We bring you a detailed guide to help sort out this problem by tweaking a few Windows settings.

Why Dual Boot Menu Isn’t Showing

After you install a second OS on your Windows PC, you should be able to switch seamlessly between the two using the boot menu. Unfortunately, the boot menu may not show for one of the following reasons:

Fast startup is enabled, so the PC boots directly into the default OS.The boot menu is deactivated.Incorrect configuration of the default OS.Boot manager malfunction due to corrupt system files.

How to Fix Dual Boot Menu Not Showing

There isn’t one universal way to fix the boot menu issue. Go through each method one by one and see which one solves the issue for you.

1. Use Command Prompt to Enable Boot Menu

The BCDEdit command you just ran is a command-line utility used to manage Boot Configuration Data (BCD). Whenever you execute this command, it changes the boot configuration of your PC and activates the boot menu.

2. Use EasyBCD to Configure Boot Menu

If the BCDedit command doesn’t work, you can use a utility software called EasyBCD to fix the dual boot menu. Here’s how to go about it:

3. Make the Boot Disk Partition Active

After installing a second OS on a disk partition, you need to make the partition active for the system to boot from it. The boot menu won’t show during startup if you don’t do this. Note: in this case {disk number} is a placeholder for the actual number of the disk.

4. Use Startup and Recovery to Configure the Default OS

Sometimes, selecting the default OS to boot into can help resolve a missing boot menu. Here’s how to go about it.

5. Disable Windows Fast Start

Fast Start is a great feature that helps you boot your PC faster. The option usually comes pre-enabled and may be causing the issues you’re facing with the dual boot menu. Here’s how to disable Fast Start:

6. Restore Boot Menu with the System Configuration Tool

The Windows System Configuration tool, also known as “Msconfig”, is a somewhat hidden tool that allows you to configure Windows startup and programs. Here’s how to use System Configuration to fix the dual boot menu. All screenshots taken by Richard Kanyoro. Note that you won’t need an additional license if you’re dual booting Windows with Linux. Image credit: Pixabay