Hiding existing NTFS partitions

[toylet]

I would like to hide 2 NTFS partitions from being detected by XP installation program, so that I could change the drive letter of the XP partition from J: to D:. Drive C: is Vi$ta. Yes, I am installing XP after Vi$ta (for some old projects).

What are the best partition types (set via Linux fdisk) that could prevent WinXP installation program from seeing them?

[BikinDutchman]

Partition Magic can hide partitions. You can also edit partition tables manually but in that case you really need to know what you are doing.

Edited November 29, 2008 by BikinDutchman

[toylet]

Partition Magic can hide partitions. You can also edit partition tables manually but in that case you really need to know what you are doing.

I believe PM merely set the of type of those NTFS partitions rather than doing something special or drastic.

Which partition type then?

[jaclaz]

Putting a "1" as first partition number type means "hidden":

06 FAT16-> 16 Hidden FAT16

07 NTFS -> 17 Hidden NTFS

0b FAT32 CHS -> 1b Hidden FAT32

etc .:

http://www.win.tue.nl/~aeb/partitions/partition_types-1.html

You don't need Partition Magic, grub4dos can boot the drive (ANY drive, CD, Stick, HD, floppy) and hide the partitions on-the-fly:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showforum=66

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=5187

jaclaz