Windows 7: Macrium Clone & drive letters?

Hi...
I successfully made a clone using Macrium from Windows desktop - latest version.
Did not use the Macrium PE approach.
I did this using an external HDrive with USB connection. Drive same size as computer drive.
I use HP Pavilion win 7 home edition...64 bit.

The clone still has the same drive letters it had previously. The clone process did not did not change the 3 partitions as the system HDrive in the computer. I assumed the drive letter would be changed during the process.



The computer drive letters are
C:HP
D:Factory_Image
*. System

The Macrium clone did not change the drive letters...I have
F:HP
G:Factory_Image
T: System

I have no experience with drive letters, changing them, and how to do this correctly.
Especially this one, *.System

I learned from my HP computer that at bootup, while pressing ESC, I will get a boot Menu choice.
I thought to test this new clone using this approach, so I don't have to connect it inside the computer to test it out.

I could use some advice here. I'd hate to mess it all up since it took me 4 hours to make this clone.
Should I have created this clone from DOS? Maybe that would have been better.. I have no idea...not much experience here.

I'd really appreciate some help here.
With much appreciation...sincerely

I assume you are looking at the drive letters on the cloned disk, while booted up from your primary HDD. If that is the case, then Windows will show the drive letters on your primary HDD as normal and will assign new letters to the cloned partitions on your external disk. You can't change the drive letters on both drives to be the same, as long as you have both drives connected while your system is booted up.

Hi...thanks Little Jay...I appreciate your suggestions.
I have a tendency not to express myself clearly with words...I tend to confuse others.

If I understand you correctly.
I can leave the cloned hdrive drive letters as is.
So i connected to inside the computer, the the cloned drive letter will be changed automatically to:
C:HP
D:Factory_Image
*. System

Can I changed the cloned hdrive letter myself, before I test it out?
Besides, I wouldn't know how to change T:System to *:System.

Also, this in a internal hdrive which I connected to an USB connector - thus an external connection.
Being not that experienced I become hesitant to try some things out.
Like to leave the cloned drive letters as F:, G:, & T: - and try to boot with the internal computer connections.
I appreciate your help...I hope I make sense to you and others.
I really don't have much experience with clones, this being the 1st time with Macrium.
I have been doing Macrium images & Windows images for protection - hoping for the best.

With much appreciation...sincerely....strum101

I wouldn't change any drive letters period. It is better to let Windows assign them. When you boot into the cloned drive, the partition with Windows on it will automatically become the C partition. How Windows handles the lettering for remaining partitions on the drive will depend on whether you have your primary HDD hooked up, or not. If your primary HDD is not hooked up, then the letters on the cloned drive will match what you have on the primary HDD, when it is booted up. If both drives are hooked up at the same time, then it will depend on how Windows sees each of the disks. Hope this helps to explain things a bit better.

If you have made a true clone and connect the original and cloned HDD then both will have the same disk signature. This will cause a disk clash and one should appear as offline.
If you boot just the clone then the OS partition will be C: as stated above. To change the other drive letters:
Drive Letter - Add, Change, or Remove in Windows 7

But before you do anything see if your clone HDD will boot when it alone is connected.

Hi...LittleJay...
I appreciate for the better understanding.
I used Macriium in Windows 7...so I'm assuming it is a true clone.
I will test it out by disconnecting the C: system drive so it will make the drive letter changes. Besides, I'd rather not make such changes. Your explanation is very clear and I really appreciate that. My experience is really not that much.
With appreciation...strum101...thanks again...

You are welcome. Glad I could help!

mjf...
Thanks for the advice and tutorial.
I have a better understanding now.
All replies give the same instructions and cautions...
With appreciation...strum101