing both drives for booting), but at least you can use either os without messing with it.

You can also mess with the system to get the other drive to be the boot drive and EasyBCD it too so no matter what drive boots, you will always be able to select what you want.
 

CastlBravo

Reputable
Mar 2, 2016
5
0
4,510
I have an SSD that I installed WinXP to.
I have an HDD that I installed Zorin to.

I have a Gateway FX 7811 laptop. When starrting it you can click F2 for the BIOS, or F10 for boot selection. The boot selection shows the devices you can boot from and the SSD is not there.

When going into the BIOS's "boot" section there is a two-part list of devices that are prioritised for booting from: Upper part is for included, lower is for excluded. The SSD is listed in the lower, you are supposed to press "x" to move devices into either group but selecting the SSD and clicking "x" does nothing but cause the speaker to bleep.
 

CastlBravo

Reputable
Mar 2, 2016
5
0
4,510
Don't know if anyone's found a solution yet, but I know one thing:

Taking the HDD drive out of the included list will allow the SSD to be put in and vise-versa but not both.
 
Sounds like hdd priority. So the boot order is only optical, floppy, hard drive(then you set what drive is to be started from).

Some times a system bios that uses keys to devices up and down do strange things. Sometimes you have use the move down on the devices above.

Does If you can get Windows loading, you should be able to add Linux to its boot loader with EasyBCD. You should also be able to add Windows to your Linux boot loader(grub most likely).

This would allow starting without dealing with swapping drives in the bios.