Default Operating System

Question

Recently, my laptop had issues starting up, therefore I did a factory reset to Windows 8 and reinstalled Windows 10 on it since a free update was still available. As a result of this, when starting up my laptop it asked me to pick between Windows 10 and another option which I daren't touch. However, it seems one of my parents tried to use my laptop and picked the other option, and it does not ask for me to pick again when I restart. I saw something on the selection screen mention setting a default software for start-up. Anyone know how I can manage these defaults and/or revert the changes done by picking the second option? 

If you're curious, the second option has all of my programs still installed that I had installed on Windows 10 after the factory reset, however everything is still running Windows 8.1 (I believe, or 8). 

Thanks in advance!

UPDATE: I checked, it was indeed Windows 8.1 

UPDATE: I see something about "Advanced startup", which says something about changing "Windows start-up settings or restore Windows from a factory image". It sounds promising, but I will not risk it until I hear some feedback on this.

Answer 1

I continued with the advanced startup, due to lack of information on that and genuine curiosity, and it did not give me an option to go back to my previous version of Windows. I also looked into System Restore which also did not offer anything of the sort. This means that the second option was a revert of the OS back to 8.1, which is what I am running now, and it is what was shown on the boot-thing, you mentioned. And only showed 8.1 there. 

I must install Windows 10 again, but I hope that my files are still safe, as many of the programs I tried to run had missing shortcuts and I could not find them using the Start search (which, I admit is rather a useless and annoying feature of Windows 8.1 as it opens a search on the internet). 

Anyway, thanks for the information you have provided.

Answer 2

You can not dual boot 8.1 and 10 on the same machine using the free upgrade to 10.

If you had reset it back to factory settings correctly or had not dual booted 8.1/10 in the first place, whatever you did, the reset to factory settings would have resulted in only one operating system being installed as a reset to factory settings wipes the hard drive clean.

 You could have clean installed 10 if you activated 10 correctly in the first place using the free upgrade offer.

And what shows up in msconfig under Boot Tab?


Answer 3

To make it easier for you to understand, I believe the second option had something to do with resetting the laptop back to the factory software installed. Yes, I did install Windows 10 using the free update that was available, both when it came out, and again once my laptop was factory reset. 

Please note that no product keys were involved in this process, and I do with to update my laptop back to Windows 10, however I do not want to reinstall it, as I believe the software is already installed in my computer.

Answer 4

Hi,

It is confusing as to what you have done and how you upgraded/installed 10

If you used the free upgrade option to 10, you should not have 8/8.1 still useable.

You have to make up your mind if you want 8.1 or 10; you can't have both if you used the free upgrade offer.

The Windows Product Key/License for the Qualifying Operating System, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, etc. is absorbed into the Windows 10 Upgrade during the installation process and becomes part of the Activated final install of Windows 10.

The Qualifying Operating System License, whether it be Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, etc. can not be used elsewhere, or in a dual boot with Windows 10.

Cheers.