One cannot change the boot partition letter without
performing a "clean install" of Windows XP.
Drive Letters Change Unexpectedly When You Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;326683&Product=winxp
The Windows XP CD is bootable and contains all the tools necessary
to partition and format your drive. Follow this procedure and allow
Windows XP to partition and format your drive:
NOTE: It would be best to physically disconnect all your peripheral hardware
devices, except the monitor, mouse and keyboard, before installing XP.
NOTE: If you have an internal Zip Drive installed, physically disconnect the
EIDE and power cable to it before proceeding, otherwise your main
hard drive may not be assigned the customary C: drive letter.
After installing Windows XP, you may then reconnect it.
1. Open your BIOS and set your "CD Drive as the first bootable device".
===> Accessing Motherboard BIOS
===>
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm
2. Insert your Windows XP CD in the CD Drive and reboot your computer.
3. You'll see a message to boot to the CD....follow the instructions.
4. The setup menu will appear and you should elect to delete all the existing
Windows partitions, then create a new partition, then format the primary
partition (preferably NTFS) and proceed to install Windows XP.
5. Clean Install Windows XP
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
[Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP]
6. ==> Immediately after installing Windows XP, turn on XP's Firewall.
==>
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/
7. After Windows XP is installed, visit the Windows Update website
and download the available "Critical Updates".
8. After installing the critical updates, be sure and visit the support website
of the manufacturer of the computer to download and install any
available Windows XP compatible drivers, such as video adapter
and audio drivers.
9. If you happen to run into any installation difficulties, use the following resources:
How to Troubleshoot Windows XP Problems During Installation
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;310064
Troubleshooting Windows XP Setup
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_setup.htm
[Courtesy of MS-MVP Kelly Theriot]
--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/
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| I have just finished partitioning and installing a replacement hard
| drive on my Dell laptop. I must have made some bizarre choices, as c:
| drive is marked System and f: drive is marked as the boot drive.
| I had partioned the drive into three, planning on the boot and system
| drive as C:, with two additional partitions as D; and E: drive The
| CD-Rom is now the D: drive, but had the F: drive not been the boot
| drive, I could have assigned different drive letters.
|
| 1. Can I change the boot drive to the C: drive? If so, how?
|
| 2. If not, where can I find files that will allow me to reformat and
| repartition the drive from scratch? The Dell Windows XP disk did so
| with a the new, unformatted disk, but now that the disk has been
| formatted, I don't see files that will do the low-level formatting.
|
| Thanks
| Ken K
|
