If you have set up a dual-boot system with Fedora and Windows and now you can’t boot into Windows, then don’t worry. This issue is common and usually related to how the bootloader was configured during installation. To get rid of the error, here are some possible fixes that you can try out:
Can’t boot into Windows after installing Fedora
Follow these steps to boot into Windows after installing Fedora Linux:
- Identify the BOOT mode
- Update GRUB configuration
- Enable OS detection
1] Identify the BOOT mode
The first step is to check if your system is running in UEFI or Legacy BIOS mode. To do so, boot into Windows and open Terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T and run the following command:
[-d /sys/firmware/efi ] && echo "UEFI" || echo "Legacy BIOS"
It will tell you whether you are running UEFI or Legacy BIOS.
2] Update GRUB configuration
If GRUB loads but doesn’t show Windows, you need to run the following commands:
- First, boot into Fedora.
- For UEFI systems, run the following command
sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/efi/EFI/fedora/grub.cfg
- For BIOS systems, run:
sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
- Once done, reboot your PC and check if you see Windows or not.
Read: Can’t boot into Windows after installing Linux
3] Enable OS detection
If Windows still isn’t detected, install and run os-prober to detect other installed operating systems:
sudo dnf install os-prober
sudo os-prober
For UEFI:
sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/efi/EFI/fedora/grub.cfg
For BIOS:
sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
Once done, reboot to see if Windows shows up in the GRUB menu.
Overall, these steps should help you boot into Windows after installing Fedora. However, if the problem still exists, make sure that both your Windows and Linux installations are using either UEFI or Legacy Mode. If not, you will need to reinstall Fedora.
Read: Can’t boot into Windows after installing Arch
Why does Fedora sometimes overwrite the Windows bootloader after updates?
After a Fedora kernel or bootloader update, it’s possible that GRUB becomes the default bootloader, and Windows Boot Manager either gets pushed down in the EFI boot order or is no longer listed. This does not mean Windows is gone — only that the boot priority changed.
Read: Can’t boot into WSL after installing Windows
Why does my system boot straight into Fedora without showing GRUB or Windows?
Sometimes after installing Fedora, the system may boot directly into Fedora instead of showing the GRUB menu with both operating systems. This often happens if GRUB is set to hidden or if the EFI boot order prioritizes Fedora’s entry over Windows.
