Easily Set Default OS in a Windows 7 / Vista and XP Dual-boot Setup

by Lowell Heddings on January 21st, 2007

If you are running a dual-boot setup with more than one Windows operating system, It’s pretty easy to configure the default boot operating system with the GUI interface. Note that if you are using Windows 7 or Vista as one of the operating systems, you will need to make this change from 7/Vista, not XP.

First, you’ll need to right click on Computer and select Properties:

Next, click Advanced System Settings

Now click on the Settings button under Startup and Recovery

And just select the operating system you want to use:

Easy stuff. You could also use the bcdedit command to do the same thing from the command line, but it’s probably easier this way.

Lowell Heddings, better known online as the How-To Geek, spends all his free time bringing you fresh geekery on a daily basis. You can follow him on if you'd like.