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Windows 7 - Change Drive letter |
11-04-2010
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#1 | | |
Change Drive letter I have a triple boot system: C - Windows 7 Ultimate - SSD array D - Data - WD 640 spinner 1 E - Windows 7 Pro - 1st partition on WD 640 spinner 2 F - Windows 7 Enterprise - 2nd partition WD 640 spinner 2 Using Acronis True Image 2010, I keep 2 images of each OS on D. I'd like to put an image of C onto E, then make some changes to it. I think I tried this back in the Vista beta days, but can't recall if I ever got it to work, tempted to say "no". Any suggestions appreciated.
Last edited by 24c; 11-04-2010 at 08:26 AM..
Reason: Spelling
| My System Specs | | System Manufacturer/Model Number 24c Built OS Win7 x64 Ult CPU Intel i7-950 Motherboard ASUS PT6 Memory 12 GB DDR3 Graphics Card NVIDIA 9800GT+ Sound Card none Monitor(s) Displays 2 Samsung SyncMaster 2343bwx Screen Resolution 2048X1152 Keyboard Logitech cordless Mouse Logitech cordless PSU Thermaltake Toughpower XT W0229RU 750W Case Antec 900 Cooling case fans Hard Drives 1st-4 OCZ Vertex Turbos 32GB RAID 0
2nd-2 WD 640GB RAID 1 Internet Speed up to 15 MB/s |
11-04-2010
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#2 | | Dual-boot: Windows XP SP3 and Windows 7 Ultimate (both 32-bit) |
What do you want help with here? | My System Specs | | System Manufacturer/Model Number Advent OS Dual-boot: Windows XP SP3 and Windows 7 Ultimate (both 32-bit) CPU AMD Phenom X4 9550 2.8Ghz Motherboard FOXCONN A6VMX (Socket 940) Memory 4.0GB RAM Graphics Card 256MB On-board ATI Radeon X1200 Series Sound Card UnKnown Monitor(s) Displays 19" TFT Mointor Screen Resolution 1400 by 900 Keyboard HP Keyboard Hard Drives 500GB Western Digital WDC Internet Speed Dial-up via Mobile phone (Three) Other Info 250GB External Hard-drive. |
11-04-2010
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#3 | | |

Quote: Originally Posted by Love Windows 7 What do you want help with here?  "I'd like to put an image of C onto E", and be able to boot to it, as well as C & F. ETA: I got it, took all of about 2 minutes - a mind is a terrible thing to use at times. | My System Specs | | System Manufacturer/Model Number 24c Built OS Win7 x64 Ult CPU Intel i7-950 Motherboard ASUS PT6 Memory 12 GB DDR3 Graphics Card NVIDIA 9800GT+ Sound Card none Monitor(s) Displays 2 Samsung SyncMaster 2343bwx Screen Resolution 2048X1152 Keyboard Logitech cordless Mouse Logitech cordless PSU Thermaltake Toughpower XT W0229RU 750W Case Antec 900 Cooling case fans Hard Drives 1st-4 OCZ Vertex Turbos 32GB RAID 0
2nd-2 WD 640GB RAID 1 Internet Speed up to 15 MB/s |
11-04-2010
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#4 | | Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1 |

Quote: Originally Posted by 24c Any suggestions appreciated. Yes, pick an OS and stick with it. I always have to ask the following question, for several reasons. What would be the point over over-complicating a system, using three licenses, wasting disk space, etc etc etc.....so you can run three copies of the same OS?
Now, the reason I ask....is because 99.9% of the time, there's an easier/better/more efficient way of accomplishing whatever it is you are trying to do with three of the same OS. | My System Specs | | OS Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1 CPU Intel Core i7-2600 Motherboard Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3P-B3 Memory 12 GB Patriot Extreme DDR3-1333 Graphics Card Nvidia GTX 470 Monitor(s) Displays Dell UltraSharp 2209WA PSU OCZ ModStream 700W Case CoolerMaster HAF 912 Advanced Cooling CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus Hard Drives OCZ Agility3 240 GB, WD5001AALS, WD7501AALS |
11-04-2010
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#5 | | |
Your best arrangement with separate HD's is to boot via BIOS boot order or one-time BIOS boot menu key, removing the Windows-managed Dual Boot so that your HD's are independent and free to come and go as you please. | My System Specs | | |
11-04-2010
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#6 | | |
Thanks for the replies - here's what I did and why.
I wanted another copy of C becuase it has a software program installed that is a pain to re-activate when re-installing. I have the proper licences, just hate the phone calls. I have a TechNet 'script so OS licences are not an issue.
ALSO - Drive 0, 1st SATA, is a 4 SSD array that I don't like to experiment with.
1. working in C drive, I restored an image of C to E - I DID NOT restore the MBR.
2. upon re-boot it booted to the restored image of C
3. in Windows Explorer, it showed me booted to C, with D & F there also. The original C drive wasn't shown.
4. Conrol Panel - Admin Tools - Computer Mgmnt - Disk Mgmnt:
Dive 0 (1st SATA, original C) was there w/o drive letter - I assigned E to it.
5. renamed image restored drive to Windows 7 Ult2, original was Windows 7 Ult.
6, booted into 1st C, made appropriate drive name changes in EASY BCD and all seems to be exactly what I wanted.
Now which ever Windows 7 Ult drive I boot to appears a C in Windows Explorer, the other as E.
Last edited by 24c; 11-04-2010 at 12:00 PM..
Reason: spelling
| My System Specs | | System Manufacturer/Model Number 24c Built OS Win7 x64 Ult CPU Intel i7-950 Motherboard ASUS PT6 Memory 12 GB DDR3 Graphics Card NVIDIA 9800GT+ Sound Card none Monitor(s) Displays 2 Samsung SyncMaster 2343bwx Screen Resolution 2048X1152 Keyboard Logitech cordless Mouse Logitech cordless PSU Thermaltake Toughpower XT W0229RU 750W Case Antec 900 Cooling case fans Hard Drives 1st-4 OCZ Vertex Turbos 32GB RAID 0
2nd-2 WD 640GB RAID 1 Internet Speed up to 15 MB/s |
11-04-2010
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#7 | | |
I don't see the point in giving someone a hard time for what they choose to do; it's their choice, if they want to run a dozen instances of the exact same Windows, what's the harm, it's their machine. | My System Specs | | System Manufacturer/Model Number * BFK Customs * OS W 7 64-bit Ultimate CPU Intel Q9550 Yorkfield Motherboard ASUS P5Q Pro Memory 8GB Dominator 8500C5D Graphics Card ATI : XFX 5870 Sound Card Realtek HD Audio 7-1 Monitor(s) Displays 1x 47" LCD HDMI & 3x 26" LCD HDMI Screen Resolution 1920x1080P & 1920x1200 Keyboard Microsoft 500 Mouse Razer Diamondback 3G PSU Corsair 620HX Case Cooler Master RC-690 Cooling Tuniq Tower 120, 2x 140mm and 3x 120mm case fans Hard Drives 1x 80GB Intel X25-M G2 SSD : 1x 500GB & 1x 640GB WD Caviar Black(s) Internet Speed 14 Mb/s Other Info 1x Koutech 3Gb/s SATA HDD Hot Swap Rack |
11-04-2010
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#8 | | Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1 |

Quote: Originally Posted by 24c I wanted another copy of C becuase it has a software program installed that is a pain to re-activate when re-installing. I have the proper licences, just hate the phone calls. I have a TechNet 'script so OS licences are not an issue. Rather than install that app three times, just use a system image of your primary OS. That still doesn't mean it needs to be on three separate OSes. Whatever it is that you are doing on the other OSes to make them need to be reinstalled....just virtualize them. Then, rather than reinstall...just revert to a backup file of each VM. It takes 5 minutes, and you are booting back into a VM again. Install one OS natively on the system for everyday use, and then use VMs for the other two. Problem solved.
As for TechNet, I've been using it for 6 years, and I have yet to ever need to pick up the phone to reactivate a product. Simplify, and it will make your life so much easier. | My System Specs | | OS Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1 CPU Intel Core i7-2600 Motherboard Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3P-B3 Memory 12 GB Patriot Extreme DDR3-1333 Graphics Card Nvidia GTX 470 Monitor(s) Displays Dell UltraSharp 2209WA PSU OCZ ModStream 700W Case CoolerMaster HAF 912 Advanced Cooling CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus Hard Drives OCZ Agility3 240 GB, WD5001AALS, WD7501AALS |
11-04-2010
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#9 | | |

Quote: Originally Posted by DeaconFrost Rather than install that app three times, just use a system image of your primary OS. That still doesn't mean it needs to be on three separate OSes. Whatever it is that you are doing on the other OSes to make them need to be reinstalled....just virtualize them. Then, rather than reinstall...just revert to a backup file of each VM. It takes 5 minutes, and you are booting back into a VM again. Install one OS natively on the system for everyday use, and then use VMs for the other two. Problem solved. As for TechNet, I've been using it for 6 years, and I have yet to ever need to pick up the phone to reactivate a product. Simplify, and it will make your life so much easier. I know nothing about the virtualize thing. It is NOT a TechNet product I was referring to as far as the re-activation, but an accounting software program. I have met my goal for today, maybe not the best way, but the best way with my knowledge base. My "room for improvement" is a large sized room for sure. | My System Specs | | System Manufacturer/Model Number 24c Built OS Win7 x64 Ult CPU Intel i7-950 Motherboard ASUS PT6 Memory 12 GB DDR3 Graphics Card NVIDIA 9800GT+ Sound Card none Monitor(s) Displays 2 Samsung SyncMaster 2343bwx Screen Resolution 2048X1152 Keyboard Logitech cordless Mouse Logitech cordless PSU Thermaltake Toughpower XT W0229RU 750W Case Antec 900 Cooling case fans Hard Drives 1st-4 OCZ Vertex Turbos 32GB RAID 0
2nd-2 WD 640GB RAID 1 Internet Speed up to 15 MB/s |
11-04-2010
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#10 | | Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1 |

Quote: Originally Posted by 24c I know nothing about the virtualize thing. You are robbing yourself of what might be the best and most useful trend in computing. Look into something like VirtualBox, Microsoft Virtual PC, etc. You run an app that lets you install Windows or other OSes to a large file, and yet they boot and run as if they were installed on a computer...using your existing hardware, and nearly native speeds. There's no drive letters, boot loaders, etc to mess with, and your primary host OS stays intact and untouched. Dual-booting is dead now, thanks to virtualization. As I hinted at above, most people who still multi-boot aren't aware of how much better, easier, and more efficient it is. Considering the software I mentioned is free, and you have the OS licenses...the total cost is nothing additional. 
Quote: Originally Posted by 24c It is NOT a TechNet product I was referring to as far as the re-activation, but an accounting software program. My advice still goes. You could install it to a virtual machine, and use it there...or install it to the host OS, and keep system images to backup...no reinstalling necessary. | My System Specs | | OS Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1 CPU Intel Core i7-2600 Motherboard Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3P-B3 Memory 12 GB Patriot Extreme DDR3-1333 Graphics Card Nvidia GTX 470 Monitor(s) Displays Dell UltraSharp 2209WA PSU OCZ ModStream 700W Case CoolerMaster HAF 912 Advanced Cooling CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus Hard Drives OCZ Agility3 240 GB, WD5001AALS, WD7501AALS Change Drive letter problems? All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:11 PM. |  |