5 Ways To Fix Dual Boot Option Not Showing On Windows 11

Run the command bcdedit /set {bootmgr} displaybootmenu yes on CMD in Administrator Mode.
Disable Fast Startup to fix issues with Dual Boot.
Run an SFC scan to detect, and fix any corrupted system files causing the issue.

Fix 1: Enable Dual Boot Option Using Command Prompt

Sometimes, the dual boot option goes missing when upgrading the operating system. When that happens, you can re-enable the dual boot option using Command Prompt .

Step 1: Press the Windows key to open the Start Menu .

Step 2: Type Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator .

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Step 3: Type the following command and press Enter .

bcdedit /set {bootmgr} displaybootmenu yes

Enable Dual Boot Option in the Command Prompt - 2

Fix 2: Turn Off Fast Startup

Fast Startup is an incredible feature in Windows that facilitates quick computer restarts after shutdown. This feature proves especially useful if your computer takes a long time to restart.

However, the dual boot feature blocks the Windows installation drive, leading to the operating system’s failure to recognize the dual boot system. In such cases, the solution is to disable the fast startup option on your computer.

Step 1: Press the Windows key to open the Start Menu, type Control Panel in the search bar, and press Enter .

Step 2: Choose System and Security .

System and Security option in Control Panel - 4

Step 3: Select Power Options .

Step 4: Click the Choose what the power button does option in the left sidebar.

Choose what the power button does option in Control Panel - 6

Step 5: Click the Change settings that are currently unavailable option.

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Step 6: Uncheck the Turn on fast startup box. Then, click the Save Changes button.

Save changes button in the Control Panel - 8

Fix 3: Choose the Default Operating System in Startup and Recovery

Another quick way to fix the dual boot option not showing on Windows 11 is to configure the default operating system on your computer.

Step 1: Press the Windows + I keyboard shortcut to launch the Settings app .

Step 2: Choose System from the left sidebar and click the About option in the right pane.

Step 3: Click the Advanced system settings option in the right pane.

Advanced system settings in the Settings app - 10

Step 4: In the Advanced tab, click the Settings button under Startup and Recovery .

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Step 5: Select the default OS from the Default operating system drop-down menu. Then, click the OK button.

Default operating system in the Settings app - 12

Fix 4: Enable Boot Disk Partition

To use the second operating system installed on a disk partition , it’s important to enable the partition for the computer to boot from it. If you fail to enable it, the dual boot option will not appear. You can enable the boot disk partition by following the below steps:

Step 1: Press the Windows key to launch the Start Menu, type Command Prompt in the search bar, and choose Run as administrator from the right pane.

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Step 2: Type diskpart into the Command Prompt window and press Enter .

Step 3: Type list disk and press Enter . This will list all the disks on your computer.

Step 4: Type select disk (DiskNumber) and press Enter . Make sure to replace DiskNumber with the actual number of the disk where you’ve installed the second OS.

Step 5: Type list partition and press Enter. This will give a list of all the partitions on the selected disk.

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Step 6: To choose the target partition, type select partition (PartitionNumber) . Make sure to replace PartitionNumber with the actual number of the target partition.

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Step 7: Type Active and press. This will enable the selected partition.

You will see the ‘DiskPart marked the current partition as active’ message when the process completes.

Fix 5: Run SFC and DISM Scan

If the dual boot option is still missing, you can run SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) scans. Running these scans will detect and replace corrupt system files that might be causing the issue.

Step 1: Press the Windows key to launch the Start Menu , type Command Prompt in the search bar, and click the Run as administrator option in the right pane.

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Step 2: Type sfc /scannow and press Enter. This will run the SFC scan on your computer.

Step 3: Type the following commands one by one and press Enter after each command:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

After the scanning process is complete, restart your computer, and you’ll see the dual boot option.

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Update or re-install the biometrics driver using the Device Manager tool on your PC.
Delete your fingerprint, and register it again in Windows Hello settings.
Open the Services program, and restart the Windows Biometric Service.

Basic Fixes

Restart PC: Restart your PC to fix any temporary bugs and glitches.
Clean your finger and the sensor: The biometrics sensor on your PC will not work if it is dirty, or if your finger isn’t clean.
Update PC: Update your PC to the latest available version of Windows for a bug-free experience.
Check for malware: Using Windows Defender , scan for malware that may be causing the problem.

Fix 1: Update or Reinstall the Biometrics (Fingerprint) Driver

The software drivers for the biometrics hardware on your Windows PC may be outdated and are due for an update. The update can fix bugs and problems that you are facing with the Windows Hello fingerprint service. Additionally, if the biometrics driver was installed through a corrupt package, it may cause issues with Windows Hello.

Therefore, updating or reinstalling these drivers will help.

Step 1: Open Device Manager from the start menu.

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Step 2: Click to expand Biometric Devices .

Step 3: Right-click on the biometric device and click on Update driver .

Step 4: Choose whether you want to browse the update file locally or, let Windows search the internet for the same.

If you want to re-install the driver, click on Uninstall Device , confirm your action, and restart your PC to automatically install the driver.

Fix 2: Re-Register Your Fingerprints

If the saved fingerprint on your PC is corrupted, removing it and registering your fingerprint once again will help.

Step 1 : Open the Settings app on your PC.

Step 2: Select Accounts in the sidebar and click on Sign-In Options .

Step 3: Click on Fingerprint Recognition .

Step 4: Click on Remove to delete the registered fingerprint.

Step 5: Now, click on Set Up , and register your fingerprints once again.

Fix 3: Start Biometrics Service Automatically

If the Windows Biometric service – a process that is required to activate the fingerprint sensor on your device does not start up every time you boot up your PC, you may encounter problems with Windows Hello.

Step 1: Open the Services application from the Start menu.

Step 2: Scroll down to find, and right-click on Windows Biometric Service .

Right Click on Windows Biometric Service - 33

Step 3: Click on Properties .

Step 4: Open the dropdown menu for Startup type , and click on Automatic . Click on Apply and OK to confirm your changes.

Fix 4: Reset WinBio Database

Your Windows PC stores all the biometrics data in the WinBio database. If any entry is corrupted, it may be responsible for the error message.

Step 1: Open the Services application from the Start menu.

Step 2: Scroll down to find, and right-click on Windows Biometric Service .

Right Click on Windows Biometric Service - 37

Step 3: Click on Stop .

Step 4: Now, navigate to This PC -> Windows (C:) -> Windows -> System32 and open the WindBioDatabase folder.

Step 5: We will have to delete all the files present here.

But we recommend taking a backup . Select all files. Copy and paste them onto a different location.

Step 6: Once you have created a copy of all the files in a different destination – go ahead and delete the files .

Step 7: Now, go back to Windows Services , right-click on Windows Biometric Service , and click on Start .

Once you restart the biometric service, you must register your fingerprint again in the Settings app. Refer to the ‘Fix 2’ section to register your fingerprint.