Re: Disk Management fails in changing C/[a]-driveletters

First of all, thank's for a quick reply. Secondly, a number of quirky, but
essential, swedish applications are used. So, we can't rely on the
%systemroot%-thingy.

Our problem is that neither Disk Management or Partition Magic can finalize
the setting of active partition or a change of drive letters. Logging into
the original system WXPP-installation and committing changes fails on that
part -- read as a system frozen. So does the copy/clone-partition and the
newly installed WXPP-installation cannot influence the active-settings in the
other partitions.

In all, it boils down to the suspicion that Ms Office 2003 SP3 update fails
in both the original and copy/clone system partitions, repeating it's
installation attempts on shut-down, blocking the required change of setting
one partition as the active partition and the others as not.

Have you come across this problem before, holding a solution? Is there a
quirk in this that I'm not seeing, thus solving the problem? Will a later
removal of the former partitions automatically change the drive letter to C
in the remaining partition? The current system-WXPP is based on a logical
drive (not remembering NTFS-basics) will that be a problem?

// A CP/M to XP/P-traveller


"John John" wrote:

Other than 'WOS-up'? is there a question in your convoluted post? From
what I can decipher you are trying to change the drive letter onto which
Windows is installed, you cannot do that, if you want Windows on a
different drive letter you will have to reinstall it. You can have more
than one Windows installation on a computer and have each installation
on its own C:\ drive, you just have to take appropriate measures to
ensure that the partition onto which you want to install Windows is the
first active partition enumerated by the Windows setup program. After
Windows is installed you can assign the active status to another
partition if you want.

For all it's worth, the drive letter onto which Windows is installed
doesn't make much of a hill of beans of difference. It will only make a
difference if you try to install old applications that absolutely want
to be installed on C:, there are few applications who require that nowadays.

John

A CP/M to XP/P-traveller wrote:

Hi, et al!

In the home computer of a collegue, his Ms Office 2003 failed in updating to
SP3 and the suggested solution from Ms Update Support seemed to hazardous to
use -- as in registry tweaking.

So, not even trusting the Ms Backup -- by experience, making a partition
copy of the original system partition, we hw-switched the first to a second
IDE-disk and vice-versa. Making use of the now larger primary disk, we booted
the copied system-partition as system disk and thereafter tried using the
Disk Management-tool to change drive letters, failing on the same Office SP3
Update shutdown-problem as the previous system partition did -- all according
to Murphy's Law.

So, using Symantec/Norton Partiton Magic 8.0 we made room for a new
WXPP-install on the now primary IDE-disk and then tried both Ms Disk
Management and Partition Magic 8.0 to change drive letters in the fresh
install, hoping to have the new WXPP-installation as a new C-drive. Failing,
of course: The non-changeable and failing original install meddled and
decided it was 'King-of-the-hill' as a C-drive.

Situation: My collegue will not accept the current drive letter assignment
by Ms Windows -- rightly expecting future problems. He doesn't accept
removing the original partition until the now primary and system partition
works as a fully installed and upgraded C-drive. Again, he doesn't trust Ms
Backup.

Recently, I activated his brand new Thinkpad T60 Vista Business, hoping
moving data files over would enable a thoroughly clean install on his home
PC. But, he won't keep any home data on that computer -- again, all according
to Murphy's Law.

A pointer: Both my collegue and I advice others as professionals about OS's
and business solutions and we've never seen anything like this -- me even
having a MCP in a now distant WOS.

Any suggestions or should I ask 'WOS-up'?


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