In the end, after connecting a brand new internal hard drive, I restored a Windows 7 image which, of course, also included the original EasyBCD bootloader, so I was then able to boot to either operating system once again. I’ve tried every method known to mankind to restore the original Windows bootloader all the recommended ‘bootrec’ and ‘diskpart’ commands, all to no avail. I guess I didn’t think it through properly and should have realized this would be the case. So, I now find myself unable to boot to either operating system, even though the Windows 8.1 installation is in perfect working order… apart, of course, from the missing bootloader.
Ha Ha!Īpparently, after setting up the dual boot scenario with EasyBCD, the two operating systems are not independent of one another at all with BOTH relying on the same bootloader, which was, in my case, on the failed Windows 7 drive. Then, only last week, my Windows 7 hard drive failed… disaster! I was right in the middle of my normal daily routine so it was imperative to get up and running again as soon as possible… no problem, I’ll just boot into Windows 8.1. EasyBCD – The GoodĪs the name suggests, EasyBCD makes it very simple for users to set up a dual boot scenario – just select an operating system and associated hard drive to add entries into the boot menu: Although it didn’t really involve a lot of additional time, I was soon thinking that there must be simpler method, and that’s when I started investigating alternatives and first came across EasyBCD. I started off with an XP/Vista system, changing boot preferences in BIOS each time I wanted to load a different operating system. Plus, running the two most current operating systems on a single desktop computer has always been the most economical way for maintaining hands on access to relevant material – assisting users, providing guides and screenshots, etc. This scenario provides me with a very quick and easy route to get up and running again in case of a disaster.
What follows is a summary of my experiences with EasyBCD and why it did not suit my particular requirements.Įver since Vista was first released I’ve maintained two different operating systems installed on separate internal hard drives. If you search for information across the net on how to dual boot you’ll find plenty of references to and recommendations for EasyBCD. Easy BCD is a free (for non-commercial use) software to help users easily set up multi-boot environments.
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