Re: A Dual-boot question; I thought C was always the partition with the running OS


"Richard Urban" wrote:
"Timothy Daniels" wrote: 
    Have you tried this:  Install the Server 2003 on a
separate hard drive withOUT the WinXP hard drive
connected.  The Server 2003 will then call its partion
"C:" Local Disk.  Then modify the WinXP single-boot
boot.ini file so that it will dual-boot.  (Since it's already
dual-booting, you can leave boot.ini as it is now.)
When WinXP starts up, it will see the Server 2003
partition as "E:", but who cares?  When Server 2003
starts up, it will call itself "C:" and it will call the WinXP
partition "E:", but again, who cares?  This will be a
situation analogous to dual-booting between different
clones of the same OS.  Each will call itself "C:" and
the other clone some other letter, but who cares?

*TimDaniels* 

Could you explain why the server installation would
appear as drive C: while both disks are connected?
Have you tried this for yourself? Just because Windows
Server was installed on drive C: does NOT mean that
it will stick to this letter with both disks connected!



   I have not tried this myself.  But why would it not work?
If an OS is installed on an isolated hard drive, it will call its
partition the "C:" Local Disk, just as the OP's WinXP OS
has done.  If the Server 2003 is installed on an isolated
hard drive, I have assumed that it will call its partition the
"C:" Local Disk as well.  Then the situation will be analogous
to having an OS running with its clone visible - the running
OS calls its partition "C:" and it refers to the partition
containing the other OS by some other name, such as "E:".
And when the 2nd OS is running, it also calls its partition
the "C:" Local Disk, and it calls the 1st OS's partition
some other name, such as "E:".  This is what clones do,
so why wouldn't two OSes which have been installed in
isolation from each other do the same?  Please realize
that I'm saying that the RUNNING operating system will call
its partition "C:", while the other OS is merely seen as a
file hierarchy in another partition.  I am NOT saying that
an OS that is NOT running will have its partition known as
"C:" by the running OS.

*TimDaniels* 

From Partition Magic 7.01 Manual:

How the OS Assigns Drive Letters

DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 95/98/Me, and OS/2

These OSs assign drive letters in a fixed sequence
which cannot be changed.

This sequence is as follows:

• The OS begins by assigning a drive letter to the
   first primary partition that it recognizes on the
   first system hard disk. The OS then assigns
   drive letters to the first primary partition recognized
   on each successive hard disk.
   For example,
   imagine you have three hard disks in your system.
   When you boot your OS, it assigns drive letter C:
   to the active primary partition on the first hard disk.
   Drive letter D: is assigned to the first primary
   partition that the OS recognizes on the second hard
   disk, and drive letter E: is likewise assigned to the
   first primary partition on the third disk.
   If you have multiple visible primary partitions on a
   single hard disk, the OS assigns the drive letter
   to the active partition. If none of the partitions are active, the drive letter is assigned to the first visible
   primary partition recognized by the OS.

WARNING! Making multiple primary partitions visible
   on the same drive can cause data loss in DOS,
   Windows 3.x, Windows 95/98/Me and OS/2.

• Next, all logical partitions recognized by the OS
  are assigned drive letters, starting with the logical
  partitions on the first hard disk and proceeding in
  order.
  For example,
  suppose you have two hard disks in your system,
  each with one primary and two logical partitions.
  The OS first assigns C: and D: to the two primary partitions, then assigns drive letters E: and F: to
  the first and second logical partitions on the first
  hard disk. Drive letters G: and H: are assigned to
  the two logical partitions on the second disk.

• The OS then assigns drive letters to any remaining
   visible primary partitions, starting with those on the
   first hard disk. The OS proceeds to any visible primary partitions on the second disk, then the third disk,
   and so on.

• Finally, CD-ROM drives and other types of removable
  media are assigned a drive letter.  Because the OS
  always follows this sequence to assign drive letters,
  adding or removing a second hard disk can cause
  changes to your drive letter assignments. Likewise, drive letters can change if you add, remove,
  or copy a disk partition; reformat a partition with a
  different file system; or boot a different OS.



   Do you guys read what even you yourselves write, much
less what other posters, such as myself, write?

1)  The above treatise is about what a running OS calls
     its own partition and the other partitions that it sees.
     When the OP's WinXP and Server 2003 are installed,
     all that they will see is their own partitions.  Why?
     Because they're on separate hard drives, and I
     suggested that the OP re-install the Server 2003 with
     the WinXP-containing hard drive dis-connected.
     Each OS, when it is RUNNING, will therefore refer
     to its own partition as "C:", just as clones do, and
     it will rename the other partitions as it sees fit, also
     just as clones do.

2)  The above treatise pertains to what is says are
     "DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 95/98/Me, and OS/2".
     If you think this will also apply to WinXP and Server
     2003, at least SAY so.

*TimDaniels*

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Dual Boot Instructions
    ... the PHYSICAL DISK number, ... Partition and Boot Volume as well as other things. ... You should, at any one time, see ONE System Partition and ONE Boot Volume - ... for the typical two floppy drives and assigning Drive C: ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.vista.hardware_devices)
  • Re: Dual Boot Instructions
    ... OS on a separate partition. ... the PHYSICAL DISK number, ... You should, at any one time, see ONE System Partition and ONE Boot ... The name stuck when we added hard disk drives, ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.vista.hardware_devices)
  • Re: Boot Problem
    ... Right mouse click the dest disk> Advanced> Edit ... but it should eventually boot to Windows. ... I see a lot of posts in here about the ability of Acronis to clone drives. ... I have managed to successfully copy by DELETING partition, ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware)
  • Re: Dual Boot Instructions
    ... If "drive" means a single partition or logical drive, then the negatives you've heard are very true. ... But if "drive" means a physical hard disk drive, then I'm in big trouble because I have SIX versions of Windows installed on my 1 TB Disk 1, my second HDD! ... The name stuck when we added hard disk drives, ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.vista.hardware_devices)
  • Re: 2 partitions
    ... I tried to change the drive letters using the Disk Management utility but it ... I'll leave the small partition as is because Gateway claims they do ... restore your computer using the files in the restore partition. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)