Ubuntu: Boot by default into Windows

Problem

When Ubuntu is installed to create a dual-boot system with Windows, it sets itself up with the Grub boot-loader as the default boot option. If you boot into Window more frequently than into Ubuntu, it would be a good idea to set Windows as the default boot option with Grub.

Solution

There used to be a time when changing the default boot option was as simple as editing a grub/menu.lst file and changing the default boot number from 0 to 4. That time is long gone! 😐 Messing around with the newer versions of Grub is more complicated now.

If you look for a utility to change the default boot setting, most of the Internet will shout back about something called StartupManager. However, development on this utility has been stopped and it does not appear in the recent Ubuntu repository.

What works is the new utility Grub Customizer. There is a small problem, this utility is not yet in the Ubuntu repository! Install it from the creator’s repository using the following invocation:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install grub-customizer

After installation run Grub Customizer, it displays a list of boot entries. Move the Windows boot entry to the top using the arrow buttons and Save the list. Your computer should now boot into Windows by default.

Tried with: Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) and Grub Customizer 2.2