Local disk auto assigned to I:

[slvrstang]

I just re-installed windows onto a PC with a new HDD. The HDD got assigned as I: instead of C:

This REALLY causes problems with installers and pretty much anything to do with the hard drive because it auto-assumes the Local Disk is C:

Can I change it to C:?

 

[jcortes]

EDIT: adjust these instructions to your situation if you need a walk through i can rewrite them.

1.

Make a full system backup of the computer and system state.
2.

Log on as an Administrator.
3.

Start Regedt32.exe (or Regedit.exe in Windows XP).
4.

Go to the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices

5.

Click MountedDevices.
6.

On the Security menu, click Permissions.
7.

Check to make sure Administrators have full control. Change this back when you are finished with these steps.
8.

Quit Regedt32.exe, and then start Regedit.exe.
9.

Go to the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices

10.

Find the drive letter you want to change to (new). Look for "\DosDevices\C:".
11.

Right-click \DosDevices\C:, and then click Rename. In Windows 2000 you must use Regedit instead of Regedt32 to rename this registry key.
12.

Rename it to an unused drive letter "\DosDevices\Z:". (This will free up drive letter C: to be used later.)
13.

Find the drive letter you want changed. Look for "\DosDevices\D:".
14.

Right-click \DosDevices\D:, and then click Rename.
15.

Rename it to the appropriate (new) drive letter "\DosDevices\C:".
16.

Click the value for \DosDevices\Z:, click Rename, and then name it back to "\DosDevices\D:".
17.

Quit Regedit, and then start Regedt32 (not required in Windows XP).
18.

Change the permissions back to the previous setting for Administrators (this should probably be Read Only).
19.

Restart the computer.

 

[slvrstang]

Did that...computer won't boot anymore, gets up to where you would normally select a user and sticks.

Tried to use windows recovery console's FIXMBR and FIXBOOT commands to see if that would help....nothing.

 

[Osiris]

cant do that. the only way to do this is to reinstall

 

[slvrstang]

hmm, how can I make sure it doesn't reinstall as I: again?

 

[Osiris]

how did you reinstall in the first place? did you boot from cd and then install xp or did you run xp setup from the desktop then reboot and install?

 

[slvrstang]

It's a brand new HD.


I booted from the windows CD and installed.

 

[Osiris]

well one things you can do it take the power off all your other hdds, cd drives and floppy

 

[slvrstang]

I will try that. Thanks.

 

[Win2kpatcher]

It should read as the C:\ when you are installing XP and get to the point of the install where it asks you to partition. Is it displaying as C:\ there or as I:\? If you have a digitcal camera reader with say 7 slots be sure that is discconected as I have found that to make the drive letters funky.