Windows 7: Moving Win 7 from Drive N to Drive C

Initially, i installed Windows 7 in a new partition - N and left Vista in C drive until i was sure i wanted to switch. Does anyone know the proper or workable way to do it.

I'd like to do it in a way that I don't have to reinstall anything.

Is there a solution without a new install of Windows 7 in to C?

See: Not really.

If you have Vista and Windows 7 on the same HD, then post back a screenshot of your full Disk management drive map, using Snipping Tool in start menu, attach file using paper clip in Reply box.

We can then advise you how to recover the System Active MBR into Windows 7, and also to recover the Vista partition space into Windows 7 if you want that.

If they are on separate HD's, then mark Windows 7 active, shut down to unplug the Vista HD, boot Windows 7 DVD Repair console or Repair CD, click through to Recovery Tools list to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots to write the MBR to Windows 7.

Whatever letter Windows 7 ends up with (likely C if it wasn't installed from Vista desktop) has no bearing whatsoever on its performance

Try taking the vista drive out and running a repair install on the windows 7 drive. In therory it should rename the N drive as C and set a new boot record as only having one drive. Back up files first though!

Isn't the operating system that is currently being used "see" itself as being C:? Meaning, while you're booted into Vista you have Vista on C: and Windows 7 on N:, but when you boot Windows 7, doesn't the "C" drive belong to Windows 7 and the Vista partition would be named as the next available drive letter?

I understood the OP as stating literally that while he is using Vista then the Windows 7 partition is on N:. All the OP would need to do is to boot into Windows 7, right? After boot, Windows 7 would be C:, right?

Not if he installed it from within Vista, or deliberately set the letters up differently.

My 3 o/s see themselves as C, D and E - just as i like it.

Straighten me out if I'm off base...

For arguement's sake, you have XP, Vista, and Windows 7. In that order, XP is C, Vista is D, and Windows 7 is E.
>So, when you boot into Vista, Vista "sees" itself as D, XP as C, and Windows 7 as E?
>So, when you boot into Windows 7, Windows 7 "sees" itself as E, XP as C, and Vista as D?

If that's the case, how can that be? I thought that the version of Windows that is actually running at any given time would be the C: drive... Hmmm... I'm confused Now my head hurts.

Edit: I think there's a misunderstanding what I was meaning.
Way back when Windows 7 was but an RC, I installed it onto another drive in my Vista PC. Windows 7 RC was installed on the third hard drive, with the other two being C:, the Vista partition/drive; D:, my movies, music, and pics; and E:, the Windows 7 RC. Now, when I ran Vista, the drives/partitions lined up just like that: C-Vista, D-Media, E-Windows 7. However, when I booted into the Windows 7 RC, Windows 7 was C:, the Vista drive/partition was D:, and the Media drive/partition was E:
That, in its essence, is what I was trying to state--the actively running operating system, in my case was Vista or Windows 7 RC, was the C: drive.

So, pertaining to the OP, in his Vista installation, Vista "sees" the Windows 7 partition as N--which is what he stated. However, all he would need to do is to boot into Windows 7. When Windows 7 is running, Windows 7 would be the C: drive...

It involves loading the registry during install at the correct moment and making the changes.

A much easier way is to run the install from within an existing o/s ( either run setup .exe or mount the iso in a virtual drive like DT or Poweriso ) - it can't take the letter of the existing o/s - it will take the next available letter.

EXACTLY!

Which falls right into what I tried to state: booting into Windows 7 will make Windows 7--during the time it is actively running--the C: drive. The system can't have two C: drives at the same time. Windows 7 will see the Vista partition as whatever the next free letter that can be assigned to that partition.

Nope.

If you are booted into Vista - let's say it already has C for itself in Dos mounted devices - then run setup.exe of the Windows 7 install files while you are still booted into Vista - point the 7 installer at any other partition.

Windows 7 cannot call itself C - it will take the next available drive letter.

When 7 has installed - boot into it and it will not announce itself as C.

Clear I hope?

Like this:



I don't do it that way - but it's the simplest .That's not the same as trying to change a system/boot drive letter after installation.