themroc
asked on
Change hardrive drive letter
I installed a new hard drive on my computer. The old constisted out of two patititiones with the following specifications:
C: 2.5 GB
D: 11 GB
On partitition D I have installed all my programmes.
When I installed my new harddrive as a Slave drive with 2.5 GB capazity the Windows system assigned drive D: to this drive and changed the drive letter of the former D drive to drive E:.
Now some of my programmes on the former D-drive (11 GB) doesn't work properly anymore, so I would like to set the drive letter back to the old value and get the drive letter E: for the new drive.
I tried already going to the device manager and changing the settings for disk drive. But to change the current letter assignment was not possible it was grey.
How can I solve this problem???
C: 2.5 GB
D: 11 GB
On partitition D I have installed all my programmes.
When I installed my new harddrive as a Slave drive with 2.5 GB capazity the Windows system assigned drive D: to this drive and changed the drive letter of the former D drive to drive E:.
Now some of my programmes on the former D-drive (11 GB) doesn't work properly anymore, so I would like to set the drive letter back to the old value and get the drive letter E: for the new drive.
I tried already going to the device manager and changing the settings for disk drive. But to change the current letter assignment was not possible it was grey.
How can I solve this problem???
In Windows 98 it is not possible to change the drive letters manually. The drive letters are assinged as followed:
C: primary partition of first disk
D: primary partition of second disk
E: secondary partition of first disk
F: secondary partition of second disk
To solve your problem you should not have a primary partition on the second disk. The primary partition is only neccessary on the primary disk
C: primary partition of first disk
D: primary partition of second disk
E: secondary partition of first disk
F: secondary partition of second disk
To solve your problem you should not have a primary partition on the second disk. The primary partition is only neccessary on the primary disk
pslh suggestion will work fine, but here is a cheaper solution. expanding on what schmid said, you can delete the partitions on the second drive, and using fdisk, create an extended partition on the second drive without creating a primary partition. then you get:
c: is primary on the first disk
d: is in the extended partition on the first disk
e: is in the extended partition on the second disk.
if you have PartitionMagic 5.0, you could use plsh's suggestion, or you could convert the primary partition on the second drive to an extended partition.
just a couple of things to think about.
c: is primary on the first disk
d: is in the extended partition on the first disk
e: is in the extended partition on the second disk.
if you have PartitionMagic 5.0, you could use plsh's suggestion, or you could convert the primary partition on the second drive to an extended partition.
just a couple of things to think about.
themroc
Why did you post this question in two areas.
It hard for people to answer when it is in two places. I left you a comment in the general area with other and you have some here.
Why did you post this question in two areas.
It hard for people to answer when it is in two places. I left you a comment in the general area with other and you have some here.
Copy current contents of D: to the new drive and remove the old drive's partition. Gooten Lucken.
It is possible to change drive letters in Win 98 by this way:
1. Disable your new installed drive in the computer CMOS (set to NONE or something like this - it is depends on your computer CMOS)
2. Start Win 98 - your hard disk should be detected.
3. Set this disk in the properties as "Removable"
4. Now you should be posiible to change this drive letter.
Regards, Zachar.
1. Disable your new installed drive in the computer CMOS (set to NONE or something like this - it is depends on your computer CMOS)
2. Start Win 98 - your hard disk should be detected.
3. Set this disk in the properties as "Removable"
4. Now you should be posiible to change this drive letter.
Regards, Zachar.
zachar, I didn't try your method before in disabling CMOS/BIOs in reading this drive and telling win98 it is a removable drive.
One query arouse from curiosity before testing to verify this suggestion:-
If restart to MS-DOS mode, this drive will be read or not?
If it can be detected in MS-DOS mode, what drive letter it will be then?
pslh
One query arouse from curiosity before testing to verify this suggestion:-
If restart to MS-DOS mode, this drive will be read or not?
If it can be detected in MS-DOS mode, what drive letter it will be then?
pslh
ASKER
At first I have to appologize that I posted this question in three different areas, sorgie was right. Next time I'll post it only in the general Area.
But I fed really up with this problem so I tried to get an answer as soon as possible.
It was easier as I thougt, I tried the proposed method by schmid and it worked excelent.
I don't know how the further suggestions would have worked.
Zachar thanks for your answer, I tried already schmids proposal and it works fine, unfortuanetely at home I havn't got any Internet access, so I couln't response imediately. I would share the points but aparently it is not possible.
So I would like to give the points to schmid, but unfortuately he is not on the list anymore.
So schmid please post your comment as a answer that I can give you the points.
Thanks a lot.
But I fed really up with this problem so I tried to get an answer as soon as possible.
It was easier as I thougt, I tried the proposed method by schmid and it worked excelent.
I don't know how the further suggestions would have worked.
Zachar thanks for your answer, I tried already schmids proposal and it works fine, unfortuanetely at home I havn't got any Internet access, so I couln't response imediately. I would share the points but aparently it is not possible.
So I would like to give the points to schmid, but unfortuately he is not on the list anymore.
So schmid please post your comment as a answer that I can give you the points.
Thanks a lot.
pslh, i did not try to do this.
For shure, if you will start MS DOS initially, the drive will be unvisible.
But it may be visible if to do restart to DOS mode wrom the Win - i have to check this.
Zachar.
For shure, if you will start MS DOS initially, the drive will be unvisible.
But it may be visible if to do restart to DOS mode wrom the Win - i have to check this.
Zachar.
> I would like to give the points to schmid, but unfortuately he is not on the list anymore.
As the "author" of this question, you can select any "comment", i.e., the one by 'schmid', and "accept" it as being the "answer".
You don't have to wait for 'schmid' to post a "proposed-answer".
As the "author" of this question, you can select any "comment", i.e., the one by 'schmid', and "accept" it as being the "answer".
You don't have to wait for 'schmid' to post a "proposed-answer".
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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Have you folks forgotten about the DOS Subst command?
I've been looking for a way to force a removable HD to be any other letter than D: (because of a 2nd partition where all my s/w is installed).
I am disappointed that I had to look up so many questions only to be told (erroneously) that it cannot be done!
Boy, you people give up easily especially considering that there is no technical reason to make it impossible to change drive letter assignments.
Anyhow...(necessity is the mother of invention) I dug into my long lost memories of DOS and created a partial solution:
If HD 1 has 2 partitions and HD 2 has one but HD 1 (2nd part) needs to be Drive D: this is what one can do:
Autoexec.bat
subst f: d: (move original D: out of way)
subst d: e: (move e: to d:)
unfortunately, one cannot do:
subst e: f: ! Drats... anyway you end up with the following:
C: - never changes
D: - now 2nd partition of HD 1
E: - same as D:
f: - HD 2
So... YES you can reassign drive letters in Windows 9x.
Still I believe this is only a partial solution and I will find a complete solution soon!!
I've been looking for a way to force a removable HD to be any other letter than D: (because of a 2nd partition where all my s/w is installed).
I am disappointed that I had to look up so many questions only to be told (erroneously) that it cannot be done!
Boy, you people give up easily especially considering that there is no technical reason to make it impossible to change drive letter assignments.
Anyhow...(necessity is the mother of invention) I dug into my long lost memories of DOS and created a partial solution:
If HD 1 has 2 partitions and HD 2 has one but HD 1 (2nd part) needs to be Drive D: this is what one can do:
Autoexec.bat
subst f: d: (move original D: out of way)
subst d: e: (move e: to d:)
unfortunately, one cannot do:
subst e: f: ! Drats... anyway you end up with the following:
C: - never changes
D: - now 2nd partition of HD 1
E: - same as D:
f: - HD 2
So... YES you can reassign drive letters in Windows 9x.
Still I believe this is only a partial solution and I will find a complete solution soon!!
> complete solution
C: - primary partition on hard-drive #1
D: - logical drive within extended-partition on hard-drive #1
E: - logical drive within extended-partition on hard-drive #2.
The "trick" is that hard-drive #2 does _NOT_ contain a "primary" partition.
If it does, you can use Partition Magic (Version 5) to "convert primary to logical". Since there is no primary partition on hard-drive #2, 'D:' cannot be assigned to the non-existent primary partition.
Given the above arrangement, DOS (and all newer operating-systems) will do the drive-letter assignments as above.
C: - primary partition on hard-drive #1
D: - logical drive within extended-partition on hard-drive #1
E: - logical drive within extended-partition on hard-drive #2.
The "trick" is that hard-drive #2 does _NOT_ contain a "primary" partition.
If it does, you can use Partition Magic (Version 5) to "convert primary to logical". Since there is no primary partition on hard-drive #2, 'D:' cannot be assigned to the non-existent primary partition.
Given the above arrangement, DOS (and all newer operating-systems) will do the drive-letter assignments as above.
The first partition of first hard disk is logically assigned as C and the first partition of the second hard disk is logically assigned as D. The second partition of the first hard disk will be assigned as E and the second partition of the second hard disk will be assigned as F. Not much way to change the drive letter by the operating system.
If you have data/programs in your original second partition, I would like to suggest you to use Power Quest DriveMapper contained in the Power Quest Drive Image software to change the window98 registry for all previously recorded programs or links or paths with drive letter D to new drive letter E by substitution. Then your new hard disk can use the drive letter D. Such a shift is only about 10-20min. for you to finish the process.
It would be worked fine then.
pslh