Partition Magic need to convert from Primary to Logical

June,

I will try to make this as clear and brief as possible (there's a lot of information to digest in the previous posts). If you want to install XP on the 2nd hard drive and don't want it to mess with the drive letters on your 1st drive... use Partition Magic to make a 8-10GB (or whatever size you prefer) partition and assign it a drive letter that follows after the letters of the partitions on your 1st drive. (example: if 1st drive is C, D, E and F, make the new partition G) When you are installing the 2nd XP you will be asked what partition you want to use for the new installation. Select the new partition and the drive letters on your 1st HD will remain unchanged. Without making this specification XP will probably make the 2nd installation named D and change your other drive letters to reflect this change. One more side note... I change the letters of my optical drives to X and Y, this way they don't become involved in the new installation.
I know this seems a little overwhelming, but after you do it you will realize it's not as complicated as it seems. Good luck.

B

 

B
More good ideas concerning partitioning. I changed my DVD and CD-RW drives to Y and Z when I first started using Partition Magic...don't remember why I didn't use X and Y. By the way, I should not have complained about not receiving a written manual for Partition Magic 8.0 as the new version cost me $0.00 except for shipping after the rebates from Comp.USA last fall.

Thanks again to everyone for the encouragement and generous information you have provided. I may not get this project started for a few days but I think I can accomplish this now without too many problems and l will add a final post later.

 

June--Concerning printed manuals, I assume you did get the very small "Quick Start Guide" packaged with Partition Magic 8.0. And Norton offers a 170 page (or so) Guide in .pdf form from Start|All Programs|Partition Magic|Documentation. You can also download that .pdf and print individual pages (or all of it ).

 

I purchased Partition Magic 8.0 October 2, 2004 but did not install it until February 25, 2005 as I had no problem with Partition Magic 7.0. If I received a Quick Start Guide I lost it somehow as I only found the CD when I got ready to install the program. The .pdf Documentation is available but I prefer to have a nice little manual to read wherever I wish. I'm a bit old fashioned, stubborn, contrary, bull headed and forgetful along with other worse stuff.

 

I decided to try installing XP to the (G) partition on the second hard drive this afternoon. I pulled the Ethernet plug for the internet first, then I booted with my slipstreamed version of XP SP2. I got the A: prompt and then tried all available letters but got Invalid drive specification for each letter I tried. Next I tried booting with my XP SP1 disk and I was successful installing it! XP set up boot manager and it works okay. I installed the SP2 CD next. I downloaded and installed fifteen high priority Window Updates and I installed AVG antivirus program.

I could not have done this without the help I received from this BBS. Thanks again.

 

Thanks June for posting back your results! It will no doubt help others in the same situation.

Best regards.