How To Change The Default Operating System In Windows 10

Have you installed Windows 10 in dual boot with Windows 8 or Windows 7 and want to set Windows 10 as the default operating system in the boot options menu? Do you want to change the default operating system in the boot options menu on your Windows 10 PC? In this guide, we will see how to select the default operating system to run at startup on a PC running Windows 10.

Changing the operating system in Windows 10 is relatively easy. More importantly, you can select an operating system to run at startup without the help of third-party tools or editing the Registry. And the best part is that Windows 10 allows you to choose your default operating to start at startup right from the boot menu.

The following are the four ways out there to change the default operating system to run at startup in Windows 10.

WARNING: Although changing the default operating system is an easy job, change the default operating system only if you know what you’re doing as your PC might be unbootable if something goes wrong. We advise you to create a manual system restore point or create a system image before changing the default operating system.

Method 1 of 4

Select the default operating system from within Windows 10

Step 1: Type Msconfig in the Start menu or taskbar search box and then press Enter key. You can also use the Run command box to open the System Configuration utility. In Run box, type Msconfig and then press Enter key.

Step 2: Switch to the Boot tab by clicking on the same.

Step 3: Select the operating system that you want to set as the default operating system in the boot menu and then click Set as default option.

Step 4: Click the Apply button. Click the OK button.

Step 5: When you get the following dialog, click Exit without restart button.

Method 2 of 4

Select the default operating system from the boot options menu

Step 1: Turn on your PC or restart your PC, if it’s already running.

Step 2: When you see the Choose an operating system screen or boot menu, click the option labeled Change defaults or choose other options.

NOTE: For those who are wondering, the new boot menu or boot options menu now supports mouse as well as touch input. This new boot options menu was first introduced with Windows 8.

Step 3: Click Choose a default operating system.

Step 4: The screen displays the current operating system as well as where it’s installed. Click on an operating system’s name to set it as the default operating system. That’s it!

Method 3 of 4

Choose your default operating system using Startup and Recovery

Step 1: Type Sysdm.cpl in Start menu search box or Run command box and then press Enter key to open the System Properties dialog.

Step 2: Switch to the Advanced tab. Under the Startup and Recovery section, click Settings.

Step 3: Under the System startup section, choose your default operating system from the drop-down menu and then click OK button.

Method 3 of 4

Select the default operating system using EasyBCD

Long time PC users likely aware of EasyBCD software. If you’re hearing about EasyBCD for the first time, it’s free for personal use software designed to help you configure the boot options and various other boot related settings.

Here is how to change the default operating system to run at startup in Windows 10 using EasyBCD software.

Step 1: Download and install the latest version of EasyBCD software. As said before, it’s free for personal use.

Step 2: Launch EasyBCD, click on Edit boot menu to switch to the same, select the box next to the operating system that you want to set as default, and finally click the Save button.

Good luck!