on which drive letter w2k is installed ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter aa
  • Start date Start date
A

aa

There are several partitions on the Hard Drive with several w2k and XP
installed
When I boot into an OS how can I quickly see which drive letter it is on?
 
At a command prompt issue: echo %windir%

Or you can put a little .bat file on the desktop with this line in it:

cmd /k echo %windir%

John
 
Thanks, John
Is it important that this BAT file is sitting on the desktop, or I can save
it to a logical drive so that it is available for all the OS on this
comoputer?
 
You can put the .bat file wherever you want, I suggested the Desktop
because it's easier to find there, but that isn't necessary. You can
even place it in your Startup folders and it will automatically open
when the operating system is loaded.

Another thing that you can do is add the drive description to the
boot.ini file, that way you will see it before you select the operating
system to be booted. For example, typically a boot.ini file with two
operating systems entries looks like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional"
/fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional"
/fastdetect

The stuff surrounded by the quotation marks after the = is what you see
on the boot menu. So you could change the surrounded text to something
like this:

="Windows XP Professional Drive x"
="Windows 2000 Professional Drive y"

John
 
Thanks, John.
1. I thought that both DeskTop and Startup are located on the same drive as
the OS and the commad you gave me might have just returned the drive letter
the file is sitting on.
Now I see that is not the case.

2. boot.ini - it looks like a good idea if I only knew how a path like
disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1) maps to a drive letter.
Do you know?


John John said:
You can put the .bat file wherever you want, I suggested the Desktop
because it's easier to find there, but that isn't necessary. You can
even place it in your Startup folders and it will automatically open
when the operating system is loaded.

Another thing that you can do is add the drive description to the
boot.ini file, that way you will see it before you select the operating
system to be booted. For example, typically a boot.ini file with two
operating systems entries looks like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional"
/fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional"
/fastdetect

The stuff surrounded by the quotation marks after the = is what you see
on the boot menu. So you could change the surrounded text to something
like this:

="Windows XP Professional Drive x"
="Windows 2000 Professional Drive y"

John
Thanks, John
Is it important that this BAT file is sitting on the desktop, or I can save
it to a logical drive so that it is available for all the OS on this
comoputer?
"John John" <[email protected]> ???????/???????? ? ???????? ?????????:
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Yes, Desktop and Startup folders are different for each Windows
installation, every installation has it's own set of folders so you
would have to have a copy of the .bat file in all the different folders
for it to work. Here is another thing that you can do:

Place a copy of the file in the root of the System Drive (where
ntdetect.com, boot.ini & ntldr are located, usually C:\) and then you
will/should be able to run the file from the Start menu Run box. For
example if you call the file mm.bat then when you enter mm in the Run
box and press enter it will (should) run the .bat file and give you the
information. If that doesn't work put a copy of the file in all the
System or System32 folders.

For the boot.ini thing that is easy to figure out, edit the file and
stick matching identifying numbers in the "surrounded text" then boot
the installations one by one and find out and make note of the drive
letter associated with the path and then change it again in the boot.ini
file. For example, add numbers something like this to the file:

multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional
0-1-0-1"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional
0-0-0-2"

Make a backup copy of the file before you make changes... just in case.
Or better yet make a startup diskette and test it, then if you botch
the boot.ini file you know that you can still boot the computer and
restore the file. To make a startup disk while booted in one of your
Windows NT/2000/XP installation format a floppy disk and copy these
files from the System Drive (usually C:\)to the diskette:

ntdetect.com
boot.ini
ntldr

Now boot the computer with it and see if it works, then you can rest
assured that you can still boot the computer even if you completely
muck-up the boot.ini file. This startup disk wont work if you create it
on a Windows 9x computer.

John
Thanks, John.
1. I thought that both DeskTop and Startup are located on the same drive as
the OS and the commad you gave me might have just returned the drive letter
the file is sitting on.
Now I see that is not the case.

2. boot.ini - it looks like a good idea if I only knew how a path like
disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1) maps to a drive letter.
Do you know?


You can put the .bat file wherever you want, I suggested the Desktop
because it's easier to find there, but that isn't necessary. You can
even place it in your Startup folders and it will automatically open
when the operating system is loaded.

Another thing that you can do is add the drive description to the
boot.ini file, that way you will see it before you select the operating
system to be booted. For example, typically a boot.ini file with two
operating systems entries looks like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional"
/fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional"
/fastdetect

The stuff surrounded by the quotation marks after the = is what you see
on the boot menu. So you could change the surrounded text to something
like this:

="Windows XP Professional Drive x"
="Windows 2000 Professional Drive y"

John

aa wrote:

Thanks, John
Is it important that this BAT file is sitting on the desktop, or I can
Click to expand...
save
it to a logical drive so that it is available for all the OS on this
comoputer?
"John John" <[email protected]> ???????/???????? ? ????????
Click to expand...
?????????:
At a command prompt issue: echo %windir%

Or you can put a little .bat file on the desktop with this line in it:

cmd /k echo %windir%

John

aa wrote:



There are several partitions on the Hard Drive with several w2k and XP
installed
When I boot into an OS how can I quickly see which drive letter it is

on?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
John said:
Yes, Desktop and Startup folders are different for each Windows
installation, every installation has it's own set of folders so you
would have to have a copy of the .bat file in all the different folders
for it to work. Here is another thing that you can do:

Place a copy of the file in the root of the System Drive (where
ntdetect.com, boot.ini & ntldr are located, usually C:\) and then you
will/should be able to run the file from the Start menu Run box. For
example if you call the file mm.bat then when you enter mm in the Run
box and press enter it will (should) run the .bat file and give you the
information. If that doesn't work put a copy of the file in all the
System or System32 folders.

For the boot.ini thing that is easy to figure out, edit the file and
stick matching identifying numbers in the "surrounded text" then boot
the installations one by one and find out and make note of the drive
letter associated with the path and then change it again in the boot.ini
file. For example, add numbers something like this to the file:

multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional
0-1-0-1"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional
0-0-0-2"

Make a backup copy of the file before you make changes... just in case.
Or better yet make a startup diskette and test it, then if you botch
the boot.ini file you know that you can still boot the computer and
restore the file. To make a startup disk while booted in one of your
Windows NT/2000/XP installation format a floppy disk and copy these
files from the System Drive (usually C:\)to the diskette:

ntdetect.com
boot.ini
ntldr

Now boot the computer with it and see if it works, then you can rest
assured that you can still boot the computer even if you completely
muck-up the boot.ini file. This startup disk wont work if you create it
on a Windows 9x computer.

John
Thanks, John.
1. I thought that both DeskTop and Startup are located on the same
drive as
the OS and the commad you gave me might have just returned the drive
letter
the file is sitting on.
Now I see that is not the case.

2. boot.ini - it looks like a good idea if I only knew how a path like
disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1) maps to a drive letter.
Do you know?


"John John" <[email protected]> ???????/???????? ? ????????
?????????:
You can put the .bat file wherever you want, I suggested the Desktop
because it's easier to find there, but that isn't necessary. You can
even place it in your Startup folders and it will automatically open
when the operating system is loaded.

Another thing that you can do is add the drive description to the
boot.ini file, that way you will see it before you select the operating
system to be booted. For example, typically a boot.ini file with two
operating systems entries looks like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional"
/fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional"
/fastdetect

The stuff surrounded by the quotation marks after the = is what you see
on the boot menu. So you could change the surrounded text to something
like this:

="Windows XP Professional Drive x"
="Windows 2000 Professional Drive y"

John

aa wrote:


Thanks, John
Is it important that this BAT file is sitting on the desktop, or I can
save

it to a logical drive so that it is available for all the OS on this
comoputer?
"John John" <[email protected]> ???????/???????? ? ????????
?????????:



At a command prompt issue: echo %windir%

Or you can put a little .bat file on the desktop with this line in it:

cmd /k echo %windir%

John

aa wrote:



There are several partitions on the Hard Drive with several w2k
and XP
installed
When I boot into an OS how can I quickly see which drive letter
it is

on?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Any app installed that is not global in nature should only appear on the
desktop of that OS. Right clicking on that icon/properties should
reveal the drive it is installed on. When you know which one you are on
for the os you are running load notebook and save a basic file on the
desktop of that os with the os name as part of the filename. With this
you just look at that icon on your desdtop and know the drive letter you
are running on at that moment. Why run the same test every time you go
into one of the os's? Redundant...

James
 
James said:
John said:
Yes, Desktop and Startup folders are different for each Windows
installation, every installation has it's own set of folders so you
would have to have a copy of the .bat file in all the different
folders for it to work. Here is another thing that you can do:

Place a copy of the file in the root of the System Drive (where
ntdetect.com, boot.ini & ntldr are located, usually C:\) and then you
will/should be able to run the file from the Start menu Run box. For
example if you call the file mm.bat then when you enter mm in the Run
box and press enter it will (should) run the .bat file and give you
the information. If that doesn't work put a copy of the file in all
the System or System32 folders.

For the boot.ini thing that is easy to figure out, edit the file and
stick matching identifying numbers in the "surrounded text" then boot
the installations one by one and find out and make note of the drive
letter associated with the path and then change it again in the
boot.ini file. For example, add numbers something like this to the file:

multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional
0-1-0-1"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional
0-0-0-2"

Make a backup copy of the file before you make changes... just in
case. Or better yet make a startup diskette and test it, then if you
botch the boot.ini file you know that you can still boot the computer
and restore the file. To make a startup disk while booted in one of
your Windows NT/2000/XP installation format a floppy disk and copy
these files from the System Drive (usually C:\)to the diskette:

ntdetect.com
boot.ini
ntldr

Now boot the computer with it and see if it works, then you can rest
assured that you can still boot the computer even if you completely
muck-up the boot.ini file. This startup disk wont work if you create
it on a Windows 9x computer.

John
Thanks, John.
1. I thought that both DeskTop and Startup are located on the same
drive as
the OS and the commad you gave me might have just returned the drive
letter
the file is sitting on.
Now I see that is not the case.

2. boot.ini - it looks like a good idea if I only knew how a path
like
disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1) maps to a drive letter.
Do you know?


"John John" <[email protected]> ???????/???????? ? ????????
?????????:

You can put the .bat file wherever you want, I suggested the Desktop
because it's easier to find there, but that isn't necessary. You can
even place it in your Startup folders and it will automatically open
when the operating system is loaded.

Another thing that you can do is add the drive description to the
boot.ini file, that way you will see it before you select the operating
system to be booted. For example, typically a boot.ini file with two
operating systems entries looks like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional"
/fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional"
/fastdetect

The stuff surrounded by the quotation marks after the = is what you see
on the boot menu. So you could change the surrounded text to something
like this:

="Windows XP Professional Drive x"
="Windows 2000 Professional Drive y"

John

aa wrote:


Thanks, John
Is it important that this BAT file is sitting on the desktop, or I can


save

it to a logical drive so that it is available for all the OS on this
comoputer?
"John John" <[email protected]> ???????/???????? ? ????????


?????????:



At a command prompt issue: echo %windir%

Or you can put a little .bat file on the desktop with this line in
it:

cmd /k echo %windir%

John

aa wrote:



There are several partitions on the Hard Drive with several w2k
and XP
installed
When I boot into an OS how can I quickly see which drive letter
it is


on?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Any app installed that is not global in nature should only appear on the
desktop of that OS. Right clicking on that icon/properties should
reveal the drive it is installed on. When you know which one you are on
for the os you are running load notebook and save a basic file on the
desktop of that os with the os name as part of the filename. With this
you just look at that icon on your desdtop and know the drive letter you
are running on at that moment. Why run the same test every time you go
into one of the os's? Redundant...
Click to expand...

Yes that's is true and a good idea. But he said in a later post that he
doesn't want it on the desktop...

John
 
Now I see that the easiest way for me is to use James idea.
On my Desktop I usually have a shortcut to standard Windows applications
like Windows Explorer and NotePad
So if I right-click Notepad icon and select Property, I can see the drive
letter.
However this would not work with Windows Explorer for it shows the path as:
%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%
I am quite happpy to use NotePad icon, but just from curiosity, why Windows
Explorer property are shown in different format?
 
John John said:
Yes, Desktop and Startup folders are different for each Windows
installation, every installation has it's own set of folders so you
would have to have a copy of the .bat file in all the different folders
for it to work. Here is another thing that you can do:

Place a copy of the file in the root of the System Drive (where
ntdetect.com, boot.ini & ntldr are located, usually C:\) and then you
will/should be able to run the file from the Start menu Run box. For
example if you call the file mm.bat then when you enter mm in the Run
box and press enter it will (should) run the .bat file and give you the
information. If that doesn't work put a copy of the file in all the
System or System32 folders.
Click to expand...

I have just copied you BAT file onto a different logical drive S: and run it
from there. It returned C: where my current OS is.
So it looks like no mater where the BAT is located it always returns the
latter of the current OS


multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional
Click to expand...
0-1-0-1"

Having 0-1-0-1 how do I figure out what drive letter it corresponds to?
 
aa said:
I have just copied you BAT file onto a different logical drive S: and run it
from there. It returned C: where my current OS is.
So it looks like no mater where the BAT is located it always returns the
latter of the current OS
Click to expand...

It will always return the drive letter of the booted installation no
matter where you access it from. Where the batch file is located will
only make a difference as to how easily the file can be accessed or from
where it can be run.

multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional

0-1-0-1"

Having 0-1-0-1 how do I figure out what drive letter it corresponds to?
Click to expand...

The 0-1-0-1 were just suggested as temporary identification markers in
the boot.ini file, so you don't mix up the different installations when
you edit the file and add the drive letters to the descriptive text, the
markers could be anything, I guess I could simply have used a single
number for the each different line. You have to boot to the desired
installation to determine the %windir% drive letter of the installation,
then change the corresponding line in the file and replace the marker
with the correct drive lettering as you want it to appear on your boot
menu. If you use James' suggestion for identifying the drive once
booted then you can just change the name of the "My Computer" icon
instead of making a new icon, for example rename to "C: My Computer",
"D: My Computer"...

John
 
aa said:
Now I see that the easiest way for me is to use James idea.
On my Desktop I usually have a shortcut to standard Windows applications
like Windows Explorer and NotePad
So if I right-click Notepad icon and select Property, I can see the drive
letter.
However this would not work with Windows Explorer for it shows the path as:
%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%
I am quite happpy to use NotePad icon, but just from curiosity, why Windows
Explorer property are shown in different format?
Click to expand...

These "%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%" are Environment Variables.
http://kennethhunt.com/archives/000933.html

John
 
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