Paging and Drive Assignment Mystery

  • Thread starter Thread starter kbrolin65
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kbrolin65

Hi, folks. I'm a new member and also a new user of Windows 2000. I
have a problem for which not even Microsoft Level One tech support has
an answer.

Recently, I've attempted to change the OS of a Pentium III machine from
Windows 98 to 2000. (I've used the word "change" instead of "upgrade"
because when I ran the 2000 installation program from a fully
legitimate Windows 2000 copy, the installation process would permit me
only to run a "full install," not an upgrade.) I presumed what would
happen is a full format of my hard drive followed by a clean copy of
2000 with new drive partitions.

Everything at first seemed to go fine. But at the initial login
screen, I got the message that I had either no paging file or a paging
file of insufficient size. I was instructed to go into MY COMPUTER,
right-click on the properties of my "C" drive, and take care of this
space allocation in the Advanced settings.

When I went into My Computer, however, I found that most of my drive
partitions have been recharacterized. What used to be the "C"
partition has now become "D," the "D" partition is now "E," and the ZIP
drive is being called "G" instead of "F." (The floppy drive is still
"A."

I'm thinking these two issues--the paging file and the drive letter
assignments--must be related. I am further presuming that my disk has
not been formatted, even though the desktop has far fewer icons than
what it used to have.

Any ideas about what happened or how to fix it? Thanks in advance for
your thoughts.

Sincerely,

Kane Brolin
 
I bet when you boot, you get a choice of W98 or W2K.

I have NEVER had an upgrade go well.
Reformat yourself, no trace of W98, and reinstall.

Good Luck!
 
It didnt offer to upgrade because you installed to a another partition
Assuming you have your data backed up.
The simplest method is to disconnect your zip drive and any other hd's
leaving the origonal master drive in place then boot with the win2k cd, you
may have to amend your bios to boot from cd.
I would reccommend a clean install, ie delete any partitions, recreate and
install. All the tools to do this are in the win2k cd
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304868
Install chipset and other hw drivers from manu sites, NOT winupdate, then
update win
Once ok reconnect any other hd, reboot, then reconnect zip drive
 
Hi, folks. I'm a new member and also a new user of Windows 2000. I
have a problem for which not even Microsoft Level One tech support has
an answer.

Recently, I've attempted to change the OS of a Pentium III machine from
Windows 98 to 2000. (I've used the word "change" instead of "upgrade"
because when I ran the 2000 installation program from a fully
legitimate Windows 2000 copy, the installation process would permit me
only to run a "full install," not an upgrade.) I presumed what would
happen is a full format of my hard drive followed by a clean copy of
2000 with new drive partitions.

Everything at first seemed to go fine. But at the initial login
screen, I got the message that I had either no paging file or a paging
file of insufficient size. I was instructed to go into MY COMPUTER,
right-click on the properties of my "C" drive, and take care of this
space allocation in the Advanced settings.

When I went into My Computer, however, I found that most of my drive
partitions have been recharacterized. What used to be the "C"
partition has now become "D," the "D" partition is now "E," and the ZIP
drive is being called "G" instead of "F." (The floppy drive is still
"A."

I'm thinking these two issues--the paging file and the drive letter
assignments--must be related. I am further presuming that my disk has
not been formatted, even though the desktop has far fewer icons than
what it used to have.

Any ideas about what happened or how to fix it? Thanks in advance for
your thoughts.

Sincerely,

Kane Brolin
Click to expand...

I assume that you installed Win2000 on drive C: but
that it acquired drive letter D: for some unknown reason.
Before re-installing Win2000 you should try to fix this
drive letter issue. Run regedit.exe and do this:

- Navigate to HKLM\SYSTEM\MountedDevices
- Rename \DosDevices\D: to DosDevices\C:
- If DosDevices\C: is already occupied, delete it.
- Make a folder e:\WinNT\System32
- Copy the file d:\WinNT\System32\userinit.exe to e:\WinNT\System32
- Reboot the machine.
- Click Start/Run/diskmgmt.msc and fix up your remaining drive letters.

Post again if this fails to resolve your problem.
 
Pegasus:

I understand what you're asking me to do vis-a-vis the registry. But
should I attempt to create or expand the paginf file on Drive "D" first
before changing its letter assignment?

Regards,

-Kane
 
Since your system is capable of booting, there is no need
to create the paging file in advance. Make the changes
I suggested, then point the paging file to drive C:.
 
To Pegasus (or others monitoring this thread):

Thanks so much for your help. I have made some progress, but some
mystery remains.

I made the registry changes you suggested, then did what I could with
the DISKMGMT.MSC program. Through looking at this, however, I
discovered that my computer still has two partitions identified as
"boot drives." There is still a "C" drive--which had been
misidentified as "D" after my 2000 installation--and this "C" drive
contains all the original stuff from my old Windows 98 setup, including
the WINDOWS directory. Everything I want from this old drive already
has been backed up in a couple of different places. My system now
boots into the "E" partition, which contains all the new 2000 stuff,
including the WinNT directory.

I now boot directly into Windows 2000, with no dual boot message or
paging file error prompt. But DISKMGMT.MSC, which is located now on my
PC's "E" partition, won't let me make any change to the character of my
"C" drive, though, because that program still thinks "C" is a "boot"
drive. "C" still contains more than 80% of my usable physical memory,
though, and I still am not allowed to install a new application on "E"
because of perceived space limitations. I would like either to get rid
of "C" altogether without reinstalling 2000 or, at the very least, to
make sure that when I do a system re-format and a clean 2000 install,
all the old Win98 stuff doesn't come back. Can I go ahead and format
this "C" drive by some other means? or is the answer to boot straight
into the 2000 CD and do a full system wipe and reinstall from there?

Thanks again for your detailed help.

-Kane
 
See below.

To Pegasus (or others monitoring this thread):

Thanks so much for your help. I have made some progress, but some
mystery remains.

I made the registry changes you suggested, then did what I could with
the DISKMGMT.MSC program. Through looking at this, however, I
discovered that my computer still has two partitions identified as
"boot drives." There is still a "C" drive--which had been
misidentified as "D" after my 2000 installation--and this "C" drive
contains all the original stuff from my old Windows 98 setup, including
the WINDOWS directory. Everything I want from this old drive already
has been backed up in a couple of different places. My system now
boots into the "E" partition, which contains all the new 2000 stuff,
including the WinNT directory.

I now boot directly into Windows 2000, with no dual boot message or
paging file error prompt. But DISKMGMT.MSC, which is located now on my
PC's "E" partition, won't let me make any change to the character of my
"C" drive, though, because that program still thinks "C" is a "boot"
drive.
Click to expand...
This is by design. You must make sure that your system
drive letter is the same letter that you had when you first
installed Win2000. If you change it then you will have
problems. If the letter changes for some other reason then
you can set it back to its original value with the registry
hack I gave you in my previous reply.

"C" still contains more than 80% of my usable physical memory,
Click to expand...
No, it does not. "Memory" is what you have in your RAM,
"Disk space" is what you have on your disk.

though, and I still am not allowed to install a new application on "E"
because of perceived space limitations. I would like either to get rid
of "C" altogether without reinstalling 2000 or, at the very least, to
make sure that when I do a system re-format and a clean 2000 install,
all the old Win98 stuff doesn't come back.
Click to expand...
You can format it but you risk that your machine will
no longer boot.
Can I go ahead and format
this "C" drive by some other means? or is the answer to boot straight
into the 2000 CD and do a full system wipe and reinstall from there?
Click to expand...
This might be your best option since there appears to be
considerable uncertainty as to what used to be where and
where it should now be.
 
Need to get the terminology straight before we answer. Be aware that
Microsoft defines the boot partition for the partition where the operating
system is installed, while the system partition is the first primary active
partition (where the boot sector resides)

If you multi-boot then this interpretation may change as seen through *that*
particular operating system that's currently running.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

| To Pegasus (or others monitoring this thread):
|
| Thanks so much for your help. I have made some progress, but some
| mystery remains.
|
| I made the registry changes you suggested, then did what I could with
| the DISKMGMT.MSC program. Through looking at this, however, I
| discovered that my computer still has two partitions identified as
| "boot drives." There is still a "C" drive--which had been
| misidentified as "D" after my 2000 installation--and this "C" drive
| contains all the original stuff from my old Windows 98 setup, including
| the WINDOWS directory. Everything I want from this old drive already
| has been backed up in a couple of different places. My system now
| boots into the "E" partition, which contains all the new 2000 stuff,
| including the WinNT directory.
|
| I now boot directly into Windows 2000, with no dual boot message or
| paging file error prompt. But DISKMGMT.MSC, which is located now on my
| PC's "E" partition, won't let me make any change to the character of my
| "C" drive, though, because that program still thinks "C" is a "boot"
| drive. "C" still contains more than 80% of my usable physical memory,
| though, and I still am not allowed to install a new application on "E"
| because of perceived space limitations. I would like either to get rid
| of "C" altogether without reinstalling 2000 or, at the very least, to
| make sure that when I do a system re-format and a clean 2000 install,
| all the old Win98 stuff doesn't come back. Can I go ahead and format
| this "C" drive by some other means? or is the answer to boot straight
| into the 2000 CD and do a full system wipe and reinstall from there?
|
| Thanks again for your detailed help.
|
| -Kane
| Pegasus (MVP) wrote:
| > Since your system is capable of booting, there is no need
| > to create the paging file in advance. Make the changes
| > I suggested, then point the paging file to drive C:.
| >
| >
| > | > > Pegasus:
| > >
| > > I understand what you're asking me to do vis-a-vis the registry. But
| > > should I attempt to create or expand the paginf file on Drive "D"
first
| > > before changing its letter assignment?
| > >
| > > Regards,
| > >
| > > -Kane
| > > Pegasus (MVP) wrote:
| > > > | > > > > Hi, folks. I'm a new member and also a new user of Windows 2000.
I
| > > > > have a problem for which not even Microsoft Level One tech support
has
| > > > > an answer.
| > > > >
| > > > > Recently, I've attempted to change the OS of a Pentium III machine
| > from
| > > > > Windows 98 to 2000. (I've used the word "change" instead of
"upgrade"
| > > > > because when I ran the 2000 installation program from a fully
| > > > > legitimate Windows 2000 copy, the installation process would
permit me
| > > > > only to run a "full install," not an upgrade.) I presumed what
would
| > > > > happen is a full format of my hard drive followed by a clean copy
of
| > > > > 2000 with new drive partitions.
| > > > >
| > > > > Everything at first seemed to go fine. But at the initial login
| > > > > screen, I got the message that I had either no paging file or a
paging
| > > > > file of insufficient size. I was instructed to go into MY
COMPUTER,
| > > > > right-click on the properties of my "C" drive, and take care of
this
| > > > > space allocation in the Advanced settings.
| > > > >
| > > > > When I went into My Computer, however, I found that most of my
drive
| > > > > partitions have been recharacterized. What used to be the "C"
| > > > > partition has now become "D," the "D" partition is now "E," and
the
| > ZIP
| > > > > drive is being called "G" instead of "F." (The floppy drive is
still
| > > > > "A."
| > > > >
| > > > > I'm thinking these two issues--the paging file and the drive
letter
| > > > > assignments--must be related. I am further presuming that my disk
has
| > > > > not been formatted, even though the desktop has far fewer icons
than
| > > > > what it used to have.
| > > > >
| > > > > Any ideas about what happened or how to fix it? Thanks in advance
for
| > > > > your thoughts.
| > > > >
| > > > > Sincerely,
| > > > >
| > > > > Kane Brolin
| > > > >
| > > >
| > > > I assume that you installed Win2000 on drive C: but
| > > > that it acquired drive letter D: for some unknown reason.
| > > > Before re-installing Win2000 you should try to fix this
| > > > drive letter issue. Run regedit.exe and do this:
| > > >
| > > > - Navigate to HKLM\SYSTEM\MountedDevices
| > > > - Rename \DosDevices\D: to DosDevices\C:
| > > > - If DosDevices\C: is already occupied, delete it.
| > > > - Make a folder e:\WinNT\System32
| > > > - Copy the file d:\WinNT\System32\userinit.exe to e:\WinNT\System32
| > > > - Reboot the machine.
| > > > - Click Start/Run/diskmgmt.msc and fix up your remaining drive
letters.
| > > >
| > > > Post again if this fails to resolve your problem.
| > >
|
 
OK, I was very close to doing a re-format of the "C" drive. At the
last minute I thought better of it and so far have not done this. I
think I'm just going to wait and get some help with a full reinstall,
booting directly into the CD-ROM, which is now my "G" drive.
I'd rather do this, I guess, than ruin the system altogether or make
some of my disk space entirely inaccessible.

And thanks for the correction in regard to "memory" vs. "disk space."
I was aware of the difference, but phrased wrongly.

-Kane
 
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