Windows 7 won't boot after Dualboot-Install of Fedora 23
Hi everyone,
I have problems installing a dualboot with Windows 7Pro+SP1 and Fedora23 on a Lenovo W541.
What happened until now.
First try: BIOS Setup untouched (Boot: both, legacy first) Windows7 Pro+SP1 (Lenovo OEM Version, Rescue and Recovery) installed, with GPT-Partition. Works fine. Used Fedora23 Live-DVD, to make Windows7-Partition smaller and make room for Fedora; installed Fedora. Grub appears, Fedora23 works fine, Windows failed to start (BCD Error 0xc0000225). Only Lenovo Recovery Discs at hand -> Won't work as System Repair Disc -> Reinstalled Windows7, works fine.
Second try: Used Windows tools to burn a repair disc, make partition C:/ 300GB smaller and create a 200Gb Partition X:/ (as Data/Exchange-Partition for Windows7 and Fedora23). 100GB left unused -> installed Fedora23. Same problem: Grub appears, Fedora23 boots fine, Windows7 doesn't (still BCD Error 0xc0000225). The System Repair disc doesn't boot (I forgot to note what it said). Tried a clean Windows 7-DVD, got to the repair options (after wildly switching between UEFI/Legacy/Both-Boot-options), repeated the automatic repair options a few times, bootrec/fixmbr (successful. I just realised afterwards that might be wrong, having a gpt-partition-system), bootrec/fixboot, bootrec/rebuildbcd -> no windows installations found (although diskpart / list disk recognized the Windows-Volume). Restart: Grub doesn't appear. Only a message like: No operating System found.
And that brings us to third try and main question: Resetted BIOS settings to Standard. Changed Boot-option to: both, UEFI first. Currently reinstalling Windows 7 Pro+SP1, GPT-partition style, with Lenovo Recovery DVDs.
You certainly understood that I'm rather unfamiliar with these matters, so my question results in being a little vague: How should I proceed to have this dualboot working?
I'd be glad and thankful for every help!
Greetings Falk
My guess is you are breaking windows by disabling uefi boot. but really this is IMO a question about Windows and not so much about Fedora.
stick to UEFI only if you want to boot GPT paritions.
Sorry, I was just looking for new answers and didn't see your comments. Thanks for the replies!
@bodhi.zazen I tried various bios-settings, but none of them worked. I let Windows resize it's own partition and it boots. That's why I thought the "BCD-error" must have something to do with GRUB or being a basic boot/mbr/efi-whatever-question...
@kimbn: Windows is now installed with gpt-partition-mode. During install bios was set to both (uefi first), but now it boots also with uefi-only. There was another boot-option which I changed from "Quick" to "Diagnostics". I'll try again.
I have a working dualboot now! Yeah! In summary this is what got it working: - Installing Windows7 with bios set to both(uefi first) - Making Windows Partition smaller with Windows tool - Set boot to UEFI only and changed from "quick" to "diagnostic" boot - Install Fedora (automatic partition) - both OSs work - Set boot mode to "quick" again, everything still works.