Change Drive Letters "After Format?"

I finally did as so many suggested and reformatted the hard drive on the Win XP Home.. Sure works better.

What I didn't know was that if I had a ZIP drive hooked up, that it would get the "C" designation. It did and my hard drive is now "F" drive. Suppose it doesn't matter except it is making things a little more complicated to me.

I tried to change the letters in the section that allows this but no luck on this case. Read something to the effect that "tough luck Charlie! "

Question: If I should want to get the hard drive back to "C ", would it take another reformat and unplug the ZIP, then once loaded plug the ZIP back?

Sounds like a lot of trouble for a drive letter change.. Maybe I can get used to it. Just in case there is a way, thought I would seek it out.

I have an external USB Hard Drive of 50GB. Hoping that someone will say, "yes you can use your----------------, and the you can--------------, then all will be well....... "

Thought I would ask.

 

you mentioned you tried the place where it lets you change drive letters. I dont know if we're thinking of the same place, but I know how to do it through Disk Management (Control Panel-Administrative Tools-Computer Management-Disk Management). You may need to change the Zip drive (may be located in the removable section) to another letter not in use, and then change your hard drive to c. To change the drive, simply right-click and select chage letter. Reply if this helps.

 

Doghnut

That's the place I went to. But when I click to change the "F" it wouldn't allow it. A link came up to offer a suggestion. I clicked it and it took me to a Microsoft Page that as I understood it to mean I could not change a drive letter that has been loaded with the windows operating system. Other drives yes, but not that one.

I did try. I can make my ZIP drive C/F but that won't help me. I could not change the drive letter that windows is loaded on.

Thanks for the reply.

 

I thought the OS might be a problem. But when I suggested this same solution to another user on this bbs, they said they had no problem. curious.

 

To be sure, I just tried again, same result. Hopefully someone else will offer something. Thanks again for the help.

 

PeteC

Thanks for that information. I'm going to try the first one you mentioned. Going to be like a visit to the Dentist for me as I'm not experienced in doing something like this. I do know how to backup a registry and that's about all.

The part that caught my attention was that "XP" was not mentioned, although 2000 was. And it was talking about when renaming the registry items, the word "DOS" was in the name. I'm understanding that DOS is not actually a part of XP, but something similiar to it. I wonder about that.

The second link is more in my line but as you said, that is what I'm tried already.

The reformatting was not bad, but putting all my programs back is the hassle. All the starting, restarting, and then sometime things are cranky. The last (the only) time I did this it took me most of two days to finish. Nothing but time lost as I'm not a working person anymore. Still would rather be doing something else!!!!

Going to consider this and if no further suggestions come in, will try in a day or so. I certainly thank you for your suggestions. Sure a lot of friendly people on this board.

 

I had almost the same Drive lettering problem when I tried putting XP in as a Dual boot. And I could not change them either.

So I got very angry at XP and let it sit on the shelf for a Month.

And like Mudd I am not a working person either. So I also had nothing to lose but time.

Got New HD. Copied the old HD to it ( complete 40gig to 60gig ).

Fired up 98SE,

Stuck the XP Pro CD in the T: drive, followed the instructions ( something new for me to do ) Dumped XP Pro on top of 98SE and BINGO !! here I am.

And EVERYTHING stayed where I had it. HD partitions are C: thru H: and CDROMS are still S: & T:.

Nowever, I WOULD NOT recommend this procedure it the existing system was problematic.

The toughest part of the whole things was getting the Product Key entered correctly.

BillyBob

 

I did the exact same thing that Mudd did. Left my USB Zip plugged in. HD became the F drive and even though I could change the Zip to G, the HD will have to remain the F drive until I reformat again. Can't figure out why MS couldn't come up with a way to change it, but, oh well. not much of a problem for me, once used to it. You just have to remember to redirect some programs from C to F when installing.
Scott

 

jsmurphy

Yes Sir, and when you get something from Dell or someone like that and click to open it it wants to download in C:\dell\Drivers\etc ------ and that causes a change. I'm about to get used to it. I see no reason to not leave it as it for now. If there is, maybe someone will tell me. I know someday I'll have to do that again and then I'll pull the plug and get it right.

Was the first reformat I have done, had no idea that was supposed to pull that Zip. I will know next time.

I feel better knowing that I'm not alone with this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I got the same problem. Installed OS on a new HD with the Zip drive connected (support told me nothing about this) and now the Local disk is named E. The only thing I can tell that would be a problem with this is there is nothing showing up in the add/remove program's box even though I have installed several program's and games.

Any idea's to get the add/remove utility to detect what I have installed would be greatly appreciated.

Thank's, Kanno

P.S. I have read this forum for quite awhile and learned a lot. Thank's to all for this.

 

Kanno & Other Kind Folks

I've tried all the suggestions and nothing has worked so far. Got into a big tub of hot water when I tried the "Fix" from Pete. Fortunately got the Backup Registry back in and all is OK. It mentioned Win 2000 but not XP, tried it anyway.

Today I can't get my Printer drivers back in as the installer insist that it install in "C" which is now the ZIP.

Tomorrow I think I will start over, do it again. It's good practice for me. I dread the "putting back in" stuff worse than the reformat. I've learned a valuable lesson about ZIP drives though!!!