Xp Install Boot Drive Letter

I am trying to reinstall xp on a computer with a 120gb hard drive in it. For the previous xp install the hard drive was partitioned 10gb for windows mounted as C: and 110gb for storage mounted as D:. I wanted to just reinstall xp on the 10gb partition but when I get to the partition options during setup it has the 110gb partition label C: and the 10gb labeled D:. Normally, I would just delete both partitions and start from scratch, but I cannot because the 110gb partition is completely full of valuble data.

Here is what the "map" comand shows in the recovery console:

D: 10GB \Devices\Harddisk0\Partition2
C: 110GB \Devices\Harddisk0\Partition1

I have no idea how the 10GB partition was named partition2, because it was initially created first.

Does anyone know how, or if it is possible to make it look like this?

C: 10GB \Devices\Harddisk0\Partition1
D: 110GB \Devices\Harddisk0\Partition2

Or even forget about the drive letters, just get the 10GB partition to be named partition1.

Any help is appreciated

Thanks,
-middly

 

Step by step instructions Here for changing the system drive letter.

Before you start that, use disk management to rename your data drive to some unused drive letter other than C.

 

First of all I already tried that, it doesn't work in my case. That only really works if your drive letter was somehow changed to something else, and you need to change it back.

Also, I can't even use disk management to change the 110gb partition because it is a system partition. It is a system partition because it is \Devices\Harddisk0\Partition1 and windows doesn't let you change the letter of system partitions; normally the "system partition (aka the partition found here: \Devices\Harddisk0\Partition1) is the same as the "boot partition ". I can't change the letter of the 10gb partition because it is the "boot partition ", the actuall partition windows is installed on. So I am stuck with a "boot partition" and a "system partition." Neither of which are changable in windows, using the registry or the disk managment snap-in.

If this is even possible there has got to be a way to get this:

D: 10GB \Devices\Harddisk0\Partition2
C: 110GB \Devices\Harddisk0\Partition1

to look like this:

C: 10GB \Devices\Harddisk0\Partition1
D: 110GB \Devices\Harddisk0\Partition2

any other ideas?
-middly

 

Run map arc and see what you get. In your position, I'd probably go ahead and install to the 10gig partition regardless of what the partition designation was. XP can boot from any partition, unlike Win9x, which had to be on the C: drive.

 

I have installed it on the 10gb partition several times, the problem is it will never allow the 10gb drive to be the C:. No matter what it makes the 110gb the C: because it is actually the first partition on the drive.

map arc gives this:

D: 10GB \multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)Partition(2)
C: 110GB \multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)Partition(1)

-middly

 

I think you'll have to use it that way or repartition the drive. I know of no way to change the boot drive designation other than that. I can't believe it was once the other way and changed by itself. I don't say that's impossible but it is a stretch. I could envision that being possible if a person deployed an image file and designated it improperly. Still a stretch though. Have you ever imaged the drive and deployed an image from a backup?

 

I have no idea how it got that way. I have never imaged the drive. It makes no sense , but I will be gash darned if I am forced to use it that way. Thanks anyway, I am still open to suggestions.

-middly

 

OK, good luck. I would advise imaging the drive for backups if you have any critical data since anything you do to attempt a repair could cause you to lose the ability to boot.

Best regards.