Forum Discussion
Clarifying the Path for the Windows Boot Loader Volume
Hello everyone,
I have a pressing question that I'm eager to have answered.
I am currently using a dual-boot setup on my machine, with two Windows 11 installations, both running version 24H2 build 26100.1742. Unfortunately, my machine does not fully meet the system requirements for Windows 11.
When I check the msconfig settings, I can see both Windows 11 installations listed. One installation is on an M.2 NVMe drive, which was the first installation and was upgraded from Windows 10 over the past 5 years. The other installation is on a SATA drive, which was installed later and upgraded from Windows 11 version 23H2 to version 24H2.
The Windows 11 installation on the M.2 NVMe drive has its boot files located at (\Device\HarddiskVolume3\WINDOWS), which corresponds to the EFI system partition (100 MB) on the M.2 NVMe drive, as expected.
On the other hand, the Windows 11 installation on the SATA drive has its boot files path set to (\Device\HarddiskVolume10\Windows), which actually points to the Q: data drive (Volume10). This is puzzling to me as I would have expected it to point to either HarddiskVolume3 or HarddiskVolume8, which are the EFI system volumes of the respective Windows installations.
Both Windows installations are booting up correctly, but the boot path discrepancy on the SATA drive is confusing. I'm not sure why the Windows 11 Boot Loader on the SATA drive is referencing the Q: drive (HarddiskVolume10). Could this be due to differences in volume numbering during the boot process compared to when the system is fully booted into Windows 11?
I have only one Windows Boot Manager located on the Crucial M.2 NVMe drive, as shown in the BIOS screenshots.
If I were to disable the SATA drive (Q: drive, Volume10) in the BIOS, would I lose the ability to boot into Windows 11 on the SATA drive (Volume6)?
Additionally, if I were to run "bcdboot W:\Windows" after assigning letter W to the Windows 11 partition on the SATA drive while booted into Windows 11 on the NVMe drive, would that help correct the volume numbering for the Windows 11 installation on the SATA drive?
Or should I instead run "bcdboot W:\Windows /s S: /f UEFI" after assigning letter W to the Windows partition on the SATA drive and letter S to the EFI system partition on the NVMe drive?
Has anyone encountered a similar unusual situation before and, if so, what actions were taken to resolve it?
I welcome suggestions from the knowledgeable individuals in this esteemed forum on the best course of action in this scenario.
Both Windows 11 installations are currently booting up without any issues, and I can select which one to boot into using the "Sysdm.cpl -> Advanced tab -> Startup and Recovery" settings.
Attached is a screenshot of the Disk Management for reference.
Thank you for your attention, and I hope the information provided is detailed enough.