Why does XP think a data disk is a system disk?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Noel Sant
  • Start date Start date
N

Noel Sant

I installed XP Pro on a disk with three partitions. During the install I
deleted the first partition and re-created it (to get rid of the old OS).
Install all went ok(-ish). and XP says the first partition, on to which it's
installed the system, is a boot disk, drive letter C:, which is fine. But it
thinks partition two, which is only supposed to have data, and to which it
has given the drive letter J: (!?), is a system disk, and so I can't change
the drive letter.

It has put, on this second partition, the files boot.ini, ntldr and
NTDETECT.COM. On my old system (Windows 2000) these are on the root of the
C: disk, but they aren't there now, they're on J:, as I said. This must be
why it's now a system disk.

But why did it do this, and above all how can I put it right?

Many thanks for any ideas,

Noel Sant
 
This can happen when you delete and recreate the first partition on the disk (C:) during the installation. I've found it better to format (quick or normal) rather than delete/recreate. Why it happens, no clue, but it does.
 
OK, I'll bite the bullet and format and re-install.

Many thanks,
Noel

This can happen when you delete and recreate the first partition on the disk
(C:) during the installation. I've found it better to format (quick or
normal) rather than delete/recreate. Why it happens, no clue, but it does.
 
Boot the recovery console from the CD and then you can fix
the boot menu and delete the partition, etc.


| OK, I'll bite the bullet and format and re-install.
|
| Many thanks,
| Noel
|
| | This can happen when you delete and recreate the first
partition on the disk
| (C:) during the installation. I've found it better to
format (quick or
| normal) rather than delete/recreate. Why it happens, no
clue, but it does.
| --
| Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered
Smart
| Display\Security
| Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
| http://www.dougknox.com
| --------------------------------
| Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
| http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
| --------------------------------
| Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
| Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.
|
| | >I installed XP Pro on a disk with three partitions.
During the install I
| > deleted the first partition and re-created it (to get
rid of the old OS).
| > Install all went ok(-ish). and XP says the first
partition, on to which
| it's
| > installed the system, is a boot disk, drive letter C:,
which is fine. But
| it
| > thinks partition two, which is only supposed to have
data, and to which it
| > has given the drive letter J: (!?), is a system disk,
and so I can't
| change
| > the drive letter.
| >
| > It has put, on this second partition, the files
boot.ini, ntldr and
| > NTDETECT.COM. On my old system (Windows 2000) these are
on the root of the
| > C: disk, but they aren't there now, they're on J:, as I
said. This must be
| > why it's now a system disk.
| >
| > But why did it do this, and above all how can I put it
right?
| >
| > Many thanks for any ideas,
| >
| > Noel Sant
| >
| >
|
|
 
Back
Top