Windows XP Installed on Wrong Drive letter!

NiteSurfer · 10 Mar 2006 at 16:12

I've recently Re-installed Windows XP home Edition but the following has happened.

Windows was installed on my only 120Gb SATA drive, I also had 2 IDE hard disks attached to my motherboard. Both sharing one IDE Slot.

The other IDE slot was occupied by 2 drives 1x dvd 1 cddrive.

But when I first logged onto windows after the fresh Install, to my puzzlement Windows XP was given the Drive Letter D: while one of my IDE backup drives was given the primary C: Letter.

This is a nightmare,as anything I go to install is C: path by defualt. I know this can be altered before install but what a fart about that would be during lots of installs.

My question is

How can I change Windows XP to the normal C: letter local drive?. I thought about disconnecting the 2 IDE's while doing this but What to actually do after that I'm at a loss.

Please can anybody help, I really dont want to re-install windows XP again!.

Thanks

Simmy · 10 Mar 2006 at 16:30

You can change the default path for program files from within the registry. Then every program you install will automatically look to the D:\

Open up regedit and goto;

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion

then change the ProgramFilesDir key.

It's not really possible to change the drive letter to C:\ once windows is installed, as chances are it will stop working altogether. Your best bet is to re-install with both the IDE drives disconnected as you say. Then once windows is installed, plug the IDe drives in again. Windows will detect them automatially and add them on as extra hard drives.

Fourstar · 10 Mar 2006 at 16:32

You can do it, but it changing the drive letter of your system volume will most likely mess things up badly. Certainly all documentation says it should not be done.

Unfortunately you'll have to reinstall.

Here are two links describing the changes in case you want to experiment before a reinstall

http://www.petri.co.il/change_system_drive_letter_in_windows_xp.htm

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=223188

NiteSurfer · 10 Mar 2006 at 16:43

Thankyou!, I'll try that, And if I run into probs, I'll just have to re-install, Getting good at that now, lol

bledd · 10 Mar 2006 at 16:51

its a real pain when this happens!

i turn off all external discs and disable the ide channels that i'm not using when formatting!

NiteSurfer · 10 Mar 2006 at 18:40

Back up and running now, with all drives in there original places,

Mort · 16 Apr 2006 at 02:34

sorry to bump an oldy, but having the same issue

thing is i've already tried the reg hack, and when i reboot and get bk into windows, it hangs and doesnt go any further than the welcome splash as its about to load the desktop

anyone have any ideas? :confused:

ted34 · 16 Apr 2006 at 09:51

Mine use to do that as well due to the partitions set up on primary hard drive. Got round it by installing windows to wrong drive letter and then doing install within windows but clicking new install and advanced and that gives you option to format and change drive letter

MeatLoaf · 16 Apr 2006 at 10:28

When you reinstall just have the SATA drive attached so it goes on the right frive, then attach the ide drives after.

Messiah Khan · 16 Apr 2006 at 11:28

And remember if you have a dell 2405 monitor, then disconnect the usb cable from that, as last time I reinstalled windows I removed all the other harddrives etc, but forgot about the smartcard reader in the monitor, so windows ended up as the G:\ drive or something stupid.

tehgazza · 16 Apr 2006 at 14:31

if you reinstall format the partiton u need xp on and then restart and i think it should be at top as C:\

Mort · 16 Apr 2006 at 15:15

MeatLoaf said:
When you reinstall just have the SATA drive attached so it goes on the right frive, then attach the ide drives after.

i actually did that in the first place

for some STUPID reason it picked up the logical partition on there (my games drive) as C: before the previous active primary one

very strange

i dont want to reinstall, as I have got all drivered up and taken images etc, there must be a way to fix the drive letters without it breaking

Mort · 16 Apr 2006 at 15:57

just heard that partition magic trial has a feature to change system drives letter

tried that and does exactly the same as if i did it manually by the registry

anymore ideas?