Change drive letter from dual boot partition 1

[dasterson]

Here is my situation:
I have Windows Server 2003 on my first partition. I have XP on my second partition. When I boot up XP, 2003 is listed as "C:" and XP is listed as "K:". I tried to change the drive letters while in XP so that the OS for XP is on "C:". When I boot up in XP, I get to the login screen, but when I enter my info, it logs me out. I can still boot up in 2003 with no problems.

Question:
Is there a way, while I am booted up in 2003, to switch the drive letters for XP?

- Thanks!

 

[wolluf]

'I tried to change the drive letters while in XP so that the OS for XP is on "C:"'

How? You can't do this from disk management -

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q223188

is the only way I know of, and that will not change all the registry entries (which is probably what's casuing your problem).

You can't change XP's system drive from 2003.

If you want an xp installation on C: on the second partition, you'll need to start again. Hide the 2k3 partition while installing XP (

http://www.boot-us.com

has a feature called 'true hide' which 'really' hides partitions from XP - it can see normally hidden ones - though normal hiding may do the trick). Then XP will not use 2k3's boot sector and it should install a properly independent installation as C: in second partition. You'll then need to create dual boot (eg, that app I mentioned, or you could edit the boot.ini on 2k3 - or save the one you have currently, and restore it when XP reinstalled) - after unhiding 2k3 partition.

Note - the XP partition will need to be a primary, not a logical in extended for this approach to work.

 

[dasterson]

Thanks wolluf!

I have a dual boot currently and I have fiddled around before with the boot.ini file on the 2003 drive to get it to default to XP.

With my current situation, is it possible to boot off the XP cd in repair mode and get my drives back to where they were before my "mishap"? i.e. 2003/C: and XP/K: when booting up in XP

- dasterson

 

[wolluf]

It might be - but may still be the same also (repair reinstall that is -

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341).

But you'll need to replace the boot sector files which XP will install on the C: drive (ntldr & ntdetect.com) with those from the 2k3 install, or 2k3 won't boot after repair (either save current ones and copy back, or copy from \i386 on 2k3 install CD).