Drive letters in XP and Vista both indicate C:\

  • Thread starter Thread starter Patricko
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Patricko

I recently installed Vista (dual boot). I already had XP installed. Both
systems now
show C:\ as their respective drive letter. Vista should be showing D:\ How
can i fix this?
 
you would have to install vista from within running xp.
installing direct by booting the dvd it STEALS the "C" drive letter.



(e-mail address removed)



I recently installed Vista (dual boot). I already had XP installed. Both
systems now
show C:\ as their respective drive letter. Vista should be showing D:\ How
can i fix this?
 
Hi,

You can't. Vista will always enumerate its system drive as C: unless you
start the install from within an existing installation that already has that
designation. Once it is installed, you cannot change the system drive
letter.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
 
You can install Vista from the XP desktop. If you install from the DVD, it
will install itself as C
 
I recently installed Vista (dual boot). I already had XP installed. Both
systems now
show C:\ as their respective drive letter. Vista should be showing D:\ How
can i fix this?
Click to expand...

Vista should NOT be showing its System drive as "D:" in a dual-boot
installation. It should show its system drive as "C:". Additionally,
it SHOULD change the drive letter of XP to "D:" rather than "C:".
This will happen without your permission each time you install Vista
after installing XP. Whether it would be easy to change the XP volume
back to "C:", I do not know, since I've never tried it. Theoretically
it should be possible. I don't know how practical it would be,
however.

--
Donald L McDaniel

How can so many otherwise very intelligent people screw up
something so simple so badly? If you stick a computer
keyboard in front of most people, they'll suddenly drop
30 points off their IQs. Much like placing a "Pork Barrel"
bill in front of a politician: He'll forget all about
"cooperation" the minute he counts the zeroes before the
decimal point.
 
if you install booting from the DVD, vista STEALS the "C" designation.
if you install from within a running system vista takes the drive letter as expected.
you could format the partition/drive
and from a running XP insetrt the vista dvd and install.




(e-mail address removed)



I recently installed Vista (dual boot). I already had XP installed. Both
systems now
show C:\ as their respective drive letter. Vista should be showing D:\ How
can i fix this?
Click to expand...

Vista should NOT be showing its System drive as "D:" in a dual-boot
installation. It should show its system drive as "C:". Additionally,
it SHOULD change the drive letter of XP to "D:" rather than "C:".
This will happen without your permission each time you install Vista
after installing XP. Whether it would be easy to change the XP volume
back to "C:", I do not know, since I've never tried it. Theoretically
it should be possible. I don't know how practical it would be,
however.

--
Donald L McDaniel

How can so many otherwise very intelligent people screw up
something so simple so badly? If you stick a computer
keyboard in front of most people, they'll suddenly drop
30 points off their IQs. Much like placing a "Pork Barrel"
bill in front of a politician: He'll forget all about
"cooperation" the minute he counts the zeroes before the
decimal point.
 
Why don't you research the drive letter enumeration used in Vista before you
post?
Click to expand...

John, the only "research" I need to do is look at my desktop, which
contains shortcuts to all available volumes. Sure enough, Vista has
as its Drive letter "C", while XP shows its drive letter as "D".

I installed via booting with the install disk, not installing from
within Windows.

Why don't YOU research how important it is to TRUST people's word?



--
Donald L McDaniel

How can so many otherwise very intelligent people screw up
something so simple so badly? If you stick a computer
keyboard in front of most people, they'll suddenly drop
30 points off their IQs. Much like placing a "Pork Barrel"
bill in front of a politician: He'll forget all about
"cooperation" the minute he counts the zeroes before the
decimal point.
 
Why do you think that testing is done on a variety of equipment, software,
methods of installing, etc. You know one situation. When Vista is
installed from the desktop of XP, it assigns the drive lettering of the XP
installation. When installed from the Vista DVD it assigns C. Just for
starters. Obviously your single desktop doesn't show both options. Maybe
you could try another method of installing and see why generalising from
'my' installation would make researching the options advisable before
offering misinformation based only on limited experience.
 
Why do you think that testing is done on a variety of equipment, software,
methods of installing, etc. You know one situation. When Vista is
installed from the desktop of XP, it assigns the drive lettering of the XP
installation. When installed from the Vista DVD it assigns C. Just for
starters. Obviously your single desktop doesn't show both options. Maybe
you could try another method of installing and see why generalising from
'my' installation would make researching the options advisable before
offering misinformation based only on limited experience.
Click to expand...

Mr. Barnes,
I did NOT offer "misinformation". If it HAD been "misinformation", it
would have been WRONG information. What I reported is obviously
correct. The facts are, a standard installation of Vista (that is,
via booting from the installation media), DOES change XP's drive
letter, whether YOU like it or not.

Go stuff yourself somewhere in the server closet, ok? Maybe light up
a joint or two? Mellow out a little? You've been entering code too
long. You need a rest.


--
Donald L McDaniel

How can so many otherwise very intelligent people screw up
something so simple so badly? If you stick a computer
keyboard in front of most people, they'll suddenly drop
30 points off their IQs. Much like placing a "Pork Barrel"
bill in front of a politician: He'll forget all about
"cooperation" the minute he counts the zeroes before the
decimal point.
 
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