[SOLVED] Windows Boot Manager

[Pretty Pixel]

Hi everyone - I am new to Linux and have just installed Linux Mint on my Lenovo X230i laptop. My system before installation was Windows 7 Pro. Now I can dual boot both Linux Mint and Windows 7 Pro successfully. My question is, on boot I see the Grub menu - however, the menu choice for booting to Windows is called 'Windows Boot Manager' and not Windows 7. Is this normal? Should it say Windows 7? Thanks in advance

[xenopeek]

I think so. GRUB can't boot Windows. It can boot the Windows Boot Manager, which will boot whatever Windows versions you have installed.

[Pretty Pixel]

Thank you for the quick reply - I just wanted to make sure my installation was OK. I am totally new to Linux, but am looking forward to learning all about it.

[xenopeek]

If you have multiple operating systems installed it is common for them all to have their own boot loader. One boot loader will be "in charge" and is the one loaded at computer power on. The other boot loaders would be "chain loaded" by that boot loader. So if you select to boot the Windows Boot Manager, GRUB loads it as if it had been loaded at computer power on and hands off control to it.

Welcome to Linux Mint BTW. Enjoy your stay

[Pretty Pixel]

Thank you for explaining and making me feel so welcome

[srs5694]

The names shown in GRUB's menu are pretty arbitrary; AFAIK, they're set by the people who write the GRUB scripts that scan for various boot loaders and kernels. As a practical matter, differentiating the Windows 7 boot loader from the ones for Windows Vista, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, etc. may be very difficult. In some cases they don't differ at all in terms of code. In other cases they might, but telling one from the other would require extra coding in the scripts, so they might just not bother. (That said, to some extent I'm speculating, since I didn't write these scripts, and I've never discussed the matter with the people who did write them.)

[Pretty Pixel]

Thank you for your input. I just wanted confirmation that all was OK with my installation, as the Grub menu listing for Windows 7 is called 'Windows Boot Manager' on /dev/ sda1.