- To change the boot menu order on Windows 11, open Command Prompt (admin) and run the “bcdedit /displayorder {IDENTIFIER-FIRST} {IDENTIFIER-SECOND} {IDENTIFIER-THIRD}” command.
- You can also change the default entry with the “bcdedit /displayorder {IDENTIFIER} /addfirst” command.
On Windows 11, if you have a computer with a dual-boot configuration, you can change the order of every operating system on the list, and in this guide, you will learn how. On devices with multiple setups of Windows 11, 10, or Linux, on every boot, the “Windows Boot Manager” will appear with a list of the operating system you want to start. However, you may need to change the order of the items in the list to keep things organized or set the default operating system will start automatically.
Whatever the reason it might be, Windows 11 (and 10) allows you to use the bcdedit (Boot Configuration Data Edit) tool to change the order of the operating systems from the menu using Command Prompt.
This guide will teach you the steps to change the operating system order in the boot manager menu on Windows 11 or 10.
Change boot menu entries order on Windows 11
To change the operating system order in the boot manager menu on Windows 11, use these steps:
-
Open Start on Windows 11.
-
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
-
Type the following command to check the identifiers for each other operating systems in the list and press Enter:
bcdedit
-
Type the following command to change the order in the boot manager menu and press Enter:
bcdedit /displayorder {IDENTIFIER-FIRST} {IDENTIFIER-SECOND} {IDENTIFIER-THIRD}
In the command, replace the identifier details. This is an example that changes the boot menu order on Windows 11:
bcdedit /displayorder {15302e89-cdc7-11ec-8044-b66fe69e8c11} {70a18e3b-dec7-11ed-a6bb-ea6d871c578a} {current}
-
(Optional) Type the following command to specify the default boot entry and press Enter:
bcdedit /displayorder {IDENTIFIER} /addfirst
In the command, replace “IDENTIFIER” with the identifier information. For example, “current” would be the identifier for the current installation. This example makes the current installation the first entry on the boot menu:
bcdedit /displayorder {current} /addfirst
Once you complete the steps, the next time you start the computer, the boot manager will display the operating systems in the order you defined it in the command.
Although it’s possible to invoke the command tool through PowerShell, you are likely to run into issues. As a result, it’s recommended to run the bcdedit commands using an administrator session of Command Prompt.