Solved Installing Windows 11 Lite and later update to Windows 11 Pro/Home


cereberus said:
You have to substitute # with right drive letter.
Click to expand...
yes! I did that.

bcdboot D:\windows /p / d

my windows 8.1 drive letter was now in drive D after put HDD back on internal sata. so I put letter D.

but when I choose windows 8.1 on the startup boot menu, then there's the error "your pc need to repair". but if I do by pressing f9 and choose on the two drives there, then there's no problem, i am able to boot windows 8.1 without error.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
jimbo45 said:
Hi there
Easy to install as many Windows systems as you want (and space you have for) on any device.

In your case the easiest is simply to create a SINGLE EFI partition on what will be your main boot disk
Then install windows to other partitions (or disks) via preferably dism /Apply-Image but and then run bcdboot.exe to apply the bootloader to the main EFI partition.

Then at boot the standard Windows boot menu GUI will appear --no need to go into the computers own BIOS to select the boot disk.

For example :
View attachment 52511


@jhun12


get into diskpart and ensure there's an EFI partition and assign it say letter S, and the disk / partition you've got a windows install on is W. You need a SINGLE UEFI partition on the drive you will use as the primary boot drive.

then exit diskpart and now cd : W:\Windows\system32

Then to check type cd W: (to make sure you are executing from the installed windows system (/windows/system32)

bcdboot w:\windows / s S : /f UEFI

do the same for any other windows install (keep the same S letter for the UEFI partition and change the W letter for the new install.

Try and keep just OS on the main windows installs and have data etc stored separately so you don't have to re-create / recover that data if you re-install the OS.

NOTE : you only need a SINGLE EFI partition on the main boot disk -- that's the trick so the bootloader will load the menu at boot and the relevant disks etc will be booted from the menu.

cheers
jimbo
Click to expand...
do i need to do the windows 11 installation again?

what I did was
1.take out the hdd in internal sata and put ssd there
2.install windows 11 by using bootable usb drive.
(the ssd was converted from mbr to gpt, and then in the rufus setting option, i set also to gpt before starting creating the boot installation).
3.remove ssd and put back hdd.
4.put ssd inside caddy and connect it in cd-rom drive.
5.boot in windows 11 then set
bcdboot D:\windows /p / d
(Windows 11 is Drive C,
Windows 8.1 is Drive D)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
Scott said:
Also, whichever OS you have booted will have the drive letter C.
When you manage to boot into 8.1, it should have the drive letter C.

Right now I'm booted into Windows 11 and it's drive letter is C.
My Windows 10 drive is drive letter F.

View attachment 52512

When I boot into Windows 10 it's drive letter will be C, and my Win 11 drive will be H.
Click to expand...
oh. now I know.
I thought when drive letter swapped, it will get you into troubles. thank you @Scott for clarifying this to me.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
@Scott so I booted in windows 11 and see diskpart>list disk

there's no efi there.

but on the disk management, there's an efi system partition with 100mb in size.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
@jimbo45 so I booted in windows 11 and see diskpart>list disk

there's no efi there.

but on the disk management, there's an efi system partition with 100mb in size.

questions:
1. How to verify if I have already an efi partition?
2. What's wrong with this code,
bcdboot D:\windows /p / d
as this one I have followed..
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
jhun12 said:
@jimbo45 so I booted in windows 11 and see diskpart>list disk

there's no efi there.
Click to expand...
That's because you're listing the disks. the EFI partition is a partition on the disk. Select the disk you want to see and type

Code: 
list part

1676337327102.png
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro 24H2 26100.3037
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-14700F
    Motherboard
    ASUS TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI
    Memory
    G.SKILL Ripjaws S5 Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12GB OC
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster AE-5 Plus
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS TUF Gaming 27" 2K HDR Gaming
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 990 Pro 1TB NVMe (Win 11 24H2)
    SK hynix P41 500GB NVMe (Win 11 23H2)
    SK hynix P41 2TB NVMe (x3)
    Crucial P3 Plus 4TB
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x Shift
    Case
    Antec Dark Phantom DP502 FLUX
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black + 7 Phantek T-30's
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK 320
    Mouse
    Razer Basilisk V3
    Internet Speed
    350Mbs
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Winows Security
    Other Info
    Windows 11 23H2 22631.4830
    On System One (Dual Boot)
  • Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 24H2 26100.3037
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-11700F
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming Z590 Plus WiFi
    Memory
    64 GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC Black Gaming
    Sound Card
    SoundBlaster X-Fi Titanium
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung F27T350
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
    Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB
    Samsung 870 EVO 500GB SSD
    PSU
    Corsair HX750
    Case
    Cougar MX330-G Window
    Cooling
    Hyper 212 EVO
    Internet Speed
    350Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
when i booted in windows 11

my windows 8.1 (hdd) is on drive d
windows 11(ssd) is on drive c

by using diskpart> list volume,
i assigned the drive letter of efi partition to letter G:

when i did
bcdboot D:\windows / s G : /f UEFI

but the error is
failure when attempting to copy boot files.

can someone please help me
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
jhun12 said:
when i booted in windows 11

my windows 8.1 (hdd) is on drive d
windows 11(ssd) is on drive c

by using diskpart> list volume,
i assigned the drive letter of efi partition to letter G:

when i did
bcdboot D:\windows / s G : /f UEFI

but the error is
failure when attempting to copy boot files.

can someone please help me
Click to expand...
so i just need to run as admin the cmd and then it was boot files successfully created.

but still, i can't boot into windows 8.1
using the startup boot menu.

i tried to enter cmd in startup repair, and type
bootrec /fixmbr
the operation completed successfully.

bootrec /fixboot
access is denied

bootrec rebuildbcd
successfully scanned windows installation
total identified windows installations:1
[1] F:\Windows.old\windows
Add installation to boot list? when I enter Y,
The system cannot find the path specified.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
jhun12 said:
when i booted in windows 11

my windows 8.1 (hdd) is on drive d
windows 11(ssd) is on drive c

by using diskpart> list volume,
i assigned the drive letter of efi partition to letter G:

when i did
bcdboot D:\windows / s G : /f UEFI

but the error is
failure when attempting to copy boot files.

can someone please help me
Click to expand...
so i just need to run as admin and then it was boot files successfully created.

but still, i can't boot into windows 8.1
using the startup boot menu.

also everytime I restart the laptop. the drive letter that I assigned to the efi always gone.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
I remember when I accidentally installed windows 11 twice. there's a reminder on windows old, that I cannot use or access that.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
Scott said:
That's because you're listing the disks. the EFI partition is a partition on the disk. Select the disk you want to see and type

Code: 
list part

View attachment 52687
Click to expand...
when I did that.
list part
it says no partition

because my ssd was newly formatted and only windows 11 system was there.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
MY PROBLEM HAS BEEN SOLVED!!!

I just need to do this settings on my laptop BIOS setup.

Legacy Support: Enable
Secure Boot: Disable

source: Fixing “Winload.efi is Missing or Contains Errors” in Windows 10 | Windows OS Hub

and now, I can boot to Windows 8.1 without any problems.

so there's no wrong with the code
bcdboot D:\windows /p / d

but I had to do so many codes, so I don't know if what worked...

Thank you to all users, who replied to this thread.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
My problems with Windows 11.
1. Can't adjust brightness.
2. No sleep option in start menu
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
jhun12 said:
My problems with Windows 11.
1. Can't adjust brightness.
2. No sleep option in start menu
Click to expand...
1) You probably have Microsoft Basic Display Adapter which is a generic graphics driver without hardware acceleration, supports only standard screen resolutions (800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024 etc) and you cannot adjust brightness. Update the graphics drivers.
2) Some drivers are missing, check Device Manager for devices with a yellow ! or without drivers. Install all drivers and Standby (sleep l) should be enabled.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (build 22631.4249) test laptop, Windows 11 Pro v24H2 (build 26100.2894) main PC
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    VDSL 50 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, no SSE4.2, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v24H2 (build 26100.2894)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WD Blue SA510 2.5 1000GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Deepcool Gamma Archer CPU cooler, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
An alternative to bcdedit, install EasyBCD. It allows you to easily add/remove boot entries, rename them to a more friendly description, correct faulty entries and more.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (build 22631.4249) test laptop, Windows 11 Pro v24H2 (build 26100.2894) main PC
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    VDSL 50 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, no SSE4.2, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v24H2 (build 26100.2894)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WD Blue SA510 2.5 1000GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Deepcool Gamma Archer CPU cooler, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
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