Windows Boot Manager Hangs (Dual Boot Win7 HP + Ult x64)

[LTM]

Dear NeoSmart Support Forum,

Purchased new laptop: ASUS A53E (Win7 Home Premium x64)
(Partition 1 is the hidden recovery drive for ASUS Recovery)

Installed latest version of EasyBCD (2.1.2) on Windows 7 Home Premium (64bit) ~ Partition 2 (C Drive)
Installed Windows 7 Ultimate on Partition 3 (D Drive) and installed EasyBCD (2.1.2).

Changed boot menu to Windows 7 Ultimate as #1 and Windows 7 Home Premium as #2
EasyBCD Settings > Wait for user selection > OK/Apply

Rebooted laptop, keyboard does not respond anymore and unable to select either Windows 7 OS. Stuck on 1st menu item (Windows 7 Ultimate) and will not boot.
Windows Boot Manager just hangs. (Cannot boot from ASUS recovery disc as the Windows Boot Manager freezes the computer). This is a photograph of the issue:

Windows Boot Manager Hangs (Dual Boot Win7 HP + Ult x64).JPG

Please help,
LTM

[Terry60]

You've rather stuck yourself with a catch 22.
That "wait for user response" is the killer.
Anything else as a timeout option would eventually continue to the default OS in the boot menu even with a dead keyboard.
You need to determine why a new laptop doesn't activate its keyboard at boot.
Are you using a separate USB k/b or the integral k/b ?
Nothing in the boot menu should stop your recovery disc from booting.
Just ensure that CD comes before HDD in the BIOS boot sequence.

[Computer Guru]

Check your BIOS for any "legacy USB" options. Toggle the setting, it should work.

However, most laptop BIOSes don't come with the legacy USB switch.

[LTM]

Hello,
Putting the Windows install DVD and booting from there has partially fixed the issue since I can get into my Windows 7 Ultimate partition. Plugging in a USB keyboard doesn't solve the issue as the boot manager is still unresponsive but at least it boots into Ultimate now (I changed the setting back to 10secs). I still can't get into my Windows 7 Home Premium partition (without changing the default OS in EasyBCD).
Thanks

[Computer Guru]

Use iReboot.

[Terry60]

I wasn't suggesting you use a USB keyboard, just the opposite. I was checking that you weren't.
USB drivers are loaded up during boot and if you need to use a USB device before the drivers are present, then you can find yourself in your predicament.
Having (and always having had) a desktop, I know that my keyboard and mouse are connected to PS2 not USB, but I'm not sure how a laptop connects those devices internally. If it is on the USB, then you need to do as CG suggested, check your BIOS and make sure that USB legacy support is enabled.

[LTM]

I've used the default laptop keyboard and it still hangs on boot manager. I managed to set MSCONFIG>BOOT to 5 secs so I wait 5 secs and then it boots into Ultimate. Cannot move the menu selection (in boot manager) up and down though!

[Terry60]

Did you find USB legacy support in your BIOS ?

[Computer Guru]

@LTM at the risk of repeating myself: use iReboot.