Installing XP while preserving some partitions

[Superfly T.N.T.]

Hello all,

I want to install XP on unpartitioned space while I want to preserve two
partitions that already exist on the disk. It looks like this:

Unpartitioned space
C: Partition1 (GAMES) [NTFS] 50000 MB
D: Partition2 (MUSIC) [NTFS] 50000 MB

C: and D: are the two partitions I'd like to preserve.

If I create a new partition in the unpartitioned space in order to install
XP, this will become the E: partition. I would like it to be the C:.
Furthermore, this new created partition will be an extended one while I'd
like it to be a primary one.

I would like the configuration to be like this:

C: Partition1 (SYSTEM) [NTFS] 7000 MB Primary
D: Partition2 (PROGRAMS [NTFS] 20000 MB Primary
C: Partition1 (GAMES) [NTFS] 50000 MB Primary
D: Partition2 (MUSIC) [NTFS] 50000 MB Primary

How can this be done?

Thank you,
Superfly T.N.T.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I want to install XP on unpartitioned space while I want to preserve two
partitions that already exist on the disk. It looks like this:

Unpartitioned space
C: Partition1 (GAMES) [NTFS] 50000 MB
D: Partition2 (MUSIC) [NTFS] 50000 MB

C: and D: are the two partitions I'd like to preserve.

If I create a new partition in the unpartitioned space in order to install
XP, this will become the E: partition. I would like it to be the C:.
Furthermore, this new created partition will be an extended one while I'd
like it to be a primary one.

I would like the configuration to be like this:

C: Partition1 (SYSTEM) [NTFS] 7000 MB Primary
D: Partition2 (PROGRAMS [NTFS] 20000 MB Primary
C: Partition1 (GAMES) [NTFS] 50000 MB Primary
D: Partition2 (MUSIC) [NTFS] 50000 MB Primary

Ideally use a third party tool that can hide the other two partitions
for fullest safety, but if you start by booting the XP CD and in Setup
take New Install and point it at the free space then this will enumerate
partitions over again, with the one the system boots in getting C:.

Then with XP installed you can change letters of *other* partitions, at
Control Panel - Admin Tools - Computer Management, select Disk
Management and look lower right for the graphic of the drive. R-click
in a partition and take 'change drive letter'

I am not clear quite what you want to end up with - you cannot have a
letter in use twice: if on a second drive they would have other letters,
not C and D. If your System and Programs are on one Physical drive, and
Games and Music on another, then you will probably find it coming out as

Drive 1 - first partition C: (SYSTEM) Primary
Drive 1 - second E; Programs
Drive 2 - first D: Games
Drive 2 - second F Music

But you can swap them round - apart from the System one