You mean it gives you a message that 'NextSTART is not running or is an incompatible version' ? That's by design, since the Start Button in Nexus will activate the NextSTART menu, and it can't if NextSTART is not running.

Hmmm, I'm curious about one thing: try adding a 'Start Menu' internal command to the dock (right click on any item in the dock -> Insert New Dock Item -> Internal Command -> Desktop -> Start Menu') then click on it. Under previous versions of Windows that would open the Windows Start Menu (NOT the NextSTART menu), my guess is that under Windows 8 it will open the Metro interface?

lol. Yep, still in one piece. For now.

Well I dunno, did a reformat and I still have the issue of Win 8 not booting without the disc.

I used the Win 8 Customer Preview Setup exe to download the file, which checked out to be complete, etc, then during the installation I selected 'Install to a different partition'.  I was then instructed to save the ISO to burn later, which I did, but during the subsequent installation booting from disc, there was no option to select dual boot, just the standard installation for a single OS machine.  Upon completion, however, both OSes were present on the boot menu, and again, Win 7 booted okay but Win 8 would not boot without the disc being present... so something f**ked up and I have no idea what.

So, it's back to the drawing board for now.

Yes, I mean that. I usually tell NextStart to use the windows start menu.

Brings up the 8 start screen.

BTW, Winstep and Start8 can both be installed without interfering with each other.

Both work fine.

Well I have no idea what it is I have to do to get Win 8 rebootable without the installation disc on-board.

I tried a different partition because I felt there may have been issues with the SSD I first tried, but it will not reboot on a standard HDD partition, either.

The error I get is....

File: Windows\System32\winload.exe

Status: 0xc000000f

Info: The selected entry could not be loaded because the application is missing or corrupt.

Now this is in a clean install of Win 8 x64 with nothing added whatsoever... just what was on the installation disc.

I followed all the steps during installation and it seemed to complete without issue, but the one thing I did not see was a dual boot option.  I read an article that stated an option to change various defaults and settings would appear towards the end of the installation, and from there a dual boot configuration could be selected, but that did not occur... well not that I could tell.  Just prior to the log in page a screen appeared with some network and other settings on it, but it was gone before I could read all that was on it... which also happened the previous 2 times

Now I'm running the installation from bootup and selecting custom install to choose the partition, etc, as I always have for clean installs, but obviously I'm doing something wrong.  If anyone can advise as to how I can fix this I'd sure as heck appreciate it, whether it be another clean install using different steps or something, or maybe using one of the repair options to replace the corrupt or missing file.

Anyhow, this ol' pirate be tired as buggery now and be g'wen t' bed.

My experience is as follows. Somewhat loosely, because it was so easy, I don't remember step by step.

I downloaded the iSO, burned it as a disk image. Boot from it. Get the install started, give it the key, when prompted to do so.

It will copy a few things, maybe ask your location, etc.

Then it will offer two options. Upgrade or Custom Install.

Choose Custom Install. Tell 8 where you want it to install, this assumes you have a partition already made. Tell 8 to install to the second partition and let it go.

It pretty much does it's thing from there on and when it reboots, (can't remember if it's once, or twice), you'll see a screen asking which OS you want to boot to.

You should not need the disc in at this point.

Also note that if you shutdown from Win7, upon reboot you'll see an ugly black screen with white text to choose your OS from. If you shutdown from Win8, upon reboot you'll get a pretty blue screen offering two OSes to choose from.

Just a note.

That's the part I'm missing, I don't get a screen offering OS or boot options.

That doesn't happen, either.  When I boot out of Win 8 there's no Blue screen with OS options, just a blue screen and shutdown.

Now the thing is, did you install from within Win 7, or did you boot from disc, like I did?  The reason I ask is that it may be the difference, and why I don't see the dual boot option.  I just booted from disc because I was worried that there wouldn't be an install to another partition option and was afraid of losing my Win 7 installation if if I tried to install from within it.  So yeah, if there is a safe way to instan Win 8 from within Win 7, please advise so that I can proceed that way instead. 

Thanks, mate.

You misunderstood me. You get the screen with OS options when booting into it, not out of it. Only if you are dual booted.

This is when you first boot up after installing 8.

If you'll follow my instructions, exactly, you should get the same results.

I did not download the Setup EXE tho. I downloaded the ISO from the download site.

If you are looking for something during the install that mentions dual booting, that isn't gonna happen.

Installing to another partition IS dual booting. But the install never mentions the words "dual boot".

Okay, so we performed the same installation procedure

Right, so this is where I'm having the issue.  If the disc is removed I cannot boot back into Win 8... only 7.  If I leave the disc in it goes straight to Win 8, with no OS option.  Now I read this article, which suggests that after the installation and one or two reboots, a screen to "change defaults or choose other options appears, from which you select the default OS, etc. Well that's the way I understand it... and the installation is then completed once that's done. 

Obviously, if I cannot reboot to Win 8 without the disc on board, I'm not going to see the option you describe... nor if I leave the disc in and the PC boots straight to Win 8 without the Win 7 option.  Now the thing is, in the article linked to above, it says that the default OS can be selected in msconfig/boot options, but I can't do that from within Win 8, either.... there is no entry for Win 7 to select.  There is a Win 8 entry in msconfig in Win 7, and I can select Win 7 as the default, but then I come back to the issue of Win 8 not booting without the disc on-board.

Well it's got me beat.  I'm installing 8 the same way as I installed Vista and 7, booting from disc, yet the result is different and it's like Win 8 doesn't register correctly in the MBR or something.  Hopefully yrag is reading this and can provide an answer as to what's going wrong.  Knowing my luck, I'll have downloaded it just to find out Win 8 isn't compatible with my BIOS/mobo.

I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet, because I'm curious to see how functional Win8 would be with Winstep and Start8 installed, so here's hoping it'll be resolvable, and soon... cos yer knows wot curiosity dun to tha cat, right?

I had a problem with the installation too. Everything went fine until the last reboot. The option to choose which OS to run came up and vanished in less than two seconds, no joke, it didn't stay up long enough for me to select. So it boots into Win8 and gets as far as configuring the devices then the screen goes black. I thought that was normal but it stayed that way for several minutes. I did a restart and the same thing happened. Tried to boot from the USB drive and all that wanted to do was install Win8 again. Couldn't get to either OS and when I rebooted a fourth time I went into the boot menu and Win8 wasn't even there, I mean the partition I made for it was gone. C: was still there and I booted into that and that's where Win 8 was. It wiped out my drive. Backups are a good thing you know so I didn't lose anything. It was just a big pain in the ass. I still have Win8 on the USB plus the Start8 app specially made for it. Question. Do I give it another go or chalk it up to Kismet and ditch 'em?

Sooo, maybe me getting off track today and not installing Win8 might have been a welcome turn of events. the errors you guys are having, Uvah and Starkers, for what all three of us wanted to do, just have a sneak peak at 8, doesn't seem to be worth the bother.

Uvah, especially you, it wiped your drive!

Glad to hear you had it backed up!

Up to you if you try again, you may as well though, if you haven't reinstalled your win7. If it's wiped you, then may as well make the most of it and go for it. Perhaps since your wiped, don't dual boot. install 8, mess with it a little, then do your back up. should be an easier process.

I'll be watching to see how both you guys get on. Best of luck with it!