XP Installation on Wrong Drive

ashleyrobin · 03-09-2007, 09:01 PM

I wish I could attribute this to someone other than me...
We have a new Dell XPS that came with XP installed. One our techs messed up the installed version of XP (long story). She asked me to reinstall XP with the disk that came with the computer. While doing the install, I accepted the default installation location, which was evidently the "D" drive. Of course, Office and everything else is having fits b/c its looks for default paths on "C".

Is there anyway to move XP to the C Drive without doing a full reinstallation? (please tell me there is)

If I do have to do a full installation to get XP on C, how do I get it off of D?

Can I change the drive letters using the Disk Mgt Option (i.e. change D to C), and is this a good option?

Thanks in Advance!!
~Ashley

**Rashiki** · 03-10-2007, 12:44 AM

Eh, with that much going wrong, might as well wipe the drive and put it all back on the right way, you'll probably just run into little nitpicky things down the road if you don't.

If there's any data on there you need, back it up and wipe it.

baker421 · 03-10-2007, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashleyrobin

Can I change the drive letters using the Disk Mgt Option (i.e. change D to C), and is this a good option?

Congrats for knowing about your management console/disk mgt, but you can't change the drive letter for the drive you are using. (for windows running)

You could try that with something like partition magic (from the boot floppy) but I don't know what the heck would happen.

While in there, be sure the new drive (letter) C: is still marked as "active."

It "could" screw up boot.ini, ntldr, etc. You might have to then boot to the xp install cd, go to repair, and type fixboot and then fixmbr and see if that helped.

Obviously I don't know the answers to what would happen but you could try as a last resort before wiping and reinstalling.

I suspect that you'd have to reinstall most programs because they would look to the wrong drive for "program files??"

I suspect that Rashiki is right, but what the heck??

JB

Tom Bryan · 03-10-2007, 01:32 PM

Ashleyrobin,

Dell has this nasty little secret that in order to re-install your operating system the first time, you will need to call them and let them walk you through it -- at least the first time. Why? Apparently (I think) because after the warranty expires and you then need to re-install the software, you will still need them -- and pay for it. I learned this the hard way while helping a friend. There was no way to determine which "options" to select when doing the re-installation (so don't feel bad -- as it is by design) and it took about an hour of their time (thankfully under warranty) to get me to the point of being able to go it alone. And by the way, re-installations are something I do all the time.

The others are correct -- you might as well face up to it, dig in, tough it out and re-install. It'll be good experience. (Yeh, I know: it's easy for me to say.)

Regards,

Tom

ashleyrobin · 03-10-2007, 02:02 PM

Thanks for the replies and at least making me feel like I wasn't the only one who's ever done it ;-) Off to reinstall....

03-09-2007, 09:01 PM	#1 (permalink)
ashleyrobin Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2 OS: XP	XP Installation on Wrong Drive I wish I could attribute this to someone other than me... We have a new Dell XPS that came with XP installed. One our techs messed up the installed version of XP (long story). She asked me to reinstall XP with the disk that came with the computer. While doing the install, I accepted the default installation location, which was evidently the "D" drive. Of course, Office and everything else is having fits b/c its looks for default paths on "C". Is there anyway to move XP to the C Drive without doing a full reinstallation? (please tell me there is) If I do have to do a full installation to get XP on C, how do I get it off of D? Can I change the drive letters using the Disk Mgt Option (i.e. change D to C), and is this a good option? Thanks in Advance!! ~Ashley

03-10-2007, 12:44 AM	#2 (permalink)
Rashiki Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 878 OS: Win XP Pro SP2	Eh, with that much going wrong, might as well wipe the drive and put it all back on the right way, you'll probably just run into little nitpicky things down the road if you don't. If there's any data on there you need, back it up and wipe it. __________________ ASUS P5WD2 Premium v0709 \| Intel Prescott 3.2ghz \| 2gb Corsair XMS DDR2-800 PC2-6400 \| Sparkle Power 550w PSU \| ATI All-In-Wonder X600 Pro \| Sound Blaster Audigy 4 \| CoolerMaster Aluminum Case \| WD Raptor 76gb 10K RPM SATA HDD \|ASUS CD/DVD RW Combo Drive \| Mitsumi 7-in-1 Floppy Combo Drive \| Coolermaster Copper Heatsink

03-10-2007, 01:32 PM	#4 (permalink)
Tom Bryan Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 16 OS: XP	Ashleyrobin, Dell has this nasty little secret that in order to re-install your operating system the first time, you will need to call them and let them walk you through it -- at least the first time. Why? Apparently (I think) because after the warranty expires and you then need to re-install the software, you will still need them -- and pay for it. I learned this the hard way while helping a friend. There was no way to determine which "options" to select when doing the re-installation (so don't feel bad -- as it is by design) and it took about an hour of their time (thankfully under warranty) to get me to the point of being able to go it alone. And by the way, re-installations are something I do all the time. The others are correct -- you might as well face up to it, dig in, tough it out and re-install. It'll be good experience. (Yeh, I know: it's easy for me to say.) Regards, Tom

03-10-2007, 02:02 PM	#5 (permalink)
ashleyrobin Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2 OS: XP	Thanks for the replies and at least making me feel like I wasn't the only one who's ever done it ;-) Off to reinstall....