HELP! Changing partition Letters

[gugutz]

I have a Seagate Barracuda 80GB

I made 2 partitions: one of 20gb, the primary, witch was C: for system files and programs, and other of 60gb, witch was D: for my personal and backup files.

What happened: I tried, months ago, (still don´t know why, but...), to install Linux to see how it worked.

But during the process of installation, linux changed the letters of my partitions. So C: became D:, and D: became C:

Now everytime i have to install windows, i have to install at D:, cause this is the partition supposed to be use to install the operating system.

And since the 60gb partition became C:, during Windows install, it creates some files at this partition, probably because it believes to be the primary partition. So it creates files like boot.ini, autoexec.bat and others.

And even using Disk Manager at Administrative Tools, it don´t allow to change the letter of C: (the 60gb for private files) to any other letter, ´cause it says that partition is set as System Partition, and the D: (witch was supposed to be C: for OS and progs), is set as Initialization.

And i don´t have other disk to backup my files to re-made the partitions correctly, so i have to do while windows is installed or with other method, without formatting or losing any of my personal data.

Anyone here knows a program, or a native windows way to do it?

I figure that if i make some modifications at boot.ini file (during windows install, it copies boot.ini to C:, not to D: witch is the system partition), i could correct it. But i´m affraid i could make some mess.

If it goes for any help, here´s a sample of the boot.ini file at C:

[boot loader]timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /noguiboot /bootlogo

Like always, thanks for your help!

[Takeshi]

Just moving the boot.ini to the first partition isn't going to change the drive letter.

The easy way;: make the first partition active and primary then reformat.

Not very easy but official way:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223188/

[gugutz]

i made that, and then my system stopped at logon screen, like the site said might happen.

i´m guessing if it isn´t ´cause i didn´t make a copy of boot.ini to the other partition.

i´m thinking on trying again doing this.

but isn´t there a software that can simplicate things for me?

[Takeshi]

If you get to the logon screen, you've passed the boot.ini stage. If there isn't a boot.ini or if it's incorrect, you get the NTLDR is missing error.

So your problem now is not booting, but logon.

One possible cause of hanging at the logon screen is the page file location, which was probably not corrected when you changed drive letters.

The other thing is, when you changed D to C, you must also change what was C back to D or whatever.

[gugutz]

i´ve made the changing on MoundeDrivers letters, and made a lookup at the registry to change the location of pagefile.sys file.

changed all the entries from \pagefile.sys to C:\pagefile.sys, witch would become my main and primary partition for my OS.

so i´ve waited a bit at the logon screen, and suddently, it beggins to do these flashes, like it was updating something, but i´ve waited for about 30 of 50 minutes, and nothing happened, so i had to format again.

really isn´t any other way?

perhaps i could make some tests with partition magic, but i always been affraid that this program may delete all of my files. and if it happens, then i´l kill myself!

someone recommend a program, like partition magic, to solve my problem?