How to change XP drive letter?

ANNR · 12-30-2007, 08:32 AM

I just installed the xp pro on a raid 0

I got drive H and I instead of C and D.

H is the boot drive with all the xp installed on. H is just a storage partition.

I am getting error messages at the end when ever I try to install program. All the program that i installed works fine.

Is it possible to change my drive back to C and D and still have everything running normal.

thank you

PC eye · 12-30-2007, 08:51 AM

If that was setup as an array and not individual drives you may end up in....

fast there! Otherwise you go into the Disk Management tool and right click on each different logical drive found there in order to reassign the drive letter.

The first thing to look at is the one or more optical drives to see what letters those are seeing. If you see the first as C and second if installed as D oops! change those first to E and F! You get to the Disk Management tool through the Control Panel by way of "Administrative Tools>Computer Management>Storage" and simply double click on Disk Management to see the small scroll type window open up.

SirKenin · 12-30-2007, 09:47 AM

No, not system drives. You can't use "manage" to change them. You have to start over again, repartition/format the drives. That's the only way.

PC eye · 12-30-2007, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirKenin

No, not system drives. You can't use "manage" to change them. You have to start over again, repartition/format the drives. That's the only way.

Once you make any change to array say "bye bye" to it! This is why the quesion of seeing two separate logical drives or set ad an array was asked. When in a dual boot configuration with a second version of Windows then you can see the D drive with the other if installed a second drive changed from D to E,F,G,H, or another letter on the alphabet train there.

For doing that however the letter of any optical already using thet letter would have to be changed first. If C was XP and the present H was seeing Vista or vice versa D for an optical drive would be changed to E, F, G, for the present H to see D in Vista in XP's Disk Management. You can't reassign the drive while you are running the copy of Windows presently on it at the time.

That is seen when each drive is a separate logical drive and not a single primary stretched across two in an array. Any ide hard drvies will then be seen as default by the Windows installer. But to see XP is being on the H drive you have to be booting up frrom another drive with an OS or boot loader there. Wherever Windows loads from it's always seeing itself as the C drive.

ANNR · 12-31-2007, 01:22 AM

I Think I will just do a system reinstall. There is nothing on the drive yet beside the OS.

I have a Sata memory card reader and DVD drive.

The memory card reader is taking the letters from C to F and G for the DVD drive. If I change all these driver letters to E, F, G, H, I and change the Current storage partition (I) do D will I be able to get the Boot Partition to be D when reinstall windows?

If not how can I get the OS to install on the C partition?

Do I have to reset up the Raid if I were to reinstall the OS?

Thank you

PC eye · 12-31-2007, 03:37 AM

If you go to reinstall Windows at this point the entire array comes down. This is something tlarkin has also warned about at time being that arrays especially RAID is too vulnerable.

The best option for guarantee of seeing C as the default drive letter is to Windows installed as a separate stand alone installation. If you have two drives in the array and one other ide drive you can install Windows on the array but see the boot information end up on the 1st ide drive and not on either of the two in the array. That's the thing to watch when ide drives are present.

Switching modes out the array mode sees each drive then as a separate logical drive rather then expanding a single partition or mirroring one to another. The original concept behind arrays was a means of storage and not for the primary OS.

Changing the letters for drives other then the one seeing the OS like Windows running on is the process of first changing letters for the one or more drives or device(s) using them. Once the drive letters are free then you simply reassign each one to the intended drive. If in Windows and seeing D there the volume information is toast! You should be seeing "C" and not any other letter.

paratwa · 12-31-2007, 03:51 AM

You need to remove the card reader, then reinstall windows. Never have a card reader installed when doing a fresh install of windows, they will always take the first driver letters for it's self.

Also, only have the raid installed, your storage drive you should install after you have the raid up and running.

ANNR · 12-31-2007, 03:56 AM

Just reinstalled windows and everything went back to normal now.

Thanks

SirKenin · 12-31-2007, 04:08 AM

Good deal. I've run into that more than once, especially on the D530C's.. It's a frustrating nuisance, but as you see it's not insurmountable. Fabulous.

PC eye · 12-31-2007, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ANNR

Just reinstalled windows and everything went back to normal now.

Thanks

Glad to see you that cleared up! Just remember arrays can be fragile at times. If one of the drives goes...

! Make sure to back things up regularly there.

When you mentioned "D" earlier it reminded me of forgetting to unplug the Vista drive when first getting the new build together.

The XP installer went right after the Vista ide drive while XP was going on the first sata. When looking at the drive icons later upon reaching the desktop... oops! D was seen.

GGrrr...

Time to unplug!

12-30-2007, 08:32 AM	#1 (permalink)
ANNR Platinum Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 805	How to change XP drive letter? I just installed the xp pro on a raid 0 I got drive H and I instead of C and D. H is the boot drive with all the xp installed on. H is just a storage partition. I am getting error messages at the end when ever I try to install program. All the program that i installed works fine. Is it possible to change my drive back to C and D and still have everything running normal. thank you __________________ Vista Ultimate x64 Antec 900 Q6600 Zotac 8800GTs 2x2GB Dual DDR800 SEAGATE ST3500320AS 500GB 2x500GB WD Slave 27" LCD

12-30-2007, 08:51 AM	#2 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 19,005	If that was setup as an array and not individual drives you may end up in.... fast there! Otherwise you go into the Disk Management tool and right click on each different logical drive found there in order to reassign the drive letter. The first thing to look at is the one or more optical drives to see what letters those are seeing. If you see the first as C and second if installed as D oops! change those first to E and F! You get to the Disk Management tool through the Control Panel by way of "Administrative Tools>Computer Management>Storage" and simply double click on Disk Management to see the small scroll type window open up. __________________ Youtube falls short of Google's expectations http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Ahe...ory?id=5336532 Congress studies how people track your online use http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Ahe...ory?id=5337932

12-31-2007, 01:22 AM	#5 (permalink)
ANNR Platinum Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 805	I Think I will just do a system reinstall. There is nothing on the drive yet beside the OS. I have a Sata memory card reader and DVD drive. The memory card reader is taking the letters from C to F and G for the DVD drive. If I change all these driver letters to E, F, G, H, I and change the Current storage partition (I) do D will I be able to get the Boot Partition to be D when reinstall windows? If not how can I get the OS to install on the C partition? Do I have to reset up the Raid if I were to reinstall the OS? Thank you __________________ Vista Ultimate x64 Antec 900 Q6600 Zotac 8800GTs 2x2GB Dual DDR800 SEAGATE ST3500320AS 500GB 2x500GB WD Slave 27" LCD

12-31-2007, 03:37 AM	#6 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 19,005	If you go to reinstall Windows at this point the entire array comes down. This is something tlarkin has also warned about at time being that arrays especially RAID is too vulnerable. The best option for guarantee of seeing C as the default drive letter is to Windows installed as a separate stand alone installation. If you have two drives in the array and one other ide drive you can install Windows on the array but see the boot information end up on the 1st ide drive and not on either of the two in the array. That's the thing to watch when ide drives are present. Switching modes out the array mode sees each drive then as a separate logical drive rather then expanding a single partition or mirroring one to another. The original concept behind arrays was a means of storage and not for the primary OS. Changing the letters for drives other then the one seeing the OS like Windows running on is the process of first changing letters for the one or more drives or device(s) using them. Once the drive letters are free then you simply reassign each one to the intended drive. If in Windows and seeing D there the volume information is toast! You should be seeing "C" and not any other letter. __________________ Youtube falls short of Google's expectations http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Ahe...ory?id=5336532 Congress studies how people track your online use http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Ahe...ory?id=5337932

12-31-2007, 03:56 AM	#8 (permalink)
ANNR Platinum Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 805	Just reinstalled windows and everything went back to normal now. Thanks __________________ Vista Ultimate x64 Antec 900 Q6600 Zotac 8800GTs 2x2GB Dual DDR800 SEAGATE ST3500320AS 500GB 2x500GB WD Slave 27" LCD

12-30-2007, 09:47 AM	#3 (permalink)
SirKenin banned Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 4,711	No, not system drives. You can't use "manage" to change them. You have to start over again, repartition/format the drives. That's the only way.

12-31-2007, 03:51 AM	#7 (permalink)
paratwa Diamond Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,969	You need to remove the card reader, then reinstall windows. Never have a card reader installed when doing a fresh install of windows, they will always take the first driver letters for it's self. Also, only have the raid installed, your storage drive you should install after you have the raid up and running.

12-31-2007, 04:08 AM	#9 (permalink)
SirKenin banned Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 4,711	Good deal. I've run into that more than once, especially on the D530C's.. It's a frustrating nuisance, but as you see it's not insurmountable. Fabulous.

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