Anyone ever solve the not-installed-as-C: problem in Setup?

[Volatus]

If I may, it seems to me that this thread is taking a "strange" turn.

Volatus asked something, i.e. if anyone knows a way to have Windows XP on HD to get drive letter C: even if some other devices are connected.

So far there were TWO valid replies:

1) install the XP on whatever drive letter it gets and later change it. (tricky)

2) install the XP "pre-mapping" the hard disk (tricky as well)

Then a number of replies, saying more or less that he should dis-connect all other devices before installing, which I am sure was a "trick" Volatus already thinked of, and that probably caused in first instance the question.

What is the point to post that kind of info?

The original question does not appear to be a poll of the type:

What do you think is best?

1) Find a way to assign the C: drive letter without disconnecting other devices.

2) Disconnect all other devices.

So, taking as granted that disconnecting all devices is the most popular and possibly simpler way, are there alternatives?

jaclaz

Quoted for truth since people seem to have just skimmed right over it. The problem I have/had, and that others may have, is that there are some devices (i.e., perhaps an integrated reader in a laptop?) that can't be disabled, that would make Windows Setup choose those as C: first for some godforsaken reason. =(

Edited July 4, 2008 by Volatus

[Mr Snrub]

Scenario:

Computer has a media reader that appears as 4 drives (all too common and all too annoying)

Hard drive is unpartitioned

I believe that combination is your problem - the text-based setup in XP & 2003 will look for an active partition, and in the absence of one it will label the drives as they are enumerated by the BIOS.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/825668

Overview of PNP enumeration and hard disk drive letter assignments in Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP

Note During the text mode Setup of Windows Server 2003, if one of the attached drives is a removable disk drive that contains no media, the empty removable drive is treated as if it has a single logical partition. This drive is assigned a drive letter. If another drive that contains an active primary partition is not found, the removable drive may be assigned drive letter C. To prevent this, make sure that another drive in the system contains an active primary partition. If you use Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) to start Windows Setup, you can use the Diskpart utility to create partitions before you run Setup.

I think that is also why OEM machines have a system recovery partition or recovery CD - as well as automating the recovery process and avoiding the need to keep hold of the product key somewhere, the fact that it is an unattended installation to a standard hardware platform allows the preparation of the disks during setup.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928543

How to automatically assign a drive letter by using the Diskpart.exe command on a Windows Server 2003-based computer or on a Windows XP-based computer

This article describes how to automatically assign a drive letter by using the Diskpart.exe command in the Sysprep.inf file and in the Cmdlines.txt file. The Diskpart.exe command can be used together with the Sysprep tool to deploy a Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based computer or a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer.

If the hardware is not known beforehand, it may be that the disks cannot be prepared via a script, so it might not be possible to create generic "semi-automatic setup-to-c" installation media.

[Vista plug]

That's why the WinPE-based setup for Vista & W2K8 is much better, and the installation letter for the OS will/should be C: regardless of the location of the system partition (where the boot manager resides) and boot partition (where the boot loader and OS reside).

You also have a full diskpart utility available to create/delete/modify partitions (including removing the RO flag from broken RAID sets and setting the active partition).

[/Vista plug]

[deda]

Most BIOS you can determine the devices order, do it before install. After install, you can change, easily, through Computer Management > Disk Management on Administrative Tools. Except, of course, the root system.

Edited July 5, 2008 by deda

[jaclaz]

Most BIOS you can determine the devices order, do it before install. After install, you can change, easily, through Computer Management > Disk Management on Administrative Tools. Except, of course, the root system.

deda,

why don't you actually read the previous posts?

The problem is about "root system" as you call it, and it si possible to change it, though tricky and not recommended.

jaclaz

[Volatus]

(Blah blah blah, I'm not paying attention, blah blah blah)

Except, of course, the root system.

Did you even read the thread title?

@Mr Snrub: Now if only someone could port XP setup to use the Vista setup engine

(yeah, right!)

[deda]

I read everything!

I only mentioned the option of Disk Management because there are references to "mess" with registry. I believe that registry must be the last option, on every situations, even supposing you know what you're doing or must be done. It was just a reference, not a solution.

[jaclaz]

I read everything!

I only mentioned the option of Disk Management because there are references to "mess" with registry. I believe that registry must be the last option, on every situations, even supposing you know what you're doing or must be done. It was just a reference, not a solution.

Well, it does look like a queer "reference" to the original problem.

Problem:

Even though there is no media in the slots, and Setup says such (no media in drive), Setup still assigns those drives to letters C, E, F, and G, with D as the CD drive. Hence, the hard drive is drive H:.

With no way to assign drive letters during Setup, or even any way to find that it totally ruined your new Windows installation by installing it as drive "H:" (where does MS get the nerve?!), you've got no choice but to "try" changing something (maybe unplugging the media reader), and fully reformatting/reinstalling, yet again.

Hasn't someone fixed this problem yet, at a level where, perhaps, it can be added/fixed as a "tweak" in nLite to force Setup to recognize the first hard disk as letter C:?

Most BIOS you can determine the devices order, do it before install. After install, you can change, easily, through Computer Management > Disk Management on Administrative Tools. Except, of course, the root system.

I read the above much like:

Problem:

My car is not starting, it has an automatic gearbox.

Has someone a spare battery handy?

Most cars will start without a battery, just push it down a hill and put 2nd gear in.

Once you have started the car you can replace the ashtray, the carpets and the keyring, but not the battery.

Definitely my English (or logic ) needs lots of improvements.

jaclaz

[deda]

Don't worry Jaclaz, I'll try to keep my mediocrity under control. Is not my fault to be human.

I apologize

[ilko_t]

Anyone tried to create partitions on the hard disk during Text mode, hit F3 and restart? If I recall correctly on next run Text mode will give C to the partitioned disk/first partition even though it will not be formatted yet.