Set the GRUB Default OS: Dual-boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu 14.04

Question

I'm running a dual-boot system, having installed Ubuntu 14.04 after the Windows 7 installation. GRUB, as you already know, sets Ubuntu as a default/first Operating System.

The question is: how can I set GRUB to load Windows 7 as a default/first OS?

Cheers,

Solution 1

The graphical way as mentioned before:

http://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2014/04/install-grub-customizer-ubuntu-1404/

The Application is not in the Repositories of your Software Center by default. That's why you need to add a Personal Package Archive (PPA) and update the sources.

Hit Super/Win to open Dash, type soft and choose Software & Updates. Go to Other Software and click add. There you can enter the new resource ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer. After confirm and close you would be asked to reload. Now you can search for in grub-customizer in your Software Center and install it.

Without clicking, you can install it in your terminal (CTRL+ALT+T)

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer
sudo apt update
sudo apt install grub-customizer

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Or just change boot order in grub config on your own. All of the following commands need sudoers permissions. You can hit ALT+F2 and type gksu (maybe not installed by default) in front of every command or open a terminal with CTRL+ALT+T an use sudo to run commands with needed privileges

First of all backup the old config with

cp /etc/default/grub /etc/default/grub.bak

then open the open grub file with your favourite editor e.g. gedit

gedit /etc/default/grub

or directly open it within your terminal with vi or vim (if you know how to use)

vim /etc/default/grub

and edit the GRUB_DEFAULT Value to the item you want to select by default (counted from zero), save the file an run

update-grub

After that a new Configuration is built and you can reboot to test.

Multiple Q/A: How do I change the GRUB boot order?

Solution 2

Try using grub-customiser it is available in software center.

Under List configuration tab > Move windows to the top as shown in below image and save it

Under General settings tab > default entry > predefined- entry 1 by position

Comments

[Goran Horia Mihail]

it works, thx. although I could not find grub-customiser in software center, I've found download instructions here: launchpad.net/grub-customizer

[Admin]

@sonyqs: kudos to you for the instruction to save the old grub config. This is often forgotten.