How do I get the Windows 8 boot loader back and also list both Windows XP and Windows 7?

Get the Windows 8 Developer Preview boot menu back.

1. Start from the Windows 8 Developer Preview installation medium.

2. Optionally, choose your keyboard settings.

3. Hit SHIFT+F10 to enter the command prompt.

4. Execute bootrec /fixmbr to update the main boot record just to be sure, partitions will remain.

5. Execute bootrec /fixboot to update the boot sector of the system partition.

6. Execute bootrec /scanos to add known OSes to the boot configuration data.

Get it to list Windows XP.

6. Execute bootrec /rebuildbcd, this will rebuild the boot configuration data.

7. If that doesn't work, reboot and use bcdedit from Windows 8 Developer Preview like this:

   bcdedit /create {ntldr} /d "Windows XP"
   
   bcdedit /set {ntldr} device partition=X:
   
   bcdedit /set {ntldr} path \ntldr
   
   bcdedit /displayorder {ntldr} /addlast
   

   Please note that you need to right click the Command Prompt tile, then click on advanced in the lower right corner and then click on Run As Administrator. Replace X: by your XP partition.

   This is native unlike EasyBCD, so the chance is higher that it would work more properly...

Good luck!

Here is perfect solution to get back your Windows XP/7 when you install Windows 8.

Check this blog entry: How To Install & Dual Boot Windows 8 With Windows XP & Windows 7

• Navigate to My Computer from system Explore or Desktop
• Then at the top menu bar click on “System Properties”
• On next windows select “Advanced System Settings”
• It will popup you new windows ,from which you need to click on “Advance” tab then click setting for “Start-up & recovery ”
• Now in default OS select “Earlier Version of Windows ” Now click on ok and restart your PC
• Now you should have option to load windows XP prior to Windows 8 Start ,Enjoy all windows platform

I had the problem of seeing the Windows 7 boot menu instead of the Windows 8 boot menu. I was able to boot into Windows 8, but I did not see the graphical Windows 8 boot loader.

I used the bcdboot command in an elevated command prompt to reload the Windows 8 bootloader files and now all is OK.

Example:

bcdboot c:\windows /s c: