November 11, 2026

Windows 10 Dual Boot Menu Not Showing: Getting the Choice Between Operating Systems Back

You installed Linux, or a second copy of Windows, alongside Windows 10. It used to show a menu at start-up where you could choose which system to load. Now the PC goes straight into Windows 10 every time. When Windows 10 dual boot menu not showing hides your other system, it is usually because Windows took control of the boot order again.

On UEFI PCs, each operating system adds its own boot entry to the firmware. Linux typically installs GRUB, which shows the menu. Windows updates, especially large feature updates, can put Windows Boot Manager back at the top of the firmware boot order, so GRUB never runs.

For two Windows installations, the menu comes from Windows Boot Manager itself, and its timeout or display setting may have been changed to zero.

Restoring the boot order or the menu timeout brings slot gacor the choice back.

Why This Happens

The menu disappears for these reasons:

• A Windows update moved Windows Boot Manager to first place in the boot order.
• The boot menu timeout is set to zero seconds.
• Fast Startup keeps Windows partly hibernated, which skips the menu.
• The other system’s boot entry was removed.

Your other system is almost always still on the disk, simply not being offered.

Start With These Basic Checks

Use the firmware boot menu.

1. Restart and press the one-time boot menu key, such as F12 or Esc.
2. Look for an entry such as “ubuntu” or another OS name and choose it.
3. If it starts, the system is fine and only the order changed.
4. Enter the BIOS and move the GRUB or Linux entry above Windows Boot Manager.
5. Disable Fast Startup under Control Panel > Power Options > “Choose what the power buttons do,” since it can bypass the menu.

Going a Step Further

Adjust Windows Boot Manager for Windows-only dual boot.

1. Press Windows + R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter.
2. Open Advanced, then Settings under Startup and Recovery.
3. Tick “Time to display list of operating systems” and set it to 10 or 30 seconds.
4. Check that both systems appear in the “Default operating system” list.
5. Advanced users can run bcdedit /enum in an administrator Command Prompt to confirm the entries.

If the Linux entry is gone from the firmware, boot a Linux live USB and reinstall GRUB using your distribution’s documentation.

A Word of Caution

Back up both systems before editing boot entries. Never delete partitions you do not recognise in Disk Management, as one may hold the other operating system or its boot files.

Final Thoughts

A missing dual boot menu usually means Windows moved itself to the top of the boot order or the timeout is zero. Fix the firmware order, turn off Fast Startup, and restore the menu timeout.