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Old May 7th 12, 11:33 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
VanguardLH[_2_]
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Posts: 10,881
Default wrong letter system drive

Linea Recta wrote:

I removed a broken hard drive (which was Window system drive) from (some
one's older computer) and built in a working drive.


Huh? Do you mean you replace a bad hard disk with a new one?

Configured all in BIOS, OK so far.
Now I partitioned & formatted the "new" drive and installed Windows XP
(SP3), taking care to choose the swapped drive label as the Windows
partition, not to overwrite the other existent HD.
After installation Windows seems to reside on the D: instead of C:.

What the .....*%%&$ ?!

What mistake can I have made?


The partitions on the hard disks (other than where you installed
Windows) were visible during the install of Windows.

And how can I fix this situation?


Windows can recognize other partitions that have FAT/NTFS on them. So
the Windows installer can't see the other recognizable partition on the
other hard disk(s), either disable them in BIOS or pull their power
cable (when the PC is powered down) so that nothing can find those other
hard disks. Leave the one hard disk connected to power when you boot
your PC and do the new Windows install. Since it can only see the one
hard disk, it will assign C: to it. After you finish the Windows
install, power down, reconnect the other hard disks, and power up.
Windows will now see the other hard disks and resolve the drive
assignment conflict by giving them different drive letters.
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