How to change boot menu display order on Windows 11, 10

If you have a dual-boot system, you can use these steps to change the boot menu entry order on Windows 11.

bcdedit change order
bcdedit change order
  • 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:

  1. Open Start on Windows 11.

  2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

  3. Type the following command to check the identifiers for each other operating systems in the list and press Enter:

    bcdedit

    bcdedit view identifiers

  4. 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}

    bcdedit displayorder

  5. (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.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].