Change System Root Directory Drive Letter

[TooNew]

Windows XP Home Edition
I installed new hard drive and reinstalled windows but I had a USB removable dirve connected when window installed which window named the "C" drive. Now the system root drive is "F". This has caused some software problems. I tried to reassign the drive letter but window won't let you change the system root directory drive letter. Can I do anything other than format the drive and reinstall everything?

 

[linney]

Not easily, if at all.

Windows under normal circumstances would happily live on F: drive, can you do anything with the odd piece of software that wants it to be on C: drive?

HOW TO: Change Drive Letter Assignments in Windows XP (Q307844)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q307/8/84.asp

"Changing the drive letter of the system volume or the boot volume is not inherent to Disk Management.

Many MS-DOS-based and Windows-based programs make references to a specific drive letter (for example, environment variables). If you modify the drive letter from F:, these programs may not function correctly."


XP System Partition is NOT drive C:
thread779-641371

Change "system volume" drive letter
thread779-763819

Assign, change, or remove a drive letter........Help and Support program

thread779-274165

Thread779-197666

Do a search in this Forum for Drive Letter.

 

[TooNew]

Thank you for responding.

I'll check out the other threads you supplied. I've been living with this for some time. I've recently had a situation where the main programs were installed on "F" with some "related files" installed on "C". If "C" is not present the install terminates. I'll probably bite the bullet and reinstall the whole system again. (Good thing I'm retired!) Thank you

 

[schtek]

ok i lost a system a few days back and i had a normal drive on c:\ but my system was on H:\ the reason for that was as u did not realising i had another drive whilst installing the operating system.... i removed the other drive about 6 months ago(like ure usb remove it) if you have not put to many programs on i sugest you now re install operating system and when it comes to finding other operating systems repair the one it finds (if loads of programs installed on it) if not do a fresh install over the drive it will sort out your drive letter problem

hope this helps

Stand up wherever you are, go to the nearest window and yell as loud as you can, 'I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore.'

 

[TooNew]

schtek - Thanks for the reply. I'll try to do a repair. I expect most of the software installed finds the root directory using a variable. There are only a few problem software application that I will probably have to reload.