How do I change drive letters

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pat Miller
  • Start date Start date
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Pat Miller

I have a 4 yr old Dell 8200 Dimensions, running XP. The hard drive is F:\
I installed The Zip Drive about one week after computer was delivered.
Some of the drive letters changed when I installed the Zip Drive. Have not
had a
problem till now. I need to install new AV software, which will not install
because my hard drive is "F" not "C".

During the past 4 yrs I have installed many programs, updates and
applications
all written for drive "C" and installed on my drive F:\ without a problem
problem.
Could you explain why I suddenly have to correct the drive letters?

Is there a work around for this problem? If not, please advise where I can
get
the information to change letters Drive F: (which shows as Local Disk)
to Drive C: (whish shows as Removable disk)

Your good help will be very much appreciated.
Regards,
Pat Miller
 
Pat Miller said:
I have a 4 yr old Dell 8200 Dimensions, running XP. The hard drive is F:\
I installed The Zip Drive about one week after computer was delivered.
Some of the drive letters changed when I installed the Zip Drive. Have
not
had a
problem till now. I need to install new AV software, which will not
install
because my hard drive is "F" not "C".

During the past 4 yrs I have installed many programs, updates and
applications
all written for drive "C" and installed on my drive F:\ without a problem
problem.
Could you explain why I suddenly have to correct the drive letters?

Is there a work around for this problem? If not, please advise where I
can
get
the information to change letters Drive F: (which shows as Local Disk)
to Drive C: (whish shows as Removable disk)

Your good help will be very much appreciated.
Regards,
Pat Miller
Click to expand...

You cannot just change the drive letter of the boot drive. If I had your
system I would create an image using Ghost 2003 on another hard drive, cd's
or dvd's or and external usb drive. Then restore the image to a single hard
drive installed as the master on the primary ide channel, making sure that
all other devices, especially your zip drive are disconnected.
 
Pat said:
I have a 4 yr old Dell 8200 Dimensions, running XP. The hard drive is F:\
I installed The Zip Drive about one week after computer was delivered.
Some of the drive letters changed when I installed the Zip Drive. Have not
had a
problem till now. I need to install new AV software, which will not install
because my hard drive is "F" not "C".

During the past 4 yrs I have installed many programs, updates and
applications
all written for drive "C" and installed on my drive F:\ without a problem
problem.
Could you explain why I suddenly have to correct the drive letters?

Is there a work around for this problem? If not, please advise where I can
get
the information to change letters Drive F: (which shows as Local Disk)
to Drive C: (whish shows as Removable disk)

Your good help will be very much appreciated.
Regards,
Pat Miller
Click to expand...

The system drive letter cannot be changed. Windows XP got
installed to Drive F because there was a version of XP on
Drive C when it was re-installed. The installation took the
next available partition, which happened to be Drive F. A
little late to change unless one feels it is time to do a
clean installation from scratch.

As for installing applications, do a custom install, if it
is permitted, for choosing the drive to put it. Programmers
usually assume that Drive C is the only drive or preferred
drive for installing applications and offer it by default
for "Express" installs. Even if the choice does not exist,
one can always find the installation *.inf file and modify
it...but something that should be left to the advanced user.
 
justme said:
You cannot just change the drive letter of the boot drive. If I had your
system I would create an image using Ghost 2003 on another hard drive, cd's
or dvd's or and external usb drive. Then restore the image to a single hard
drive installed as the master on the primary ide channel, making sure that
all other devices, especially your zip drive are disconnected.
Click to expand...

And just how would that correct the issue with the A-V not wanting to
install on "F"?
 
Bob I said:
Ah, you might want to think thru the concept of restoring an image file.
Click to expand...

I've used both ghost and drive image for years and have never had any
problems. The image has nothing to do with drive letters and I stand by my
original statement. With a single master drive on the primary ide
controller the restored image will be on the C drive.
 
Hey Guys,
Many thanks for all your input . I am technically challenged. I might be
able to make a clean install but not to attempting that procedure at this
time. Then the thought of updating my 4 yr old window application is
terrifying. I am going to take Bob 1's advice and get another AV.
Pat


: Use a different A-V otherwise you may reinstall Windows to "live" on "C".
:
: Pat Miller wrote:
: > I have a 4 yr old Dell 8200 Dimensions, running XP. The hard drive is
F:\
: > I installed The Zip Drive about one week after computer was delivered.
: > Some of the drive letters changed when I installed the Zip Drive. Have
not
: > had a
: > problem till now. I need to install new AV software, which will not
install
: > because my hard drive is "F" not "C".
: >
: > During the past 4 yrs I have installed many programs, updates and
: > applications
: > all written for drive "C" and installed on my drive F:\ without a
problem
: > problem.
: > Could you explain why I suddenly have to correct the drive letters?
: >
: > Is there a work around for this problem? If not, please advise where I
can
: > get
: > the information to change letters Drive F: (which shows as Local Disk)
: > to Drive C: (whish shows as Removable disk)
: >
: > Your good help will be very much appreciated.
: > Regards,
: > Pat Miller
: >
: >
: >
: >
: >
: >
: >
: >
:
 
justme said:
I've used both ghost and drive image for years and have never had any
problems. The image has nothing to do with drive letters and I stand by my
original statement. With a single master drive on the primary ide
controller the restored image will be on the C drive.
Click to expand...

So you actually believe all the references to "F" in the image will be
magically changed to "C"?!??!?!?!?
 
So you actually believe all the references to "F" in the image will be
magically changed to "C"?!??!?!?!?
Click to expand...
Didn't your computer come with the wizard?
=P
If they won't change themselves, you could always change them the hard way,
but I wouldn't recommend it.
All drive letter references are stored somewhere, often that somewhere is
the registry.
Sometimes changing the letter references in the registry fixes all,
sometimes it makes things work but not perfectly.
If you don't know what you're doing, changing the registry can screw it up
enough for you to start over and reinstall Windows like most tech support
would have you do in the first place.
 
Ah, you might want to think thru the concept of restoring an image file.
So you actually believe all the references to "F" in the image will be
magically changed to "C"?!??!?!?!?
Click to expand...

I never said in any of my statements that the references to "F" in the image
would change. I said the restoring of an image has absolutely nothing to do
with the drive letter of the boot drive. It would become C.
 
HI,

Look into using Partition Magics Drive Mapper option. It does go through
the registry and make all the necessary drive letter changes. Drive
letter reassignments are often encountered when you merge or delete
partitions, that's why Partition Magic has a utility to fix the registry
entries.



---==X={}=X==---

Jim Self

AVIATION ANIMATION, the internet's largest depository.
http://avanimation.avsupport.com

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Experimental Aircraft Association #140897
EAA Technical Counselor #4562
 
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