How to Set the Default OS on a Windows 11/10 Dual-Boot Computer?

You can install multiple operating systems on a single computer. For example, you can wish to dual boot Windows 10 and Windows 11. Suppose you have various versions of Windows on your PC, and you prefer one over the others. For example, we want to boot with Windows 11 by default. In this case, you can set your preferred operating system as the default so that it always loads when you start your computer. To set the default operating system on a dual boot system, Windows 11/10 offers two options. They both perform the same task, and you can proceed with either method.

This risewindows post will show you how to set the default OS on a Windows 11/10 Dual-Boot Computer.

How to Set the Default OS from System Properties on Windows 11/10?

To set the default OS from system properties on Windows 11/10, do the following:-

Step 1. First, boot into Windows 11 or Windows 10 desktop.

Step 2. Now, open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows + R keys on the keyboard.

Step 3. Then, in the Run box, type the following and hit Enter from the keyboard:-

SystemPropertiesAdvanced

Step 4. After that, when the “System Properties” window opens, switch to the Advanced tab.

Step 5. Next, under the “Startup and Recovery” section, click the Settings button

Step 6. Now, the “Startup and Recovery” window opens. Click the Default Operating System drop-down menu and select the OS you want to make the default. When you choose your preferred OS, click the OK button at the bottom of the screen.

Quick Tips: By default, Windows waits 30 seconds to select an operating system at the startup. It will boot in your preferred OS when you don’t choose any OS. If you wish to increase or decrease this waiting time, use the “Time to Display List of Operating Systems” box in the above window.

Step 7. Finally, on the “System Properties” window, click OK to close the window.

Now you have set the preferred OS to use when your PC starts. If you want to switch to another OS than the default, on the first screen, when your PC asks to select the OS, use the down arrow key to choose another OS and press Enter from the keyboard. It will boot in the alternate OS.

That’s it.

How to Set the Default OS from System Configuration on Windows 11/10?

To set or configure the default OS from the System Configuration on Windows 11/10, perform the following steps:-

Step 1. Firstly, click the Start button on the taskbar and type “System Configuration.” Then click the tool in the search results.

Step 2. So, when the “System Configuration” window opens, select the Boot tab.

Step 3. Select your preferred OS from the box and click the Set as default button.

Step 4. Once it is complete, a “Default OS” label will appear next to the OS entry. It indicates that your default OS will be set successfully.

After setting your preferred OS, you need to save the changes. To do that, click the Apply and then OK button at the bottom of the opened window.

Step 5. Here, you’ll see a prompt asking you to restart your PC. If you want to apply these changes immediately, click the Restart button. Otherwise, select the Exit without restarting button to reboot your computer later. When you restart your computer next time, your preferred OS will top in the boot entry.

That’s it for the article.

I hope this post will be helpful to you.

Good luck & keep growing, guys.

Also read: How to Launch Multiple Apps at Once on Windows 11/10?