# Really screwed up the two-OS deal...



## JoeB1221 (Oct 18, 2013)

So here's my story. Please don't kill me for my stupidity.

I had a Windows 8 computer, and I wanted to try to install Windows 7 on it as well. That didn't work, of course, because you can't reverse-install, as I found out.

I then got a program called BSD manager (or something similar) to try to eliminate the choice I got at every startup since of the functioning Windows 8 and the non-functioning Windows 7. 

And then, instead of deleting the windows 7 link, I deleted the Windows 8 one.

I quickly readded it, but when it asked me for something (I don't remember what it was, I can't check ATM) I just put the default, which happened to be C:. THe other choices, I remember, were D:, E: and BOOT. I probably should have chosen BOOT.

So now, whenever I turn on I get white-black-red-green-blue flashing. I do have access to the setup utility so I'm sure I could boot from there, but I can't find the file. Boot manager defaults me to the flashing.

When in the setup utility, what I've been trying to do is add a new, primary boot function as #1. But I can't find the Windows 8 boot file.

When I get to choose it, I choose from list of six "partitions", 1-7 except 3.

I don't have a reinstall disk because the computer came with the OS.

I have access to another computer and flash drives and disks aplenty.

All I really don't have is access to the main interface of the computer is question, and I don't have a lot of time to solve this problem.



Can anyone offer any help?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Hi and Welcome to TSF!

Make and model number of your PC?

I would presume you still have your Windows 7 install CD?


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## JoeB1221 (Oct 18, 2013)

Masterchiefxx17 said:


> Hi and Welcome to TSF!
> 
> Make and model number of your PC?
> 
> I would presume you still have your Windows 7 install CD?


Dell Inspiron 3520.

And yes, but that won't help now because Win8 is stuck on there and I can't get it out unless I can get on the computer...


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Do you care on which OS you get? Either Windows 8 or 7?

If not boot from your Windows 7 CD and format the hard drive. That will remove Windows 8. From there you can install Windows 7.


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## JoeB1221 (Oct 18, 2013)

Masterchiefxx17 said:


> Do you care on which OS you get? Either Windows 8 or 7?
> 
> If not boot from your Windows 7 CD and format the hard drive. That will remove Windows 8. From there you can install Windows 7.


What if I need to keep files on the computer?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

You should have backed up your files before trying two OSs.

You can try using this software here to get the files:

Data Recovery Software Products - Runtime Software Products


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## JoeB1221 (Oct 18, 2013)

So I decided to be stupid again and try something else. 

Anyways, I now have Ubuntu actually up and running on the machine, with Windows 8 dormant in there somewhere. Can I somehow undo what I did earlier now that I have an OS to do it with?


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## JoeB1221 (Oct 18, 2013)

Update: I got something called "grub customizer" working and I can look at the windows boot settings used by Linux. It says this:



> insmod part_gpt
> insmod ntfs
> set root='hd0,gpt5'
> if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
> ...


Can I edit this to remap the boot?

Maybe someone who has successfully dual booted Windows 8 and Ubuntu could help here?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Are you just running Ubuntu or did you actually install the OS?

Can you see your files on the hard drive with Ubuntu?


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## JoeB1221 (Oct 18, 2013)

Masterchiefxx17 said:


> Are you just running Ubuntu or did you actually install the OS?
> 
> Can you see your files on the hard drive with Ubuntu?


I installed it separately (that is, from their purple screen which replaced the boot manager I can still see the Windows) and yes, I can see the files.

But can I fix the boot? I would really prefer to keep the current Win8 installation.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Fixing the boot doesn't seem like an option. Installing Ubuntu was not the best as now you have a third OS on the hard drive.

My recommendation is to grab your files then see if your hard drive has a recovery partition. If so then restore the PC to factory settings which will bring back Windows 8.

If not then install Windows 7.


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## JoeB1221 (Oct 18, 2013)

Sorry, how would I do that? I don't know if it even does have a recovery partition; how would I check that?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Try this here:

Step 1 
Plug in your laptop using the power cord. Turn on the laptop. Watch for the blue bar at the top of the screen. Immediately press "Ctrl-F11" or "F11" on your keyboard. 

Step 2 
Click "Restore" and "Confirm" to launch the recovery process. Wait several minutes for the process to complete. Click "Finish" to reboot your laptop. Click "Yes" at the prompt. 

Step 3 
Wait for the computer to reboot. Read and accept the End User License Agreement and then click "Next." Click "OK" at the prompt to load the operating system.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

If you used a live Ubuntu CD you could have run Ubunto off of the CD and not install it. But now it looks like you have installed Ubuntu as well?!
to sort out this mess, I would reinstall Windows 8. Your computer probably came with a Recovery Partition. If you haven't wiped it out already. Restart the computer and press *CTRL + F11*, and choose *Restore* from the Dell PC Restore window. This will restore your computer to factory settings and you will loose any saved files. Be sure to backup from Ubuntu first to an external HDD of any files you want to keep.


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## JoeB1221 (Oct 18, 2013)

F11 didn't work.

While I've got a screwed-up computer anyways, could someone with Windows 8 Standard upload their Boot/BCD file in the first partition? I don't really care if it doesn't work, but I would like to try it.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Did you make sure to do *CTRL + F11* while booting the PC?


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

In Ubuntu, go to *GParted*, and see if you have a partition that is called* Recovery* or some such. If so, restart the computer and hold down the *CTRL* key, and press* F11* at bootup to start recovery. If that doesn't work, you will need a Windows 8 DVD to repair.


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## JoeB1221 (Oct 18, 2013)

Yes, I did.

I really would like to try replacing that BCD file, though, because I do know that it's the problem. Any way I could do that?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Or just install Windows 7 and format the drive completely.

There is no way of getting Windows 8 back without a CD or recovery partition.


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## JoeB1221 (Oct 18, 2013)

If I had a friend with a functioning Windows 8 computer, couldn't I create a install disc from that and use it to repair?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

What Do I Do to Make a Windows 8 Repair Disc? - Windows 8 - Tutorials


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

If you could boot into Windows, you could use EasyBCD and remove the Windows 7 and Ubuntu boot files.


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## OldGrayGary (Jun 29, 2006)

Hi all


Visiting today (in honor of the new 8.1 release)....

Noticed you are having all kinds of adventures with your multiboot system. I like Masterchiefxx17's suggestion of creating & using a Windows 8 Repair Disc. Very easy to do, and one of the fixes it includes is an automatic startup repair.

Brief sketch:
Make the disc as the link shows (Control Panel--Windows File Recovery--create repair disc). You can use a blank CD or DVD.

Boot your multiboot computer from the disc you created. To do so, you might have to enter the Bios to set the optical drive as the "First Boot Device" or in an option called "Boot Order". If you are lucky, your PC might have a function key at power up that offers a boot menu (on some, it is the F12 key) -- if the option is available, it usually shows at boot time. Then:
1) Place the repair CD/DVD in the optical drive
2) Start the computer
3) If you see a prompt "press any key to boot from CD or DVD", press a key
4) The blue 4-pane Windows 8 logo will appear, and remain onscreen while the repair files load into system memory (might take a minute or so)
5) Choose your keyboard layout from the list (likely "US")
6) Choose Troubleshoot
7) Choose Advanced Options
8) Choose Automatic Repair
9) From the "Choose a target operating system" prompt, choose Windows 8.

This has a reasonable chance of succeeding, since all the necessary boot files should be still happily in place in the Boot partition created for most Windows 7 and 8 computers -- and if they are damaged at all, the Repair disc should have the ability to restore them to a working condition.

In earlier version of the "Repair discs", the Automatic Repair was called "Startup Repair". 

This procedure shouldn't harm your PC in any way, nor should it endanger the personal files stored on their various partitions. 

Should it fix Windows 8 enough that it boots OK and functions properly, but you lose the ability to choose to boot to Ubuntu, you can repair that with either your Ubuntu CD/DVD, or with a Linux bootup repair disc such as RescuTux. Only takes a minute or two. 
_______

I am typing this from a working Win7/Win8 dual boot system - it's not usually hard to accomplish. Seems that Win7 should have installed OK if it had it's own partition, and you then subsequently re-installed Windows 8, to produce a working dual-boot menu. To have all three, it's easiest to install Ubuntu last, and it will usually automatically provide you with a boot-time menu (courtesy of Grub or Grub2) of the operating systems it detects on your system.

Best of luck!
. . . Gary


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## JoeB1221 (Oct 18, 2013)

spunk.funk said:


> If you could boot into Windows, you could use EasyBCD and remove the Windows 7 and Ubuntu boot files.


Yeah, if.

I'm going to try making a recovery disk with the other computer.

In case that doesn't work, though, I've read you can do a "bootfix" command through command prompt. Could I use WINE to use the command prompt through ubuntu?


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

No, but you can run the Command Prompt from the Recovery Disc that you will make, if the Startup Repair doesn't work.


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## OldGrayGary (Jun 29, 2006)

Good morning -

To reach the Command Prompt option using the Windows 8 repair disc (CD or DVD) -- it is in the Advanced Options section (you'd navigate the same as you would for the Automatic Repair, but simply choose Command Prompt instead).

I believe the bootfix idea is referring to the fixboot command, which was available for Windows Vista and Windows 7, but I don't think is still available in Windows 8. You can, however, use the bcdboot and bcdedit commands from the command prompt in the Windows 8 Recovery Environment (that you reach from the Repair Disc menu) -- which is what you had shown interest in earlier.

Blurb from Microsoft:


> bcdboot:	BCDboot is a tool used to quickly set up a system partition, or to repair the boot environment located on the system partition.
> bcdedit:	Displays and allows you to change how Windows boots up. This command is useful for people who are having trouble with the Windows Boot Manager



The advantage of the Automatic Repair is that it checks for several different scenarios that can complicate the boot process, whereas the Command Prompt tools are more specialized, and tend to focus on repairing one particular issue. 

If you were able to install Windows 7 earlier, but subsequently lost the ability to boot to it, it is possible that you can restore both Windows 8 and Windows 7 to a workable boot menu.

Hope it works out -
. . . Gary


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## JoeB1221 (Oct 18, 2013)

So, wow, I got lucky this time.

I got a new install disk from the manufacturer.

Warranty expires in four days, so what a time to break! I'll get it in the mail in a week.

Thank you all for trying to help me; I will be sure to be much more careful with what I do in the future!


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Let us know if you run into any more issues.


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